Survivors

Gr 5 Up—Long compiles 23 harrowing true stories of men and women who survived everything from a plane crash to quicksand. The short vignettes span the 19th and 21st centuries, and some narratives are better known than others. Some tales convey hope, such as Anna Bågenholm's account of surviving hypothermia after falling into freezing water—an experience that led to discoveries about the human body and extreme cold. Themes of perseverance, inspiration, and interconnectedness ground the selections in reality and remind readers that those who survived often did so because others came to their aid. Some stories contain graphic scenes and death. Color illustrations accompany each selection and deftly capture the action. Hyndman portrays the individuals with few distinguishing features, allowing readers to imagine themselves in the survivors' tales. The absence of a table of contents and back matter makes this title better suited for pleasure reading than reports.