November 1, 2016
Gr 3-7-Starting with a true-life scenario, each volume challenges students to imagine how they would survive in difficult weather-related circumstances. Topics range from relatively frequent occurrences (blizzards and floods) to rare ones (isolation on a desert island). Diagrams help explain how phenomena such as flash floods and tsunamis develop. Numerous photos and text boxes accompany instructions for constructing shelters, finding food, and starting a fire. Helpful suggestions for assembling emergency kits, heeding weather warnings, and taking precautions after storms have subsided appear in many of the titles. The fast-paced text, which often addresses readers directly, will keep them turning pages.
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2016
Grades 3-6 Stranded on a mountain? Don't sweat it. This guide in the Survival Zone series is equipped with tips and practical advice for staying safe should this very situation occur. It begins dramatically with the true story of a plane-crash survivor and then transitions into more likely scenarios that readers could encounter while hiking, skiing, or rock climbing. Small text boxes appear against photographic backgrounds, containing general tips on packing proper dress and gear, fending off animal attacks, building shelters, finding food and water, building a fire, and creating emergency-rescue signals. More detailed information is required to make this book truly useful, and in a few instances, the streamlined content could result in dangerous situationsparticularly regarding fire safety and interactions with animals. Even so, the sensational topic will make this popular.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)