Authors

Aaron, Chester. An American Ghost . 1973. 189p. As flood waters sweep his house down the Mississippi River, a boy is joined by a mountain lion who is also trying desperately to stay alive.

Annixter, Jane and Paul. Windigo: a wilderness story of fear and courage. 1963. 196p. Andy and his dog overcome their fears as they take on the responsibility of running the family's trap line. This suspenseful tale combines mystery, boy-and-dog loyalty and vivid, realistic scenes of wilderness life. Read also by this author team, Horns of Plenty.

Baillie, Allan. Adrift. 1992. 119p. While playing pirates with his little sister and her cat in an old crate he finds on the beach, a young boy suddenly discovers that they are adrift on the sea and that he must somehow keep the two of them alive.

Bauer, Marion Dane. Face to Face. 1991. 176p. Picked on at school by bullies, thirteen-year-old Michael confronts his fears during a trip to Colorado to see his father, who works as a whitewater rafting guide and whom Michael has not seen in eight years.

Bell, William. Crabbe's Journey. 1986. 169p. Feeling misunderstood at home and at school, Crabbe, a wealthy Canadian teenager, runs off to live in the woods where he meets a mysterious woman who teaches him about outdoor survival and taking responsibility for one's life. Best for 8th grade and up.

Blackwood, Gary. Wild Timothy. 1987. 153p. Ten-year-old Timothy, more interested in reading than in physical activity, reluctantly accompanies his enthusiastic father on a camping trip and, when he becomes lost in the woods, discovers that he is capable of surviving on his own.

Boston, L. M. A Stranger at Green Knowe. 1961. 158p. Ping, a Chinese refugee, spends the summer at Green Knowe, where an escaped gorilla from the London Zoo is hiding out.

Bosworth, J. Allan. White Water, Still Water. 1966. 160p. Chris, scantily clad, with no equipment but a broken-bladed pocket knife, must find his way home through the wilderness before winter sets in. If you loved Hatchet, give this story a try! Best for 6th grade and up.

Budbill, David. Bones on Black Spruce Mountain. 1978. 126p. Seth and Daniel's camping trip to a lonely mountaintop becomes a journey into a painful past that Daniel must confront.

Budbill, David. Snowshoe Trek to Otter River. 1976. 83p. Three short stories relate the adventures of 12-year-old Daniel and his friend Seth while camping in the woods.

Byars, Betsy. Trouble River. 1969. 158p. When he builds his raft, a 12 year old boy never dreams that it will serve as the sole means of escape for himself and his grandmother when hostile Indians threaten their prairie cabin.

Carter, Alden R. Between a rock and a hard place. 1999. 213p. Although fifteen-year-old Mark Serverson nor his diabetic cousin Randy are looking forward to the canoe trip that is a family rite of passage, they begin to enjoy themselves as they make their way through Minnesota's lake country; until the trip becomes a fight for survival. Best for ages 10 and up.

Casanova, Mary. Moose Tracks. 1995. 120p. Twelve-year-old Seth, the son of a game warden, tries to save an orphaned moose calf from poachers.

Catherall, Arthur. Kidnapped by Accident. 1969. 127p. While rowing to their Baltic Island home, a 14-yr-old boy and his sister collide with a yacht and begin a three day adventure.

Christopher, John. Empty World. 1978. 134p. When a deadly virus kills off most of the world's human population, a teenaged boy tries to survive in a seemingly empty England.

Christopher, Matt. Earthquake. 1975. 111p. After runnina away from camp in the Adirondack Mountains on his horse, Jeff encounters unimaginable ordeals, including a severe earthquake.

Clifford, Eth. The curse of the Moonraker: a tale of survival. 1977. 188p. The survivors of a strange shipwreck in the Auckland Islands fight for survival under seemingly hopeless conditions.

Clifford, Eth. Just Tell Me When We're Dead. 1983. 129p. Two sisters and the runaway cousin for whom they are searching on an island find themselves in an unexpected adventure.

Cohen, Peter Zachary. Morena. 1970. 140p. A young Boy Scout lost in the hills and an abandoned old mare depend on each other for survival during a heavy snowstorm and the freezing weather that follows.

Cook, George S. Fish Heads and Fire Ants. 1973. 117p. In spite of their differences two boys on a camping trip learn to cooperate so they can pass a three-day survival test in the woods. Best for ages 7-10.

Cooney, Caroline B. The Terrorist. 1997. 198p. Sixteen-year-old Laura, an American living in London, tries to find the person responsible for the death of her younger brother Billy, who has been killed by a terrorist bomb.

Cormier, Robert. After the First Death. 1979. 233p. Events of the hijacking of a bus of children by terrorists seeking the return of their homeland are described from the perspective of a hostage, a terrorist, an Army general involved in the rescue operation, and his son, chosen as the go-between. Best for ages 14 and up.

Cross, Gillian. Born of the Sun. 1983. 228p. Paula's journey with her father to find a lost Incan city, becomes shadowed with mystery and danger, and in the end the truths learned on the journey, not at the destination, are what is important. Best for ages 12 and up.

Cross, Gillian. On the Edge. 1984. 170p. Two young people discover unknown strengths inside themselves when one is kidnapped and the other tries to save him. Best for ages 12 and up.

Cumberlege, Vera. Shipwreck. 1972. 32p. Jim knew he would never forget the day his father and the rest of the lifeboat crew rowed out to a wreck for the last time before the new powered boat arrived. Up until then Jim had preferred the old boat and had longed to be strong enough to join the rowers; but this storm was different... Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak.

DeFelice, Cynthia. Weasel. 1990. 119p. Alone in the frontier wilderness in the winter of 1839 while his father is recovering from an injury, eleven-year-old Nathan runs afoul of the renegade killer known as Weasel and makes a surprise discovery about the concept of revenge.

De Jong, Meindert. A Horse Came Running. 1970. 147p. After a devastating tornado passes, a young boy finds himself all alone with two horses, one dying and the other badly injured.

Dickinson, Peter. The Seventh Raven. 1981. 192p. In a bungled attempt to kidnap an ambassador's son, four revolutionaries make hostages of a hundred children rehearsing an opera. Best for ages 12 and up.

Duncan, Lois. Ransom. 1966. 187p. Five teenagers, kidnapped from a school bus, attempt to work together to escape from their captors. Best for ages 12 and up.

Durbin, William. The Broken Blade. 1997. 163p. When an injury prevents his father from going into northern Canada with fur traders, thirteen-year-old Pierre decides to take his father's place as a voyageur.

Dyer, T.A. A way of his own. 1981. 154p. A lame boy from a primitive nomadic tribe is abandoned by his family and, together with a girl stolen from another tribe, tries to survive a cruel winter.

Dygard, Thomas J. River Danger. 1998. 151p. Although he reluctantly agrees to accompany his little brother on a canoe trip, eighteen-year-old Eric finally gains new respect for this younger sibling whose ingenuity rescues him. Best for 5th grade and up.

Eckert, Allan W. Incident at Hawk's Hill. 1971. 191p. A shy, lonely six-year-old wanders into the Canadian prairie and spends a summer under the protection of a badger.

Ellis, Mel. Caribou Crossing. 1971. 183p. Two boys' dream of a fishing lodge in the Canadian Wilderness comes true at the expense of the same natural wonders they sought to share with others.

Ellis, Mel. Flight of the White Wolf. 1970. 195p. A boy and his pet wolf flee before a state-wide hunt to locate and destroy the animal.

Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion. 1945. 199p. Seventeen year old Alec is pulled to a desert island by a wild black stallion he has freed during a shipwreck at sea. Once rescued, Alec and the Black train at night, and then enter a high stakes match race.

Finley, Mary Peace. Soaring Eagle. 1993. 166p. Julio, a 13-yr-old boy in 1845, finds friendship and a clue to his identity while living with the Cheyenne tribe that rescued him on the Santa Fe Trail.

Fleming, Susan. Trapped on the Golden Flyer. 1978. 125p. The train carying Paul through the Sierra Nevada becomes frozen to the tracks during a blizzard and the passengers are drawn together in a fight for survival.

Fox, Paula. Monkey Island. 1991. 151p. Forced to live on the streets of New York after his mother disappears from their hotel room, eleven-year-old Clay is befriended by two men who help him survive.

Gardiner, John Reynolds. Stone Fox. 1980. 85p. Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.

George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves. 1972. 170 p. While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.

George, Jean Craighead. My Side of the Mountain. 1959. 177p. A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

George, Jean Craighead. Water Sky. 1987. 208p. While searching for his uncle in Barrow, Alaska, a young boy joins the crew of an Eskimo whaling captain and learns the importance of whaling to the eskimo culture.

Gregory, Kristiana. Earthquake at Dawn. 1992. 192p. A novelization of 22 year-old photographer Edith Irvine's experiences in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, as seen through the eyes of 15-year-old Daisy, a fictitious traveling companion.

Hammer, Charles. Wrong-way Ragsdale. 1987. 183p. In a moment of anger, thirteen-year-old Emmett and his little sister Essie take off in their father's Taylorcraft airplane, make a forced landing in the mountains, and try to survive in the wilderness.

Harrell, Beatrice O. Longwalker's journey: a novel of the Choctaw Trail of Tears. 1999. 132p. When the government removes their tribe from their sacred homeland in 1831, ten-year-old Minko and his father endure terrible hardships on their journey from Mississippi to Oklahoma, where Minko receives the name Longwalker.

Healey, Larry. Angry Mountain. 1983. 188p. Sent by his wealthy father to an island in Alaska to mend his ways, spoiled and irresponsible Doug Morley faces terror, death, and himself as he and his new friends survive the holocaust of an erupting volcano. Best for 7th grade and up.

Hill, David. Take it easy. 1995. 163p. Sent by his father on a five-day wilderness hike in the rugged New Zealand mountains, Rob and five other less experienced teenagers must go it alone when their leader suddenly dies.

Hobbs, Will. Downriver. 1991. 204p. Fifteen-year-old Jessie and the other rebellious teenage members of a wilderness survival school team abandon their adult leader, hijack his boots, and try to run the dangerous white water at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Hobbs, Will. Far North. 1996. 226p. In a world of ice and snow, of moose, wolves, and bears, Gabe and Raymond struggle repeatedly to break through to safety. They come to depend on each other for their very lives, and an uneasy alliance between two boys from vastly different cultures grows into an unbreakable bond. Best for ages 10 and up.

Hobbs, Will. The Maze. 1998. 198p. Rick, a fourteen-year-old foster child, escapes from a juvenile detention facility near Las Vegas and travels to Canyonlands National Park in Utah, where he meets a bird biologist working on a project to reintroduce condors to the wild. This author has many more adventure/survival stories. Check 'em out!

Holland, Barbara. Prisoners at the Kitchen Table. 1979. 122p. Two friends, one confident, and the other timid, find their positions reversed when they must plot to escape kidnappers.

Houston, James. Frozen Fire. 1977. 149p. Determined to find his father who has been lost in a storm, a young boy and his Eskimo friend brave wind storms, starvation, wild animals, and wild men during their search in the Canadian Arctic.

Houston, James. Ghost Fox. 1977. 302p. Seventeen-year-old Sarah Wells is taken from a New Hampshire farm by a raiding party of Abnaki Indians and renamed "Ghost Fox." The beauty of nature contrasts with the savagery inherent in both Indian and white culture in this tale that boldly testifies to the indestructible human will for survival and freedom. Best for ages 12 and up.

Houston, James. The White Dawn: an Eskimo Saga. 1983. 274p. In 1896, Three whalers are rescued and nursed back to health by an Eskimo community. Best for ages 12 and up.

Johnson, Annabel. The Grizzly. 1964. 160p. A young boy and his estranged father find themselves united, for the first time on a camping trip, by facing the sinister threat of a grizzly bear.

Kellerhals-Stewart, Heather. Witch's Fang. 1994. 249p. This suspense-filled adventure story features three teenagers who risk life and limb in order to fulfill their dream, with near-tragic results. As they attempt a first ascent on the last unclimbed summit in southern British Columbia, they understand that the struggle to attain a goal is as important as the goal itself.

Kherdian, David. Beyond Two Rivers. 1981. 118p. When Ted and Joe return to the McCable River on a camping trip, they secretly hope to contact a hermit living in a nearby cave.

Kipling, Rudyard. Kim. Macmillan, 1901. 413p. Kimball O'Hara, son of an Irish sergeant, and raised in the streets of Lahore, India, becomes chela to an old Tibetan lama and then a spy for the Secret Service. This novel is considered by many to be Kipling's finest book.

Kjelgaard, Jim. Big Red: the story of a champion Irish Setter... 1945. 254p. The classic story of a boy and his dog.

Kjelgaard, Jim. Swamp Cat. 1957. 175p. Frosty starts off as a city kitten, but he proves his ability to survive the perils of the swamp wilderness and decides to share a cabin with teenaged Andy, who must also learn how to survive in the swamp. Best for ages 10 and up.

Lawrence, Iain. The Wreckers. 1998. 196p. Shipwrecked after a vicious storm, fourteen-year-old John Spencer attempts to save his father and himself while also dealing with an evil secret about the English coastal town where they are stranded. Best for 5th grade and up.

London, Jack. Brown Wolf and other Jack London Stories. 1920. 187p. Raw-boned tales of high adventures in the Klondike, off the Barbary Coast, on the open seas. T he story titles: "Brown Wolf," "That Spot," "Trust," "All Gold Canyon," "The Story of Keesh," "Nam-Bok the Unveracious," "Yellow Handkerchief," Make Westing," "The Heathen," "The Hobo and the Fairy," "Just Meat," and "A Nose for the King."

London, Jack. To Build a Fire. 48p. A tenderfoot attempts to hike through the Yukon snows with his dog in order to reach a mining claim.

Macken, Walter. Flight of the Doves. 1967. 200p. A twelve-year-old English boy and his seven-year-old sister run away from their stepfather, and set to reach their grandmother in western Ireland despite the publicity about their flight and a police search for them.

Mathieson, David. Trial by Wilderness. 1985. 171p. If you liked Hatchet, don't miss this one! A girl survives a plane crash off the coast of British Columbia, and then faces survival in the wilderness, a feat which calls upon her courage, her endurance, and her skills. Recommended for 5th grade and up.

Mayne, William. Antar and the Eagles. 1990. 166p. Abducted and raised by eagles, a young boy is sent on a mission to rescue a lost egg and, in the process, save the race of eagles.

Mayne, William. Drift. 1986. 166p. Lost in the snowy forest, Rafe Considine is taken prisoner by two Indian women who teach him to live off the land.

McClung, Robert M. Hugh Glass, mountain man. 1990. 166p. A fictionalized biography of the legendary hero of the Old West, who as a fur trapper in 1823, survived an attack by a grizzly bear.

McGraw, Eloise Jarvis. Moccasin Trail. 1984. 247p. A pioneer boy, brought up by Crow Indians, is reunited with his family and attempts to orient himself in the white man's culture.

McKenzie, Ellen Kindt. A Bowl of Mischief. 1992. 131p. An abandoned child in the desert is found and taught by a holy man who's teachings he mischievously resists, only to regret it years later when he needs that wisdom as he finds himself in a battle of wits with a fearsome villain.

McLaughlin, Frank. Yukon Journey. 1990. 99p. When his father's plane crashes in the wilderness of the Yukon Territory, Andy must find the courage to go into the wilderness and rescue his father before it's too late.

Miles, Miska. The Pieces of Home. 1967. 60p. A young boy living in San Francisco in 1906 enjoys Chinatown's New Year and is one of those left homeless by the great earthquake and fire.

Milton, Hilary H. Tornado! 1983. 147p. Stranded on the road by a flood and tornadoes, his mother wounded and his seven-year-old sister in desperate need of medical attention as a result of a snakebite, fourteen-year-old Paul exhibits heroism and resourcefulness.

Moeri, Louise. Save Queen of Sheba. 1981. 116p. After miraculously surviving a Sioux Indian raid on the trail to Oregon, a brother and sister set out with few provisions to find the rest of the settlers.

Morey, Walt. Canyon Winter. 191p. Fifteen-year-old Peter Grayson's plane crashes in the Rockies and he is the only survivor.

Morey, Walt. Death Walk. 1991. 166p. Seventeen-year-old Joel Rogers befriends a trapper and two partly tamed wolves in the Alaskan arctic. They face a two hundred mile trek through the tundra pursued by killers with nothing to lose...Best for ages 12 and up.

Morey, Walt. Gentle Ben. 191p. Traces the friendship between a boy and a bear in the rugged Alaskan Territory.

Morey, Walt. Deep Trouble. 1971. 214p. Set in the late 1950s, Joey uses all his courage and skill to work Alaska's salmon traps in order to support his family after his father's death.

Myers, Edward. Climb or Die. 1994. 180p. After a car accident in a snowy Colorado pass seriously injures their parents, athletic 14 yr-old Danielle and her brainy younger brother Jake must scale a mountain to find help.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Trouble on the Tracks. 1996. 190p. While traveling across the Australian outback on a train, twelve-year-old Zach and his younger sister Eve uncover an endangered bird smuggling ring and try to save two trains from a full speed collision.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. The Fear Place. 1994. 118p. When he and his older brother Gordon are left camping alone in the Rocky Mountains, twelve-year-old Doug faces his fear of heights and his feelings about Gordon-- with the help of a cougar.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. High Trail to Danger. 1991. 168p. In 1879 seventeen-year-old Sarah travels from Chicago to the violent town of Leadtown, Colorado, to locate her missing father, but she finds that the mention of his name brings her strange looks and an attempt on her life. Don't miss the sequel, A Deadly Promise.

O'Brien, Robert C. Z for Zachariah. 1974. 249p. Seemingly the only person left alive after the holocaust of a nuclear war, a young girl is relieved to see a man arrive into her valley until she realizes that he is a tyrant and she must somehow escape.

O'Dell, Scott. The Dark Canoe. 1968. 165p. For readers who find Melville's Moby Dick a bit hard to tackle, give this book a try. A sixteen-year-old boy sails from 19th century Nantucket to a remote California bay with his two older brothers and finds himself in mysterious circumstances involving the death of one brother and the strange obsession of the other.

O'Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins. 1960. 184p. Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

O'Dell, Scott. Black Star, Bright Dawn. 1988. 134p. Bright Dawn must face the challenge of the Iditarod dog sled race alone when her father is injured.

O'Dell, Scott. Streams to the river, river to the sea: a novel of Sacagawea. 1986. 191p. A young Shoshone woman, accompanied by her infant and cruel husband, experiences joy and heartbreak when she joins the Lewis and Clark Expedition seeking a way to the Pacific.

Paulsen, Gary. Brian's Winter. 1996. 133p. Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book hatchet, this book portrays what would have happened to BRian had he ben forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet. Companion book to: Hatchet and The River. Best for ages 10 and up.

Paulsen, Gary. Dogsong. 1985. 171p. A fourteen-year-old Eskimo boy who feels assailed by the modrnity of his life takes a 1400-mile journey by dog sled across ice, tundra, and mountains seeking his own "song" of himself.

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. 1987. 195p. After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

Paulsen, Gary. The Haymeadow. 1992. 195p. Fourteen-year-old John comes of age and gains self-reliance during the summer he spends up in the Wyoming mountains tending his father's herd of sheep. If you like this book, you may also enjoy The Loner by Ester Wier.

Paulsen, Gary. The River. 1991. Because of his success surviving alone in the wilderness for 54 days, fifteen year-old Brian, profundly changed by his time in the wild, is asked to undergo a similary experience to help scientists learn more about the psychology of survival. Sequel to Hatchet.

Peake, Katy. The Indian Heart of Carrie Hodges. 1972. 125p. Convinced that she has found her own animal spirit, a young student of Indian lore calls on that spirit to save the coyotes in the valley from extermination at the hands of the ranchers.

Peck, Robert Newton. Eagle Fur. 1978. 236p. Sixteen-year-old Abbot Coe arrives at 1754 Fort Albany to begin his life as an indentured bondservant to a fur trader who teaches him the skills, lore, and discipline necessary to survive on a bleak and savage frontier. Best for ages 12 and up.

Peck, Robert Newton. The Horse Hunters. 1988. 215p. In 1932 in Florida, despite his older brother's objections, fifteen-year-old Ladd finds himself, through a series of unforeseen circumstances, traveling alone more than 100 miles to bring back wild horses for the rodeo and for breeding.

Peterson, P.J. White Water. 1997. 107p. Greg confronts his own fears and assumes a leadership role when his father is bitten by a rattlesnake during a white-water rafting trip.

Peyton, K.M. Going Home. 1982. 110p. Shortly after arriving in France on a holiday, two homesick English children run away from their temporary guardians and set off for their home and mother who is recovering from a breakdown.

Rardin, Susan Lowry. Captives in a Foreign Land. 1984. 218p. Six young Americans are taken hostage and kept in a remote desert hideout by a band determined to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Robinet, Harriette. Children of the Fire. 1991. 134p. A young black girl named Hallelujah lives through the Great Chicago Fire with courage and resourcefulness.

Rumsey, Marian. Carolina Hurricane. 1977. 157p. Lost in a crab boat in the middle of a South Carolina salt marsh, twelve-year-old Morgan endures the full brunt of a hurricane.

Skurzynski, Gloria. Caught in the moving mountains. 1984. 143p. While on a three day hike in the mountain wilderness, two thirteen- year-old brothers must use all their skill to survive when they are confronted by an injured drug dealer and are caught in an earthquake.

Skurzynski, Gloria. Lost in the Devil's desert. 1982. 96p. Eleven-year-old Kevin finds himself alone and lost in the Utah desert, with only his wits to help him survive.

Speare, Elizabeth George. Sign of the Beaver. 1983. 135p. Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth- century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

Sperry, Armstrong. Call it Courage. 1940. 95p. Based on a Polynesian Legend, this is the story of a youth who overcomes his fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his tribe.

Stevenson, James. The Unprotected Witness. 1997. 170 p. After the murder of his father, who has been hiding under the Witness Protection Program, Pete finds himself the target of sinister men who seem to think he knows where a large sum of money is hidden.

Strieber, Whitley. Wolf of Shadows. 1985. 105p. In the terrible aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, a wolf and a human form a mysterious bond that brings each close to the spirits of the shattered earth. Best for ages 12 and up.

Sweeney, Joyce. Free Fall. 1996. 229p. When four teenage boys are trapped in a Florida cave, they see that in order to survive, they must use every ounce of strength, cleverness, and guts they possess. best for 5th grade and up.

Taylor, Theodore. The Cay. 1969. 137p. When the freighter on which they are travelling is torpedoed by a German sub during World War II, a 12 yr-old white boy, blinded by a blow to the head, and an old black man are stranded on a small desert island in the Caribbean where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.

Taylor, Theodore. The Hostage. 1987. 160p. Fourteen-year-old Jamie has second thoughts about harboring a killer whale that his father plans to sell to a sea amusement park. If you loved the movie "Free Willy," give this book a try. Best for ages 10 and up.

Vanasse, Deb. Out of the Wilderness. 1999. 165p. Josh tries to endure living in the Alaskan wilderness with his father and half-brother Nathan, but Nathan's uncompromising reverence for nature and its wild creatures causes difficulties that reinforce Josh's determination to return to city life. Best for ages 12 and up.

Wallace, Bill. Danger on Panther Peak. 1985. 155p. There hasn't been a panther on Panther Peak in decades. But the year the Burkes move to their grandfather's ranch, something begins killing off the livestock. Tom shudders. Could his grandfather's tales about panthers be true?

Wallace, Bill. Shadow on the Snow. 1985. 155p. When his sister gets sick, a young boy must go get help even though there is a panther prowling in the neighborhood.

Westall, Robert. The Kingdom by the sea. 1990. 176p. By 1942, the German air raids on his northern English town had come to seem routine to twelve-year-old Harry vaguely--until the night a Luftwaffe bomb hits before the rest of his family can reach the backyard shelter.

Westall, Robert. The Machine Gunners. 1976. 186p. After an air raid, a group of English children find a German machine gun and hide it from adults who are looking for it.

Wier, Ester. The Loner. 1963. 151p. The boy with no name doesn't remember his past. All he knows is that he has to survive, and that means picking fruit on various farms across the Southwest. Staying with anyone who'll take him, he gives up all wages for food and a place to sleep. Then he finds a loving home and realizes he is no longer alone. This 1964 Newbery Honor book is set mostly on a Montana sheep ranch.

Wyss, Johann David. Swiss Family Robinson. 1812. 377p. The famous story about a Swiss family shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. The book really is better than the movie!