The world starts shaking. Cups and plates rattle in cupboards. Books fall off of shelves. It s an earthquake! These natural disasters do billions of dollars worth of damage every year. But scientists still cannot predict them. This low-level text introduces how earthquakes form, the damage they cause, and how their damage can be prevented. Special features such as a map, a formation diagram, and a Richter scale chart introduce the key concepts of these powerful disasters to young readers.