Wild River (The Wild Series)

by Rodman Philbrick

Overview

Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers rushing down a raging river on a life-or-death adventure when a white water rafting trip goes terribly wrong!

Daniel Redmayne is fast asleep on the first night of a white water rafting trip, when he's awoken by screams. The dam has failed. The river is surging, and their camp will be under water in a matter of moments.

As the shrieking roar of the river rushes closer, the kids scramble to higher ground. They make it; their counselors do not.

Now they're on their own, with barely any food or supplies, in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Do Daniel and his four classmates have what it takes to stay alive until they can get rescued? Alone in the wild, they forge powerful bonds — but develop dangerous disagreements. If nature doesn't break them, they might just destroy each other.

This gripping survival story from the Newbery Honor author of Wildfire is filled with adrenaline-pumping adventure and moments of true bravery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338647273
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	602,571
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick has written more than a dozen novels for young readers. In 1993, he published his first children's book, Freak the Mighty, which became an instant classic, and was made into a feature film. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. Philbrick's other acclaimed novels include Max the Mighty, The Young Man and the Sea, The Last Book in the Universe, Zane and the Hurricane, and Wildfire. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys. You can learn more about him on his website: rodmanphilbrick.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/25/2021

Newbery Honoree Philbrick twines a heartfelt message about teamwork and forgiveness with realistic dangers in this page-turning survival story. As part of a leadership project, rising sixth grader Daniel Redmayne is chosen to go whitewater rafting in Montana with four of his New Hampshire classmates. “Not a likely pick for anything,” quiet, pale-skinned Daniel isn’t sure why he was selected for this group, but he welcomes a break from sharing a room with his three younger brothers, even if it means having to open up to his raft mates: obnoxious Deke and sidekick Tony, who are white; confident Mia, who is Latinx; and reserved Imana, who is Black. When the planned-upon river turns out to be dry, though, the two adult guides change course, driving 100 miles to Montana’s Crazy River without communicating the change. Disaster strikes immediately, separating the kids from their guardians with only a backpack of emergency supplies. Though Daniel’s bipolar father is insensitively referred to as having “been in your own crazy river,” a battle for power keeps the tension high, as do plenty of twists and cliffhangers, which create enough uncertainty to keep the pages turning. Ages 9–12. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Wildfire:

* "An intense tale of survival and action. A must-have for all upper elementary/middle grade libraries." -- School Library Journal, starred review

* "Short chapters, outstanding cover art, and a breathless pace make this a fine choice for reluctant readers. Outstanding suspense." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Action lovers will relish every word. With Wildfire -- reminiscent of Hatchet and the real-life saga Lost on a Mountain in Maine -- Philbrick transforms a raging inferno into an impressively plotted escape story full of heart and soul." -- BookPage, starred review


Praise for Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina:

* "An appropriately serious and occasionally gruesome tale of surviving Hurricane Katrina, buoyed by large doses of hope and humor." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review


Praise for The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg:

A Newbery Honor book

"A swashbuckling and humorous tale of adventure." -- The Boston Globe

* "A rip-roaring adventure." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A captivating read." -- The Horn Book


Praise for Freak the Mighty:

* "A wonderful story... memorable and luminous... somewhat different and very special." -- School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

2020-11-27
Disaster overtakes a group of sixth graders on a leadership-building white-water rafting trip.

Deep in the Montana wilderness, a dam breaks, and the resultant rush sweeps away both counselors, the rafts, and nearly all the supplies, leaving five disparate preteens stranded in the wilderness far from where they were expected to be. Narrator Daniel is a mild White kid who’s resourceful and good at keeping the peace but given to worrying over his mentally ill father. Deke, also White, is a determined bully, unwilling to work with and relentlessly taunting the others, especially Mia, a Latina, who is a natural leader with a plan. Tony, another White boy, is something of a friendly follower and, unfortunately, attaches himself to Deke while Imani, a reserved African American girl, initially keeps her distance. After the disaster, Deke steals the backpack with the remaining food and runs off with Tony, and the other three resolve to do whatever it takes to get it back, eventually having to confront the dangerous bully. The characters come from a variety of backgrounds but are fairly broadly drawn; still, their breathlessly perilous situation keeps the tale moving briskly forward, with one threatening situation after another believably confronting them. As he did with Wildfire (2019), Newbery Honoree Philbrick has crafted another action tale for young readers that’s impossible to put down.

Readers will need to strap on their helmets and prepare for a wild ride. (Fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews