Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

Just based on titles I kept getting this confused with [b:Half a World Away 18510235 Half a World Away Cynthia Kadohata https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409522034s/18510235.jpg 26204131]. They're different though. Anyway, I liked this a lot. It's a dramatic and touching, kid-friendly (I mean: there are still deaths in here, but it steers clear of the worst of the worst–a family friend intervenes before the kids try to get shelter at the Superdome, insisting that they cannot spend the night there, and they get transported to a less grim shelter) look at what it was like to go through Hurricane Katrina. Ten-year-old Armani is a great narrator–aware of her responsibility for her younger siblings and doing her best, but ultimately still just a kid who does need adult help. This would be a good one for kids who like survival stories and/or sad stories.