WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Lost in the Mountains by Maxwell Eaton III
REVIEW
Lost in the Mountains follows the adventures of a young girl named Scout as she works to survive in the mountains after she and her brother get lost. Scout's brother while a supposed professional guide proves to be seriously incompetent providing lots of humor and eye-rolling moments mixed in with the serious instructional moments. Thankfully, Scout proves to be much more skilled in the mountains, with the help of the narrator and a clingy skunk ally. The first of a new graphic novel series about surviving disasters is both entertaining and informative. A warning on the title page reminds young readers that none of the skills and techniques shown in the book should be tried without a responsible adult. After her brother gets chased off by a bear (no actual eating occurs, just chasing and humorous comments from man and bear). With commentary from Scout and the skunk, the narrator takes her through evaluating her supplies, setting up a shelter, starting and maintaining a fire, signaling for help, and finding water and food. In addition, Scout uses a compass and map to decide whether to stay where she is at or try to find her way to safety. As a frequent reader of survival books both fiction and nonfiction, I found the book to be well done. The information is solid and basic enough for children to understand. The illustrations are appealing, humorous, and demonstrate the various techniques. I appreciated the way the book effectively combined fictional and nonfictional elements to make the book light enough for children while still being highly informative. A great choice for young readers who enjoy survival or adventure books. I look forward to the next book in the series about tsunamis.
Comments
Post a Comment