The Talent Show by Dan Gutman 211 pages

How often natural calamities are hitting the front pages of newspapers. This totally made up story has a homespun feel about it. A town located in the middle of Tornado Alley is decimated by a tornado. A naive new principal suggests a talent show to raise the spirits of the townsfolk and some cash to help rebuild the town. Gutman looks at some of the candidates, from the local primadonna (with the stage mom) to some of the less likely applicants. But the big show is upstaged by yet another tornado. Behinds the scenes drama paired with natural forces make this an easy to read junior novel with a good blend of humor and suspense.