Dust Storm! (Survivor Diaries #4)
Terry Lynn Johnson, Author
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fiction, Nov. 6, 2018
Pages: 128
Suitable for Ages: 7-10
Themes: Dust Storm, Desert, New Mexico, Lost, Knowledge, Survival Skills, Courage
Synopsis:
Sixth-graders Jen Chiu and Martin Diaz are geared up to participate in one of the most exciting geocaching field trips ever in New Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert. Former best friends, Jen wants to find all of the caches before Martin does. When their van gets a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, the students help the teacher pass out water bottles and set up a tarp next to the bus for shade. Jen returns her backpack to the bus and discovers Martin peeking into the teacher’s briefcase to get the latitudes and longitudes for the upcoming competition. He darts from the bus to the trailer and grabs his mountain bike and takes off. Jen grabs her bike from the trailer and races after him.
When Jen catches up with Martin, she sees a wall of dirt rise high into the air. A dust storm. They ride as fast as they can to stay ahead of it, but the blinding dust storm overpowers them. They are knocked off their bikes when they ride off a cliff they can’t see. Nothing looks familiar. The dust burns their eyes and skin, and is gritty in their mouths. They are far from their group and in the desert alone. They don’t have water, food, tools, proper clothing, sunglasses, and survival gear. They left their backpacks on the bus. Jen and Martin are lost. Night is falling, coyotes are calling, and small critters are crawling. They will have to use all of their knowledge and grit to survive.
Why I like this book:
Dust Storm! Survivor Diaries is a great adventure series that will get kids, especially reluctant readers, interested in reading. Terry Lynn Johnson has written a fast-paced series that is authentic and fun to read. Pen and ink drawings add to the drama of what is unfolding in the story.
The plot is engaging and the tension palpable. Dust Storm! focuses on Jen and Martin using skills they know after they get caught in a desert dust storm and become disoriented. What do they do first? How much time do they have before they become dehydrated? How do they stay calm? What skills do they need most?
Dust Storm! is the fourth book in the Survivor Diaries. This series will have huge kid-appeal because the element of danger and the universal need to know what to do if you are unexpectedly caught in a situation where your life depends upon what you know. Johnson’s words of real-life advice are clear: Stay calm. Stay Smart. Survive. This is an important story for kids and families who like to hike to read together. It is also an excellent classroom book that belongs in every school library.
Johnson stories are inspired by true events. She began researching this desert story after she learning about two separate tragedies involving tourists who both died from dehydration after trying to walk for help after a car became stuck on a back road.
Resources: The best part of Johnson’s Survivor Diaries is that backmatter she includes: Survival Tips if you get you get lost and the bare essentials you need to carry while hiking a wilderness trail. After you’ve read the book, readers can visit her website to play the interactive Game – Will You Survive?
Terry Lynn Johnson, author of Ice Dogs, Sled Dog School, and the Survivor Diaries (Overboard, Avalanche, Lost and Dust Storm) series, has lived in northern Ontario, Canada, for more than forty years. Before becoming a conservation officer, she worked for twelve years as a canoe-ranger warden in a large wilderness park. Visit Johnson at her website.
Greg Pattridge is the permanent host for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.
*Purchased Copy.
This book sounds both scary and exciting, Patricia. I’m sure the children will enjoy it.
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It is very age appropriate. I love this series as it really teaches kids survival skills. Great online game for kids to test themselves.
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It does sound good, Patricia.
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Any book that gets kids interested in reading is a winner. And your synopsis certainly has me interested! Especially when they ride their bikes over a cliff!
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Yes, I agree! I think kids like books like this because they are interested in surviving a car stuck in the snow, an avalanche, etc. Her books are quick reads and so interactive.
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These survival books are amazing. Entertaining kids while teaching them valuable lessons is such an art. I like that this one takes place in New Mexico, a place I love.
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I thought about you and Amanda in New Mexico when I was reading Dust Storm! They are entertaining, but they really learn a lot.
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My son used to be nuts about a similar series “I Survived.”
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Think kids naturally want to know what to do if they are caught in a life and death situation. Great series!
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Glad you enjoyed this. I’ve read other of Terry’s books and enjoyed them. And she was one of the first debut authors that I interviewed. Glad to see she has another book out.
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I love all of her work. Still haven’t read Falcon, but plan to. She is such a natural teacher and her survival series is a hit with kids.
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If Terry Lynn wrote this, I’m sure it’s good. Quite a different setting than her Sled Dog books. Thanks for telling us about this. I’ll be on the lookout for it.
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But, there are similar themes running through the stories — survival in extreme conditions. Her second book was Avalanche.
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I’ve read one other book in the Survivor Diaries series and thoroughly enjoyed it. This one sounds equally exciting and perfect for middle grade audiences. Thanks for featuring it today. I’ve added it to my reading list.
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I’m glad you enjoyed my review. I love her survival books. They certainly will encourage reluctant readers. Her books are so interactive.
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I really love survival stories and Terry Lynn Johnson’s are among the best. I will definitely check this one out. Thanks for telling me about it.
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I’m glad you enjoy this series too. Great for reluctant readers. They impart a lot of good information — even for adults.
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The premise for this series is so intriguing. Thanks for sharing it today for MMGM! I’m going to search our library’s catalog for this author.
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She has written a lot of books on sled dogs and survival, too.
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I hadn’t heard of this series. It sounds so good! Thanks for your review.
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You are welcome! I hope you enjoy these great stories. You can read them out of sequence.
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This is the exact kind of adventure I wanted to read when I was a kid! Definitely putting it on my TBR list.
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That makes two of us! I just love this series.
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I don’t recall hearing of this series. It sounds like one that my students will love. I especially like that this one is about something very real and something my students probably don’t know much about because we don’t have dust storms here. One of my friends lives in AZ- and I have seen pictures of dust storms she has witnessed. They look scary. Thanks for sharing.
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Terry Lynn Johnson’s books all feature survival. This series is for a younger audience and has a great survival information throughout as the kids use what they learn. And, there is a lot of tips at the end and an interactive on-line game kids can do to see if they would survive. I have loved each story for different reasons. Avalanche and Lost are excellent too.
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