15 Secrets to Survival

September 1, 2023

Gr 3-6-Because their parents are best friends, Baxter, Abigail, Turner, and Emerson have been thrown together since they were babies, even being dubbed "The Get-along Gang." But the group is very different now, and they haven't actually been real friends in years. In fact, they actively dislike one another. When a school project goes awry due to "inappropriate use of the text chat feature," their parents decide to send the four off to Baxter's eccentric uncle, an ex-camp counselor and wilderness expert, for a weekend teamwork bootcamp in western Montana. Things do not go well. First there's the addition of Baxter's 18-month-old sister, Vivi, to their group (and the horror of changing her diapers). Then Uncle Hornsby unexpectedly goes missing, leaving the kids with nothing to guide them but a few pages of a survival handbook. This highly readable thriller highlights four kids with unique talents, all of which become crucial to complete their seemingly impossible task. Excellent characterization, rich details, and an exciting setting bring every harrowing adventure to life as the kids learn the value of working together, and the value of one another's strengths and passions. VERDICT A teamwork-oriented update of Hatchet, this fast-paced adventure story is recommended for all collections.-Rebecca Kirshenbaum

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September 25, 2023
All his life, 12-year-old Baxter Phillips has been part of what his mother coined “The Getalong Gang,” a playgroup comprised of her and her best friends’ children. In addition to gamer Baxter, there’s perfectionist Emerson and her gentle-giant twin brother Turner Casella, and Abigail Walters, a competitive gymnast with confidence in spades. The problem is, the four middle schoolers rarely get along. When the tweens’ tension comes to a head during a school-sponsored trivia contest, they’re disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct. As further punishment, they’re forced to complete a group extra-credit assignment, which involves the gang being sent to stay with Baxter’s survivalist great-uncle Hornsby in the Montana winter wilderness, an event intended to teach them teamwork. But when Uncle Hornsby sets up an elaborate network of interconnected puzzles, Turner, Emerson, Abigail, and Baxter, along with his feisty younger sister Vivi, rush to solve the puzzles with the help of pages from Hornsby’s self-written guide to survival—until something goes awry with Hornsby’s plans. Immediate first-person, present-tense prose keeps the emotional resonance high in this fast-paced adventure that features a charging moose, potential hypothermia, and plenty of friendship drama. Characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

October 15, 2023
Four 12-year-olds and an 18-month-old have an unexpected adventure in the Montana woods. Although their parents are close friends and despite having been thrown together socially since they were babies, gymnast Abigail Walters, twins Emerson and Turner Casella, and gamer Baxter Phillips can't stand each other. The latest parental endeavor, the consequence of the kids' code of conduct violation and subsequent disqualification from a middle school team competition, involves Baxter's great-uncle Hornsby. The sixth graders are going to stay with former kids' camp owner Uncle Hornsby deep in the mountains of Montana for lessons in teamwork. Because the parents are going to Aruba for a vacation during this time, they also leave Baxter's baby sister, Vivi, who provides sparkling moments of humor. Uncle Hornsby has devised a scavenger hunt for the kids to work out together. It's winter, and the task tests the kids' abilities to integrate the survival techniques they find in notes as they pursue clues leading to the final prize--the key to a locked cabin. But things take a dangerous turn when Uncle Hornsby disappears. They must now work together to find him and stay alive themselves. The narrative presents believable moments of danger infused with the protagonists' unwillingness to cooperate and a well-crafted realization of individual strengths, weaknesses, and friendship. Most characters read white; oblique clues may indicate that Baxter and Vivi's mom is a person of color. Both exciting and revelatory. (Adventure. 8-12)

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December 22, 2023
Grades 4-7 Stakes are high as four middle-schoolers work together to survive a winter storm--and each other. After being disqualified from a school competition, Baxter, Emerson, Turner, and Abigail are dropped off in the Montana woods so that they can reflect on the consequences of their actions and improve their cooperation skills. With them is Baxter's great-uncle Hornsby, a former summer camp operator, who now lives in a "half-finished cabin . . . way, way, way off the grid." Elder or not, the city kids are reluctant to heed the advice of someone who willingly chooses to live away from civilization; still, they know that his knowledge of the land is crucial to their survival. As the group pieces together clues from Hornsby's guidebook, they also begin to appreciate each other's particular talents. This burgeoning respect is threatened when Hornsby himself goes missing, and the four must summon all their strength to face their greatest challenge yet. Nature lovers and puzzle solvers alike will delight in this middle-grade adventure story, perfect for fans of Michelle Kadarusman's Music for Tigers (2020) and Heidi Lang's Out of Range (2022).

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