How to Talk to Your Kids About Emergency Preparedness

TEMA releases the ReadyTN Preparedness Hero Reading List with 20 books to help families start the conversation

The Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) is wrapping up National Preparedness Month by releasing the ReadyTN Preparedness Hero Reading List, a collection of 20 children’s books to help families talk about emergencies, safety, severe weather, disaster preparedness and helping one another when something unexpected happens.

Emergencies can be hard for adults to talk about. For children, they can feel even bigger. Severe weather. Power outages. Fires. Evacuations. Calling 911. These are important conversations, but knowing where to start is not always easy.

Sometimes, you can start with a book. Preparedness is about helping children understand that emergencies can happen and giving them the confidence to know their family has a plan.

 

Start with the conversation

Children do not need to know every detail about every disaster. They do need to know the adults around them have a plan, there are people trained to help and they have a role in keeping themselves and their family safe.

The conversation can be as simple as:

“What would we do if the power went out?”

“Who would we call if someone needed help?”

“Where would we meet if we had to leave home?”

“Who are some of the helpers in our community?”

A book gives children a story they can follow, questions they can ask and a way to connect what they are reading to their own family. That is where preparedness becomes less abstract.

 

Let their questions lead

Children are naturally curious. You do not have to turn story time into an emergency management class. Read together. Stop when they have a question. Ask what they think a character should do next. Talk about something your family already does to stay safe.  And when you do not know an answer, that is OK. You can find it together.

Those small conversations can become opportunities to talk about your family emergency plan, identify trusted adults, learn your home address, practice calling 911, check weather alerts or build an emergency kit together. Preparedness works better when everyone has a role to play.

 

The ReadyTN Preparedness Hero Reading List

The reading list is organized by grade level so families, educators, libraries and community organizations can choose books that make sense for the children they serve.

Pre-K through grade 2

1. “Prepare with Pedro” — FEMA and the American Red Cross

2. “No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons)” — Jean E. Pendziwol

3. “Elliot’s Emergency” — Andrea Beck

4. “First Aid for You” — Rebecca Weber

5. “It’s Time to Call 911: What to Do in an Emergency” — Penton Overseas

6. “Staying Safe in Emergencies” — Robin Nelson

7. “Hurricane” — David Wiesner

 

Grades 3-5

8. “The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane” — Joanna Cole

9. “Tornadoes” — Seymour Simon

10. “The Big Flood” — Wendy Pfeffer

11. “Erased by a Tornado” — Jessica Rudolph

12. “Preparing for Disasters” — Bobbie Kalman

13. “What if You Need to Call 911?” — Anara Guard

14. “Surviving Hurricanes” — Elizabeth Raum

15. “To the Rescue” — Sam McKendry

 

Grades 6-9

16. “I’ll Know What to Do: A Kid’s Guide to Natural Disasters” — Bonnie S. Mark, Aviva Layton and Michael Chesworth

17. “Extreme Weather” — Thomas M. Kostigen

18. “Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America” — Jim Murphy

19. “I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011” — Lauren Tarshis

20. “Terrorists, Tornadoes, Tsunamis: How to Prepare for Life’s Danger Zones” — John C. Orndorff

 

Turn the page into a plan

Reading is only the beginning.

Afterward, ask your child one question: “What would we do?” Then choose one small action your family can take together.

• Check that everyone knows your emergency contacts.
• Pick a family meeting place.
• Make sure your child knows their address.
• Turn on emergency alerts.
• Add an item to your emergency kit.
• Talk about the people you might check on after a storm.

You do not have to cover everything in one conversation. Preparedness is built through small steps, practiced over time.  Sometimes one of those steps is simply sitting down together, opening a book and starting the conversation.

Pick a book. Start a conversation. Get Ready Together.

 

About the reading list: The ReadyTN Preparedness Hero Reading List draws from children’s emergency preparedness resources, including a recommended reading list developed by Ready Georgia. Families should consider each child’s age, reading level and comfort with emergency-related topics when selecting a title. Book availability may vary. Check with your local library.