Severe and Unusual Weather

By Jessie Ann Foley, Read by Hayden Bishop

Price: $6.99

Severe and Unusual Weather Book Cover Enlarge Book Cover

Severe and Unusual Weather

By Jessie Ann Foley, Read by Hayden Bishop

Price: $6.99

About the Book

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.

But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.

Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?

Product Details

ISBN: 9780063207806
Imprint: Quill Tree Books
On Sale: May 13, 2025
List price: $6.99
No of pages: 304
Trim Size: 1.000 in (w) x 1.000 in (h) x 1.000 in (d)
BISAC 1: JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Orphans & Foster Homes
BISAC 2: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Bullying
BISAC 3: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Adolescence & Coming of Age
BISAC 4:
BISAC 5:
BISAC 6:

Jessie Ann Foley

Biography

Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor–winning author of the YA novels The Carnival at Bray (also a Morris Award finalist), Neighborhood Girls, Sorry for Your Loss, and You Know I’m No Good. For middle graders, she has written Breda’s Island and Severe and Unusual Weather. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets and has been featured on school and library recommended reading lists all across the United States. Jessie lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. You can visit her online at jessieannfoley.com.

Hayden Bishop

Reviews

“A breezy, feel-good tale with whiffs of fantasy and wish fulfillment.” — Booklist (starred review)

“A gripping story of loss and connection.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Foley elevates this quiet exploration of healing after trauma and finding one’s place to belong by gradually incorporating magical twists and sinister undertones. Each new variable is unveiled with a thoughtfulness that ensures the grounded themes surrounding grief and bullying remain the focus of this feel-good adventure.” — Publishers Weekly

“Satisfying and heartfelt. Foley balances deep topics with tween drama and handles both with aplomb.” — Horn Book Magazine

About the Book

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.

But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.

Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?

Product Details

ISBN: 9780063207806
Imprint: Quill Tree Books
On Sale: May 13, 2025
List price: $6.99
No of pages: 304
Trim Size: 1.000 in (w) x 1.000 in (h) x 1.000 in (d)
BISAC 1: JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Orphans & Foster Homes
BISAC 2: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Bullying
BISAC 3: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Adolescence & Coming of Age
BISAC 4:
BISAC 5:
BISAC 6:

Jessie Ann Foley

Biography

Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor–winning author of the YA novels The Carnival at Bray (also a Morris Award finalist), Neighborhood Girls, Sorry for Your Loss, and You Know I’m No Good. For middle graders, she has written Breda’s Island and Severe and Unusual Weather. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets and has been featured on school and library recommended reading lists all across the United States. Jessie lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. You can visit her online at jessieannfoley.com.

Hayden Bishop

Reviews

“A breezy, feel-good tale with whiffs of fantasy and wish fulfillment.” — Booklist (starred review)

“A gripping story of loss and connection.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Foley elevates this quiet exploration of healing after trauma and finding one’s place to belong by gradually incorporating magical twists and sinister undertones. Each new variable is unveiled with a thoughtfulness that ensures the grounded themes surrounding grief and bullying remain the focus of this feel-good adventure.” — Publishers Weekly

“Satisfying and heartfelt. Foley balances deep topics with tween drama and handles both with aplomb.” — Horn Book Magazine

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