Off the Map

Two former friends must work together to survive after getting lost in this gritty, briskly paced adventure by Hashimoto (The Trail). Spirited and headstrong 13-year-old Marlo is preparing for a four-day canoe trip, during which she will travel down 150 miles of the Yukon River with her river guide mother and her dog, Cheerio. Though she’s excited for the trip, it’s the first one she’s taken since her father left two months ago, which Marlo blames herself for. Her feelings surrounding the trip grow more complicated when Marlo and her mother are joined by Marlo’s former best friend Amos and his father. What starts as a straightforward route gets derailed due to Amos and Marlo’s communication struggles. Soon the tweens, who are sharing a canoe, get separated from their parents. Now they must confront the reasons behind their crumbling friendship and work together if they hope to survive the Alaskan wilderness. Via vividly detailed prose and a propulsive plot, Hashimoto depicts the harsh realities of surviving in nature. Safety tips, such as boiling river water to sanitize it and the importance of having a first-aid kit, feature throughout, providing foreshadowing and heightening the tension. Ages 8–12. Agent: Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary. (Nov.)