What do you think?
Rate this book
Escaping the Giant Wave
The Worst Vacation Ever!
Thirteen-year-old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He'd never flown before, and he'd never seen the Pacific Ocean.
One evening Kyle is left in charge of his younger sister, BeeBee, while his parents attend an adults-only Salesman of the Year dinner on an elegant yacht.
Then the earthquake comes -- starting a fire in their hotel! As Kyle and BeeBee fight their way out through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers the sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far from the ocean as possible. Giant tsunami waves -- three or four stories high can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who doesn't escape fast enough.
Kyle and BeeBee flee uphill as a tsunami crashes over the beach, the hotel, and the town. The giant wave charges straight up the hillside and through the woods where the children are running for their lives. The perfect vacation has become a nightmare! Somehow Kyle and BeeBee have to outwit nature's fury and save themselves from tsunami terror.
Thirteen-year-old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He'd never flown before, and he'd never seen the Pacific Ocean.
One evening Kyle is left in charge of his younger sister, BeeBee, while his parents attend an adults-only Salesman of the Year dinner on an elegant yacht.
Then the earthquake comes -- starting a fire in their hotel! As Kyle and BeeBee fight their way out through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers the sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far from the ocean as possible. Giant tsunami waves -- three or four stories high can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who doesn't escape fast enough.
Kyle and BeeBee flee uphill as a tsunami crashes over the beach, the hotel, and the town. The giant wave charges straight up the hillside and through the woods where the children are running for their lives. The perfect vacation has become a nightmare! Somehow Kyle and BeeBee have to outwit nature's fury and save themselves from tsunami terror.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
149 people are currently reading
1713 people want to read
About the author
Peg Kehret
77 books633 followersPeg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
January 26, 2012
This book is to easy to predict, you know what is going to happen even before it does. NO suspense is generated by this and i can't connect with the characters. It is to short and I finished it 3 days, this book may be a better for 8 year old people. These are the reasons that i gave it a one star review.
BIG THUMBS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Read
October 28, 2008i thought this book had a lot of adventure and peg kehret wrapped it up with a great ending.
November 10, 2019
Another adventure about a earthquake and tsunami on the Oregon coast.
August 4, 2017
Thirteen year old Kyle is excited for his family vacation. He gets to fly on a plane for the first time and see the Pacific Ocean during their visit to Oregon's coast. As they are checking into the hotel Kyle sees a bully, Daren, from school. When Kyle’s parents go to an awards ceremony out on a large ship off the coast, they leave him to watch his sister, BeeBee, for the night. An earthquake hits and the hotel is on fire. They see Daren and try to help him get outside. Free from the flames, they feel safe. Kyle remembers a sign he saw at the beach about giant waves that can come after an earthquake. The sign said to get to higher ground. They had to get moving! Kyle tries to convince Daren to go with them, but he won't listen. Kyle and BeeBee start to trek up a nearby mountain. He's not sure how high up they need to go, but he knows they need to get away from the ocean. Along the way they find an elderly couple who is out walking their dog, trying to get to a safe place. Will a tsunami hit? Can l Kyle and BeeBee survive if it does? What will happen to their parents and Daren? You'll have to read this fast paced book to find out how it all ends.
Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret was a page turner. I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all. I thought Kyle and BeeBee both seemed like characters I could relate to and because Kyle was 13 it made sense that his parents left them alone for the evening so they could go to the ceremony. It was easy to relate to Kyle’s disappointment when he found out that someone who was mean to him at school was staying at his hotel. From what I could see of Darren he didn't act very kind! I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be in a major earthquake. This is a great book for kids who like realistic fiction and lots of action! I learned a lot of survival tips from the story too! I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret was a page turner. I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all. I thought Kyle and BeeBee both seemed like characters I could relate to and because Kyle was 13 it made sense that his parents left them alone for the evening so they could go to the ceremony. It was easy to relate to Kyle’s disappointment when he found out that someone who was mean to him at school was staying at his hotel. From what I could see of Darren he didn't act very kind! I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be in a major earthquake. This is a great book for kids who like realistic fiction and lots of action! I learned a lot of survival tips from the story too! I look forward to reading more books by this author.
March 29, 2024
My 5th graders really loved this book! It was so sweet to see how excited they were about reading this!
February 3, 2025
It’s a pretty simple story about a family vacation gone terribly wrong thanks to a tsunami off the Oregon coast.
It has a pretty good lesson about how to act in an emergency and what happens to people who ignore warnings.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
It has a pretty good lesson about how to act in an emergency and what happens to people who ignore warnings.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
November 10, 2023
This was just as exhilarating the second time around.
4.5
I recently listened to this book on a road trip with my kids. This was the first time we tried this and it made our ride all the more fun. It kept a 6, 9, 11, and 37-year-old entertained and on the edge of our seats as we rambled down the highway. We even had a few tears mixed in at the end. (Thankfully, my 2 1/2 year old had Apple products to keep him happy.) This book is packed with nonstop action. We are grateful to The Global Reading Challenge and Julia for recommending it.
4.5
I recently listened to this book on a road trip with my kids. This was the first time we tried this and it made our ride all the more fun. It kept a 6, 9, 11, and 37-year-old entertained and on the edge of our seats as we rambled down the highway. We even had a few tears mixed in at the end. (Thankfully, my 2 1/2 year old had Apple products to keep him happy.) This book is packed with nonstop action. We are grateful to The Global Reading Challenge and Julia for recommending it.
January 19, 2012
This was a really predictable book. I finished it basically as soon as I started! Personally, I would NEVER read this again unless made to.
January 3, 2024
Shared with my kiddo. She's already read all the I Survived (Tarshis) series and this fell between those and single point of view Alan Gratz in style. If I had to guess right this moment what my kiddo would do career wise based on her reading interests- it would be extreme meteorologist or storm chaser.
January 11, 2011
This was an amazing book. It was exiting, thrilling, and it allways keep me guessing whats going to happen next. Right when you think that you know whats going to happen next it twist up. This book was about a family of four. Mom, Dad, Daughter, And son. This family won a prize. This price was an Vaction trip to the coast line of oregon. The family was so exited to get an all free vaction to oregon. The family got on there flight one morning they where soo exited for this vaccton. Once they got on there flight they where amazed. They had never been on a plane before. Once the plane got high anough in the air they started to have fun. Ordering drinks, Food, anything they wanted they got it and they where thrillied it was all free. For intertanment on the flight they Colored and read, they where having a blast. After they landed in Portland, Oregon they went and go there bags then headed out to catch there limo. They waited for a while but it was worth it when there Lincon jet black streetch limo pulled up in front of them. This was the first time they have ever been in a limo so they where really exited. The driver asked where to and they said the fronter lodge thats where they where staying. When they got to the frontier lodge they where shocked to see that the frontier lodge was stil in construction. So they stayed at the hotel next to it. After they got unpacked and everything the family went down to the beach. When the family was walking on the beach. The water was way to cold to swim so the daughter was picking up shells and putting them in a bucket. The son was looking for objects for a see picture he was planning on making. The two parents where just walking and talking along the beach. While walking across the beach the family noticed a sighn in the dunes. The sighn said " Warning the spot you are in is a dangered Tsunami area if there where a tsunami move as far upland as possible ". The dad said "you under stand this kids move upland if a hurricane ok ". The kids agreed and moved along with there beach trip. Once thy got back to the hotel the parents where off to a party on a cruise and the Son and Dauhter where going to be at the hotel alone. Whats going to happen next is there going to be a tsunami while there parents are gone ? Is the parents boat going to sink and not make it back to shore? Will something horrible happen to the kids ? These are all good questions Find the answer by reaing the book " Escaping The Giant Wave " By Peg Kehret
September 15, 2012
When Kyle and his family travel from Kansas to the Pacific Coast on their summer vacation, they never dreamed they would be living through one of the most destructive of natural disasters...a tsunami. Kyle was anticipating being far away from classmate Daren who bullies him relentlessly, but is horrified to find that Daren's family is also part of the same company outing that his parents have been invited to. Kyle and his sister BeeBee are left alone one night as their parents board the Elegant Empress for a company awards ceremony. Just as their room service of pizza and milkshakes are delivered, an earthquake hits. Kyle vividly remembers the signs on the beach warning residents and tourists to head for higher ground after an earthquake.
Although many beachgoers ignore the warnings, including know-it-all Daren, Kyle takes initiative and begins climbing to the highest point with his sister. As the first giant wave hits, Kyle and BeeBee barely avoid it...they know they must climb further inland. But what happened to everyone else? And how did the Elegant Empress fare out in the ocean? Fear and exhaustion take a toll on the siblings as they wait for the 'all-clear' signal so they can start the long search for their parents. Kyle tries to present a calming, confident voice to BeeBee, but inside he is frightened out of his mind.
Escaping the Giant Wave is well-researched and keeps readers on the edge-of-their-seat as the kids are trying desperately to survive. Makes us all think twice about visiting the coast, especially the Pacific Coast which has a 'nine hundred mile-long crack in the earth's crust offshore,' according to the author's note. A great read-aloud.
Although many beachgoers ignore the warnings, including know-it-all Daren, Kyle takes initiative and begins climbing to the highest point with his sister. As the first giant wave hits, Kyle and BeeBee barely avoid it...they know they must climb further inland. But what happened to everyone else? And how did the Elegant Empress fare out in the ocean? Fear and exhaustion take a toll on the siblings as they wait for the 'all-clear' signal so they can start the long search for their parents. Kyle tries to present a calming, confident voice to BeeBee, but inside he is frightened out of his mind.
Escaping the Giant Wave is well-researched and keeps readers on the edge-of-their-seat as the kids are trying desperately to survive. Makes us all think twice about visiting the coast, especially the Pacific Coast which has a 'nine hundred mile-long crack in the earth's crust offshore,' according to the author's note. A great read-aloud.
March 8, 2013
I currently finished reading Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret. This book is about a brother and a sister on vacation that go through some tragic situations. First, while their parents were gone, an earthquake hits the hotel. Then the hotel caught on fire. After that, a tsunami comes and almost kills them.
I believe that this is a really good book, but there were some things that I didn't particularly like. For one, I don't think that Josie should have died! She saved their lives and definitely didn't deserve to die! Also, I think that the parents should have made a more grand entrance. In the book, it sort of skims over the part when the parents find Kyle and Beebee.
Some of the things that I liked were when Kyle decides to save Daren in the burning hotel. Even though he disliked Daren, he knew in his heart that he couldn't leave Daren to just burn up and die. I also loved the fact that Kyle had some sense and didn't do down to the beach with Daren. If he had, doubt that he and Beebee would have gotten away in time and that would have messed up the while story.
Escaping the Giant Wave is a book that I would recommend to kids from ages 9-13. Plus, I would recommend it to people who like to read about natural disasters. If I had to rate this, I would give it an 8 out of 10 stars. Though I usually read other types of books, this was a nice exception. I think that this is a great book and I hope that you will read it.
I believe that this is a really good book, but there were some things that I didn't particularly like. For one, I don't think that Josie should have died! She saved their lives and definitely didn't deserve to die! Also, I think that the parents should have made a more grand entrance. In the book, it sort of skims over the part when the parents find Kyle and Beebee.
Some of the things that I liked were when Kyle decides to save Daren in the burning hotel. Even though he disliked Daren, he knew in his heart that he couldn't leave Daren to just burn up and die. I also loved the fact that Kyle had some sense and didn't do down to the beach with Daren. If he had, doubt that he and Beebee would have gotten away in time and that would have messed up the while story.
Escaping the Giant Wave is a book that I would recommend to kids from ages 9-13. Plus, I would recommend it to people who like to read about natural disasters. If I had to rate this, I would give it an 8 out of 10 stars. Though I usually read other types of books, this was a nice exception. I think that this is a great book and I hope that you will read it.
May 9, 2013
ESCAPING THE GIANT WAVE
Kyle, the main character wants Darren to stop bullying him. Darren has been bullying Kyle from kindergarten to 5th grade. Darren pushes, punches and says bad words to Kyle. He makes Kyle feel awful. Kyle doesn’t tell anyone because Darren’s bullying will get worse.
UNFORTUNATELY …Darren and Kyle are going to a vacation on the Oregon coast when they see each other there. Especially Kyle’s parents do not know this bullying situation is going on. To make things worse..Darren thought he was brave and that the tsunami was not a big deal. Apparently, there was a gang of people that formed a circle around a bonfire doing the countdown till five thirty when the wave hits. When Darren saw them he ran right to the water took his clothes off and jumped into the water. But then someone yelled to the gang and Darren that a killer wave was coming. At that moment Darren thought: a killer wave wow that sounds a lot worse than a tsunami, then the gang yelled five twenty nine! Darren thought about nothing else but quickly ran out of the water, and just kept running, then the gang yelled five thirty! At that time Kyle and BeeBee were taking cover will they survive the wave?
Kyle, the main character wants Darren to stop bullying him. Darren has been bullying Kyle from kindergarten to 5th grade. Darren pushes, punches and says bad words to Kyle. He makes Kyle feel awful. Kyle doesn’t tell anyone because Darren’s bullying will get worse.
UNFORTUNATELY …Darren and Kyle are going to a vacation on the Oregon coast when they see each other there. Especially Kyle’s parents do not know this bullying situation is going on. To make things worse..Darren thought he was brave and that the tsunami was not a big deal. Apparently, there was a gang of people that formed a circle around a bonfire doing the countdown till five thirty when the wave hits. When Darren saw them he ran right to the water took his clothes off and jumped into the water. But then someone yelled to the gang and Darren that a killer wave was coming. At that moment Darren thought: a killer wave wow that sounds a lot worse than a tsunami, then the gang yelled five twenty nine! Darren thought about nothing else but quickly ran out of the water, and just kept running, then the gang yelled five thirty! At that time Kyle and BeeBee were taking cover will they survive the wave?
July 29, 2011
Thirteen year old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He had never flown before, and he had never seen the Pacific Ocean.Kyle`s perfect vacation becomes a nightmare when he`s babysitting his eight year old sister, BeeBee. An earthqauke
hits the coast and starts a fire in their hotel. While fighting their way through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers seeing a sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far away from the ocean as possible. Tsunamis, giant waves that often follow earthquakes, can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who does not escape fast enough. Can Kyle and BeeBee outwit and outrun natures fury to save themselves from tsunami terror?
hits the coast and starts a fire in their hotel. While fighting their way through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers seeing a sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far away from the ocean as possible. Tsunamis, giant waves that often follow earthquakes, can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who does not escape fast enough. Can Kyle and BeeBee outwit and outrun natures fury to save themselves from tsunami terror?
April 28, 2017
It's interesting that this story, about surviving an earthquake and subsequent tsunami on the coast of Oregon, was written in 2003, before the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Most people, I'm sure, didn't know about the threat of earthquakes followed by tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest until documentaries about it came out in 2005 and after. Certainly I didn't. The details in the book matched what I've read and seen in documentaries, so the author did her homework. The story was suspenseful, and I liked the relationship between Kyle and his sister. This would be a great book to read in a unit on earthquakes or tsunamis.
Recommended!
Recommended!
February 1, 2017
The book Escaping The Giant Wave is a great book by the author Peg Kehret. This book is a good action and adventure book. It will keep you at the edge of your seat wanting to read more. This book is another great book from the author Peg Kehret who is great at making these types of books. If you are the type of person who likes adventure then you will love this book. Escaping the Giant Wave is just about this family who goes to a hotel and then a huge tsunami hits them and they are trying to escape it alive. While they are trying to escape that is where the adventure and the action comes in to place. But great book in general, it's a personal favorite of mines.
October 22, 2011
Another Kehret book that I think was good but not great. This one had a lot of interesting action but I thought there wasn't much character development. The author basically begins the story and throws you immediately into the action and then just as quickly wraps up the story. This formula probably works well for the intended audience (middle grades) but it is a little disconcerting to a more sophisticated reader. Great action book though that would probably appeal to boys and girls grades 3 - 6.
Read
October 17, 2014 Escaping the giant wave is a very awesome book! If you like suspense this is definitely the book for you. Thirteen year old Kyle is definitely experiencing something he has never experienced before. Will this be the vacation of a lifetime or the vacation from a nightmare?? I recommend you read this book and any other Peg Kehret books! Also, i hope you enjoy! Stay tuned for more reviews for Peg Kehret's books! ENJOY!
March 3, 2016
I had never read Peg Kehret before (my apologies to Peg:-) and for the 2016-17 OBOB list, she has 2 books. This one is fiction--although I'm sure it could be close to non-fiction--about a family who takes a family vacation to the Oregon Coast. Nothing, however, could prepare Kyle for the earthquake and following tsunami that happens. I think that kids will like the suspense and action and see that even through the worst of times, something good can happen. (no spoilers here:-)
February 6, 2019
I had to read this book to help one of my ESL students. Though kids might find the adventure in it exciting, I thought it was predictable and superficial. Some of the events were hard to believe - an earthquake, two fires and a tsunami, all in the same afternoon- and the characters were one-dimensional or poorly drawn, especially Beebee, the protagonist's 8 year-old, capitalist sister, who's obsessed with money and the stock market. Easy to read but completely delirious.
July 18, 2016
Fast-paces and quick read the if anything seemed a bit brief in spots. This also reads like a great survival handbook with general survival principles at play as the characters react to an earthquake and tsunami. This packed in some heart too with certain relationships. Highly recommended summer read, and a nice OBOB selection that will generate a ton of questions despite the shorter length.
October 25, 2017
This is a suspenseful page turner. I booktalked it to a class of 4th grade students and the boys were very interested in this one since it is short, the main character is a boy and it's about a natural disaster. The book also has elements that are very typical of a fifth or 6th grade boy. There's looking after his younger sister, being bullied by another boy at school and on vacation, etc.
September 6, 2014
I read this book a while ago and forgot to rate it. It was a pretty good book I guess. It wasn't boring just, unrealistic I guess. You will realize that normally, if I don't like a book it's because of the unrealistic factor.
May 31, 2016
This book portrayed the fictional experience of surviving an earthquake, fire, and Tsunami without your parents.
August 28, 2016
Peg Kehret really knows how to write adventure books for kids- exciting and smart. I will be recommending this one, along with her others, to my students.
November 22, 2021
Thank you, Peg Kehret, for being my favourite author.
This is yet ANOTHER incredible survival story by Peg.
It's a fast pacing story that engages you without complicated or overwhelming details and yet you get the feeling you know everything about the characters.
I wish I could read her books forever!
This is yet ANOTHER incredible survival story by Peg.
It's a fast pacing story that engages you without complicated or overwhelming details and yet you get the feeling you know everything about the characters.
I wish I could read her books forever!
July 8, 2019
do YOu have a contingency plan for when the Big One hits ? i remember being scared of this when i read it for lovelace in elementary school and researching tsunamis and now i live in the pnw and am still scared and researching earthquakes and tsunamis
April 20, 2022
Read as an 8-year-old; the book that made me love reading🌊
January 29, 2019
I like this book but i also dislike this book. I dislike this book because it is so easy to predict witch is bad because it makes for it a less interesting book. This book is good because it has a clear lesson and lots of adventure so its good for people who like adventure books. But by looking at this cover i thought this was going to be more like hatchet where they are stuck in the wild.
October 17, 2019
I love it. Pretty scaring when the tsunami happens. Earthquake part was awesome. I love this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews