07/06/2021
Book Review: “Survivor Diaries: Lost!” by Terry Lynn
Johnson
What happens when two kids, one with anxiety and an
emergency plan for everything, and one with apparently no fear and very strong,
get lost in a Costa Rican jungle? This book not only tells their story, but
also teaches readers about survival, animal species, and even anxiety disorder.
Best of all, it does so in a way that doesn’t feel pedantic; kids won’t realize
how much they’re learning while enthralled in Carter and Anna’s tale.
An unlikely pair, Carter and Anna don’t seem to have much in
common, but they are only a couple of years apart in age and thus their parents
think they should do things together while both families are staying at a resort
in Costa Rica. Anna tells Carter about a Mayan legend that licking a particular
statue will give you strength. They
decide to go off on their own to find the waterfall and statue, and in doing
so, become lost in the jungle. They encounter
monkeys, tapirs, wild boar, mosquitoes, spiders, snakes and more, and manage to
survive on their own for two days and a night, overcoming dehydration, lack of
shelter, hunger, and a scorpion bite, finding their way out of the jungle the
second day.
This book is part of a series that includes not just useful
information about different emergency situations, it includes survival tips
from the Canadian Red Cross. Every
story, including the one in “Lost!” is inspired by true stories of real survivors. In “Lost!”, the author mentions interviewing
a coworker who was lost near Monteverde, Costa Rica, for weeks. This interview led to the realization that the
most important thing to do in an emergency is to stay calm. Not panicking is key
to survival, and this holds true through many survivors’ stories, regardless of
the situation.
Fun for fans of adventure, nature, and birdwatching, “Survivor
Diaries: Lost!” is also a great read for kids with anxiety and for families
planning an adventure trip. It can
kickstart many conversations about what to do in an emergency. You can find this book and others in the series here.