Well, 'Fever 1793' by Laurie Halse Anderson is a good one. It's set during a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, a real - life disaster situation. For a more science - fictiony take on disasters, 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins has the districts facing the annual horror of the Hunger Games, which is a man - made disaster. And 'When You Reach Me' by Rebecca Stead has some elements of disaster as the main character's world seems to be falling apart in different ways.
Also, 'World War Z' by Max Brooks is an interesting one. It's presented as a collection of interviews from people all over the world who have survived a zombie apocalypse. It gives different perspectives on how various countries and individuals handle the global disaster situation, and it's full of action and thought - provoking scenarios.
In my opinion, 'The City of Ember' is one of the best. It has a really interesting concept of a city that's slowly dying and the two kids who try to find a way out. It makes you think about what could happen if our own world faced such a big disaster. Another great one is 'Hatchet'. It shows the power of human survival as Brian overcomes the disaster of a plane crash and learns to live in the wild all by himself.
One such book is 'The Martian' by Andy Weir. It's about an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars after his crewmates leave, thinking he's dead. He has to face numerous challenges and disasters on the planet to survive. Another is 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card, which involves a space battle school and the potential disasters that could occur in a militarized space setting. Also, '2001: A Space Odyssey' by Arthur C. Clarke, which has some elements of things going wrong in space exploration.
One great book is 'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham. It involves a natural disaster - the blinding of most of humanity - and the subsequent fight for survival against the menacing Triffids. It's a classic that combines elements of post - apocalyptic scenarios and the chaos that follows a sudden and catastrophic event.
One great juvenile fiction book about natural disasters is 'The Wave' by Morton Rhue. It's based on a true event where a teacher tries to show his students what it was like in Nazi Germany through a classroom experiment that gets out of control, somewhat like a social disaster which can be related to natural disasters in terms of chaos and its impact on people.
One good one is 'Flood' by Stephen Baxter. It's about a massive flood that engulfs the world. Another is 'The Stand' by Stephen King which has a super - flu as a major disaster element that changes the world.
There's also 'Space Case'. Set on a moon base, it involves a mystery that may be related to aliens. The characters are engaging, and the plot keeps kids interested as they try to figure out what's really going on.
One such book could be 'Monster' by Walter Dean Myers. It tells the story of a young boy on trial for a crime, giving a deep look into the juvenile justice system and the experience of a kid facing prison time.
One great book is 'Rhinoceros Tap Dance' which tells a fun fictional story about a rhino who discovers his love for tap dancing. It's full of colorful illustrations that kids will love.
One great book is 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl. Matilda is an extremely intelligent girl with telekinetic powers. She outsmarts the cruel adults in her life, like the horrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. It's a story full of humor and magic.