I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Like other books in the I Survived series, I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 contains the important idea that survivors of traumatic events can emerge stronger as a result of their experiences, having learned resilience—but also other, related qualities such as empathy and self-awareness. This emerges in the book as a more important lesson than survival itself. In the book, several characters live through terrible events, and each of them responds differently. Their responses ultimately affect how the characters understand the world and see their lives, deciding who will experience happiness and success and who misery.

Fletch is a character who allowed what happened to him as a child determine the person he becomes as a preteen. When he was five years old, a group of stray dogs attacked him. “He’d survived, but one of the dogs had bitten his throat. The bite ruined his voice. And turned Fletch vicious” (10-11). Fletch was attacked, and instead of using the experience to gain empathy toward those who are also under attack, he became an attacker. He becomes bitter, selfish, and mean, all of which lead to him ending up alone and friendless by the end of the book.