Survivor Diaries: Avalanche!, written by Terry Lynn Johnson, reviewed by Caroline Rabideau

Summary: Survivor Diaries: Avalanche! is the second in a four part series. Set as if a reporter is interviewing her after the event, Ashley tells the story of how she survived an avalanche and also carried her brother to safety. Away with their family on a ski-vacation, Ashley and Ryan veer off from the trail, curious to see a wolverine, when an avalanche comes sliding down the mountain, capturing them in its wake. With only the supplies in their backpacks, they rely on the survival skills they learned in ski club to take care of each other. Yet, with Ryan’s extensive injuries, Ashley is challenged. Ryan has always been more successful in school and athletics. Can she, now, be the one to help save him? Accompanied by real survival facts in the back of the book, this book will thrill any reader who is interested in adventure, survival, or the outdoors. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: After I had finished the first book, I was so excited to pick up the second one. It was just as good as I had hoped. Every time you think Ashley has succeeded at a challenge, something else comes up and she has to think and struggle to find another solution. Just as exciting as the first book, filled with the easy text and large pictures, I will suggest these books to my middle school kiddos in a heartbeat! My favorite part about this book was that Ashley (a girl) is taking care of her brother, who is known for being faster, stronger, and smarter than her. Because of his injuries, she has to save both of them. She has to learn to believe in herself and never give up, no matter what the odds are. She is a wolverine, the animal her brother so wanted to see. She is strong, fierce, and brave. I am so excited to put an action book with a girl who is the head survivor on my shelf. Further, this book also is packed with facts and situations that could happen in real life. It teachers readers, through Ashley’s actions, the meaning of terms, as well as tips and tricks for how to survive in the cold. 
Finally, to further entice the reader, this book is the first in the series to be advertised with the online game. The game uses the skills you learned from the book to put you through a quick test where you choose what you would do in the given situation. If you guess all of the answers correctly, you survive. If you answer incorrectly, it will tell you why you have died. It’s kind of neat to see what would happen if you were in the same situation as the kids in the books. I have two more books in this series, and I can’t wait to finish them!