I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

Barry is the protagonist of the text, a young boy who discovers the depths of his strength after he becomes separated from his family during Hurricane Katrina. At the beginning of the text, Barry struggles with self-confidence and a belief that he is not a strong person: “[W]ho was Barry kidding? He was about as fierce as one of Mom’s peanut butter cookies” (11). Barry creates a superhero, Akivo, who acts as an idealized version of what Barry would like to be: powerful and strong.

While Barry does not consider himself strong and struggles to see his good qualities, there is ample evidence suggesting that Barry is a considerate and thoughtful person, beloved by his family. As his family gets ready to evacuate, Barry’s mother asks him to “[f]ind [his] sister”: “She hasn’t been herself all morning. I need you to work some Barry magic on her” (22). The mention of “Barry magic” coupled with the responsibility of finding his younger sister to make her feel better indicates that Barry is a caring older brother who looks out for his loved ones.

Barry undergoes transformative growth through his experiences in the storm.