Buried Alive!

Gr 5–8—On August 5, 2010, a massive collapse at the San José mine in the Chilean desert left 33 miners trapped more than 2000 feet below the Earth's surface. Scott alternately tells the stories of the miners, their families anxiously waiting in the camp above, and the rescuers drilling through some of the hardest rock in the world to try to reach them. Frequent color photos, maps, and diagrams, in addition to plentiful white space, make the book visually appealing and increase browser interest. An author's note explains how Scott conducted her research. A short list of sources is included, but individual quotes contained in the text are not sourced. In the afterword, readers get an update on the miners' lives since the rescue and learn that the story doesn't necessarily end "happily ever after" for all of them. This title is for a slightly younger audience than Marc Aronson's Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert (S & S, 2011). It contains less background information on mining, metals, and the drilling process, but has more visual support and a greater focus on the personal stories of the miners and their families.—Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR