Not on Fifth Street

Gr 4–6—In 1937, the Ohio River Valley endured its worst flood. Tens of thousands of people were displaced from their homes. Wiechman draws on family history to create a narrative about surviving this disaster. Told from the perspectives of brothers Pete and Gus, this tale presents two vastly different experiences. Pete is asked to stay home and take care of his mother and two younger siblings. Gus goes with his father to help fill sandbags in hopes of preventing water from destroying the town. As the water rises higher, Pete must do everything in his power to save his home and protect his family. When Gus is separated from his father and decides to cross the bridge from Ohio into Kentucky to check on his girlfriend, he must face the floodwaters alone. Wiechman deftly tells the story of the two protagonists' struggle to survive and depicts the characters' intricate familial relationships. Short chapters filled with suspense will keep readers wondering what will happen next. An author's note includes pictures of Wiechman's family and their house on Fifth Street, as well as family recollections of the flood of 1937.