Tuesday, April 5, 2016

The Skeleton Tree: Only the Wild Survive by Iain Lawrence - ESSENTIAL

Lawrence, Iain The Skeleton Tree: Only the Wild Survive, 278 pages.  Delacorte Press, 2016.  $16.99.  Language:  PG (2 swears, 0 “f”);  Mature Content:  G  ;  Violence:  PG.

Chris, 12, and Frank, 15, could not be more different in this adventurous survival story.  Together they sail down the coast of Alaska. Within days the boat sinks leaving the young boys stranded on the rugged shore of Alaska without any emergency supplies. As days turn into weeks, Chris and Frank realize it will take cooperation, determination and courage to survive against overwhelming odds.  However, one question remains: why were the boys invited on the same trip?

This is an intense and exciting book about the struggles to survive nature in its most wildest form. I like how the author vividly describes the wild Alaskan country as he weaves wilderness survival skills and information about grizzly bears, wolves, salmon, and native plants into the story.  Will Frank and Chris survive long enough to be rescued?  That is the question that kept me in suspense throughout each chapter.

EL/MS-ESSENTIAL. Reviewer:JenniferB

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