Interesting question for all you prepper families out there: Could your teen survive on his own, if the unthinkable happened? "Hatchet," a fictional story by Gary Paulsen for readers 11-13 shows one boy that did. Based on the author's true experiences with wilderness survival, 13 year old Brian must survive alone in the Canadian woods after a plane crash, his only tool a hatchet that his mother insisted he hang on his belt before his charter plane takes off for the north woods. Incredibly well written, even adults will enjoy this account. Two sequels continue Brian's saga. i certainly learned a lot! Available on Amazon in both paperback and kindle.
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SURVIVAL READING FOR THE YOUNGER SET
- Thread starter radarbob
- Start date
Don't Forget My Side of the Mountain
More suggestions that I originally saw on another prep forum a while back. Figured they sounded like they'd fit into your theme so I'll recycle them:
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry (http://amzn.com/141695368X) - Boy sails to a deserted island and survives there before heading home
Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells
Boy survives nuclear war in England.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (http://amzn.com/0547328613) - Based on a true story about a young girl who is left behind when her village is forced to leave the island they live on
Tunnel in the Sky by Heinlein
The Kindling by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher
Only children survive a virus.
The Nature of Grace series by S.R. Johannes
Pilot Down, Presumed Dead by Marjorie Phleger (http://amzn.com/0982327102) - A pilot crash lands on an island off the Baja Penninsula and must survive on his own
After the Bomb by Gloria Miklowitz
L.A. is nuked and a boy must cope without his parents.
The Grizzly by Annabel & Edgar Johnson (http://amzn.com/B000NPQ1OG) - A boy goes camping with his father where their truck becomes disabled and his father injured by a bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lake_at_the_End_of_the_World
Fire-Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard (http://amzn.com/B000I1NF6C) - Set in prehistoric times, a man who is left behind by his tribe must survive by inventing new weapons and coming up with new ideas
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Moon shifts its orbit and destroys civilization
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_... We Knew It&tag=vs-outdoors-convert-amazon-20
Wild Trek by Jim Kjelgaard (http://amzn.com/055315687X) - A hunter/trapper sets out to rescue two men lost in the wilderness
Walk-About by James Vance Marshall
Two children survive a plane crash in the Australian Outback
Deathwatch by Robb White (http://amzn.com/0440917409) - A college student / hunting guide is betrayed by a client and must survive as he becomes the hunted
Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien
Teenage girl surviving alone.
Endurance / Shackleton's Valiant Voyage by Alfred Lansing (http://amzn.com/0465062881 / http://amzn.com/B000NPUMTQ) - Full version / abridged for YA - The true story of Earnest Shackleton's failed attempt to cross Antarctica
Lost On A Mountain in Maine - Donn Felder. The true story of a boy who got lost on a mountain in Maine
Another one that's out of print but you should be able to find a used copy of is
White Water Still Water by J Allan Bosworth
Synopsis here from a local library blogger:
http://tcpl-teens.blogspot.com/2010/07/white-water-still-water-by-j-allan.html
"How I Became a Teenage Survivalist" by Julie L Casey
Raft People by M L Katz
https://www.overdrive.com/media/717509/the-girl-who-owned-a-city
Look at some of the classics like Swiss Family Robinson; they have teen characters that may appeal to kids, even if the writing style is a bit tough for young kids
The Ben Tracey books from Chris Ryan:
http://www.chrisryanadventures.co.uk/adventures/
http://thesurvivalmom.com/book-review-staceys-quest/
Rohan Nation: Reinventing America after the 2020 Collapse" by Dr. Drew Miller
Got the PDF from http://www.smashwords.com/
More suggestions that I originally saw on another prep forum a while back. Figured they sounded like they'd fit into your theme so I'll recycle them:
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry (http://amzn.com/141695368X) - Boy sails to a deserted island and survives there before heading home
Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells
Boy survives nuclear war in England.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (http://amzn.com/0547328613) - Based on a true story about a young girl who is left behind when her village is forced to leave the island they live on
Tunnel in the Sky by Heinlein
The Kindling by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher
Only children survive a virus.
The Nature of Grace series by S.R. Johannes
Pilot Down, Presumed Dead by Marjorie Phleger (http://amzn.com/0982327102) - A pilot crash lands on an island off the Baja Penninsula and must survive on his own
After the Bomb by Gloria Miklowitz
L.A. is nuked and a boy must cope without his parents.
The Grizzly by Annabel & Edgar Johnson (http://amzn.com/B000NPQ1OG) - A boy goes camping with his father where their truck becomes disabled and his father injured by a bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lake_at_the_End_of_the_World
Fire-Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard (http://amzn.com/B000I1NF6C) - Set in prehistoric times, a man who is left behind by his tribe must survive by inventing new weapons and coming up with new ideas
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Moon shifts its orbit and destroys civilization
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_... We Knew It&tag=vs-outdoors-convert-amazon-20
Wild Trek by Jim Kjelgaard (http://amzn.com/055315687X) - A hunter/trapper sets out to rescue two men lost in the wilderness
Walk-About by James Vance Marshall
Two children survive a plane crash in the Australian Outback
Deathwatch by Robb White (http://amzn.com/0440917409) - A college student / hunting guide is betrayed by a client and must survive as he becomes the hunted
Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien
Teenage girl surviving alone.
Endurance / Shackleton's Valiant Voyage by Alfred Lansing (http://amzn.com/0465062881 / http://amzn.com/B000NPUMTQ) - Full version / abridged for YA - The true story of Earnest Shackleton's failed attempt to cross Antarctica
Lost On A Mountain in Maine - Donn Felder. The true story of a boy who got lost on a mountain in Maine
Another one that's out of print but you should be able to find a used copy of is
White Water Still Water by J Allan Bosworth
Synopsis here from a local library blogger:
http://tcpl-teens.blogspot.com/2010/07/white-water-still-water-by-j-allan.html
"How I Became a Teenage Survivalist" by Julie L Casey
Raft People by M L Katz
https://www.overdrive.com/media/717509/the-girl-who-owned-a-city
Look at some of the classics like Swiss Family Robinson; they have teen characters that may appeal to kids, even if the writing style is a bit tough for young kids
The Ben Tracey books from Chris Ryan:
http://www.chrisryanadventures.co.uk/adventures/
http://thesurvivalmom.com/book-review-staceys-quest/
Rohan Nation: Reinventing America after the 2020 Collapse" by Dr. Drew Miller
Got the PDF from http://www.smashwords.com/
Last edited:
namedpipes
NES Member
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1268
It's an oldie, like the Swiss Family Robinson, and meant for an older reader (although I believe it's been digested into modern / kids reading versions).
Beyond an interesting plot of surviving on a desert island having virtually nothing but the clothes on their backs, the author leads you through the challenges of building a comfortable life starting with nothing. The "cast" builds shelters and conveniences, even walks you through the process of making gunpowder and nitroglycerin.
That link leads to Kindle / HTML, etc versions you can download free (legally)
In the realm of video, look for the "Primitive Technology" channel on youtube. A youth builds some amazing projects from sticks and mud, including a cabin many would be pleased to call their man cave.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1268
It's an oldie, like the Swiss Family Robinson, and meant for an older reader (although I believe it's been digested into modern / kids reading versions).
Beyond an interesting plot of surviving on a desert island having virtually nothing but the clothes on their backs, the author leads you through the challenges of building a comfortable life starting with nothing. The "cast" builds shelters and conveniences, even walks you through the process of making gunpowder and nitroglycerin.
That link leads to Kindle / HTML, etc versions you can download free (legally)
In the realm of video, look for the "Primitive Technology" channel on youtube. A youth builds some amazing projects from sticks and mud, including a cabin many would be pleased to call their man cave.
