The Skeleton Tree

The only thing Chris and Frank have in common is that they both know Jack, Chris’s daredevil uncle, who wants to take the boys on an adventure a year after Chris’s father dies. But Uncle Jack’s plan to sail from Alaska to Canada turns treacherous during a storm. Jack is killed, and the boys are stranded on the untamed Alaska coast. From the outset, Frank doesn’t seem to like Chris, but they have to work together—combatting hunger, cold, bears, and wolves—to stay alive. During the weeks that follow, Frank’s fears, resentments, and traumas come to light, and Chris discovers a secret that will bond them forever. Fans of Hatchet and Lord of the Flies will be drawn to this harrowing survival story from Lawrence (The Winter Pony), which offers psychological suspense and action in equal measure. The boys’ exploration of rugged territory and the mysterious “skeleton tree”with coffins in its branches neatly parallels their individual quests to make sense of recent losses and the lives they have left behind. Ages 8–12. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller and Joanna MacKenzie, Browne & Miller Literary Associates. (Jan.)