Illustration of people standing and sitting around rows of tents

In Golden Gate Park there was food, water, and tents for shelter.

PoPo, BaBa, MaMa, Elder Brother, Younger Brother, and I rested and ate.

We were safe for now while the city still burned and the earth still shook.

About the Author

Milly Lee grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Her parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and siblings all lived together in the same house. Lee speaks English and Cantonese, a language of China.

In her books, Lee tells about the part that Chinese Americans play in history. “I want my readers to know that ‘we were there, too,’” she explains. “Earthquake” is the story of Lee’s mother, who was 8 years old in 1906.

Key Vocabulary

  • shelter n., a place where people can safely stay

Before You Move On

  • 1. Confirm Prediction What happens to the family at the end? What happened that you did not expect?

  • 2. Make a Connection Tell in your own words why the park is a safe place.