Lost in the Backyard
By Alison Hughes
I love survival stories, and this is a good one!
Flynn is 13 and couldn’t care less about nature or the environment. He finds camping pretty boring and he doesn’t pay attention in his Outdoor Ed. class. He is far more interested in his phone and his Nike Air Force 1 running shoes. When his parents take him to visit some friends who have built a house “off the grid” – the house is energy self-sufficient and way out in the woods – he is less than thrilled. Flynn decides to take a walk in the vast backyard, and that’s when the trouble begins.
Startled by an animal on the path, Flynn rushes headlong into the forest. He soon finds himself hopelessly lost. His hoodie and Nikes aren’t much protection against the snow. As night falls, Flynn discovers that it sure is dark in the woods, and that every noise, including those howling coyotes, could be a predator. Does that make him prey?
Flynn must gather his wits to survive. He desperately tries to remember his Outdoor Ed. classes. He knows that in late October, his trip into the bush could be fatal. Will this city kid last long enough to be rescued?
Flynn represents many modern kids who do not have any experience in the woods. But he also shows the incredible resilience of someone who is determined to survive. Lost in the Backyard is a short, easy read but also a suspenseful page-turner.
Highly recommended.