Blood,Sweat and Books

Author: S.A. Bodeen Genre: Middle Grade, Survival Fiction Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Expected Publication: July 29, 2014 Sarah Robinson is deeply troubled in the wake of her dad’s second marriage. She now has to deal with a new stepmom and two stepbrothers, Marco, who is her age, and Nacho, who’s younger. Even though they’ve all moved from Texas to California to start life as a new, blended family, none of the kids seem remotely happy about it. Sarah’s dad and stepmom then decide to take the whole family on a special vacation in order to break the ice and have everyone get to know one another. They’ll fly to Tahiti, charter a boat, and go sailing for a few days. It’ll be an adventure, right? Wrong. Dead wrong.          Review When I started reading Shipwreck Island the first thing I noticed was the similarities to another very popular Children's survival book called The Swiss Family Robinson.  However, my fears of an updated, Americanized, ...

Rating: 5 Stars Author: S.A. Bodeen Title:  The Raft Genre: Young Adult, Survival, Adventure Publisher: Fiewel & Friends Format: Paperback Publication Date: August 21,2012 Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft. And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skit...