This week, Year 4 have challenged me to choose books on the theme of survival, and it’s been really hard narrowing it down to just three books.
First, I’ve chosen The Ultimate Survival Handbook by Andy McNab, in which, you can learn crucial survival skills from the world-famous ex-SAS survival expert. If you want to be ready for the outdoors, street-smart in the city, and even safe online, this book will show you how!
Find out the best way to set up a camp, safely start a campfire, find your bearings, search for food and water and stay safe in the great outdoors. As well as crucial basics for camping and hiking, readers will discover what to do about more unusual events – including escaping quicksand, tsunamis and wild animal attacks.
This book also features a guide to urban survival – how to stay safe in the city, avoid stranger danger, find your way around any urban environment, and how to manage any emergency. Plus, with years of military-grade security experience, Andy also gives crucial tips on staying safe online. Discover how to make an unbreakable password, how to hide your identity from trolls and scammers, and how to banish cyber-bullies.
Next, I’ve picked one of our “Books to read before you leave Year 6”: Survivors by David Long, and illustrated by Kerry Hyndman, which is packed with amazing real-life stories about extreme survival. Beautifully presented in a large, paperback format, and fully illustrated in colour throughout, this wonderful anthology is a treat for all the family.
Be shocked and amazed by these incredible real-life stories of extreme survival, including:
- The Man Who Sucked Blood from a Shark, a sailor who survived for 133 days on a raft in the Atlantic when his ship was torpedoed, using shark’s blood in place of fresh water.
- The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, a teenager who fell 2 miles from an aeroplane and trekked through the Amazon jungle to safety.
- The Woman Who Froze to Death – Yet Lived, a woman who was trapped under freezing water for so long her heart stopped. Four hours later, medics managed to warm her blood enough to revive her.
Combining classic tales such as Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic voyage, as well as more modern exploits such as the adventurer who inspired the movie 127 Hours, these astonishing stories will be retold by young readers to all of their friends. Rescue and Heroes are just as inspirational as Survivors too.
And finally, I’ve gone for Spin To Survive: Deadly Jungle by Emily Hawkins, and illustrated by Ruby Fresson. With nothing but your instincts and your trusty Survival Spinner, do you have what it takes to make it out of the jungle alive? Find out in this latest adventure in the thrilling game-in-a-book series, Spin to Survive: Deadly Jungle!
Grandma Beatriz has given you an important mission: discover the fabled Lost City of the Jaguar God so it can be protected and preserved for the future. But lost and alone in the Amazon Rainforest, survival must be your top priority. Play your way through the deadly dangers of the Amazon in a fight for your life, facing off against treacherous river rapids, prowling jaguars, dastardly treasure-hunters and a whole host of hazards that dwell deep in the jungle. With two other books already available and a fourth on the way, reading has never been so much fun – or so deadly!
Happy reading!
