Title: WHEN THE WORST HAPPENS: Extraordinary Stories of Survival
Author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Publisher: Annick Press
Reviewer: Yolanda Ridge
ISBN: 978-1-55451-682-7
This great non-fiction offering from BC author Tanya Lloyd Kyi challenges readers to think about what they’d do if they were facing life and death. Along with engaging artwork by David Parkins, the text provides practical survival tips such as finding friends, going back to basics and getting zen (my personal favourite).
But what really makes this book riveting reading for someone who will probably never get trapped in a mine or on a floating chunk of ice are the real life stories of young people who have faced these types of scenarios. These personal vignettes are told through a fast paced narrative that encourages readers to skip ahead pages (literally) so they can find out what happened. Interspersed with interesting facts about the bodies response to stress, fear, and deprivation (and starvation, dehydration, altitude sickness, insomnia, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, injury…) geographic descriptions and historical facts that put dangers into context, this format also allows the stories to serve as examples of each chapter’s learning point.
With the perfect mix of good story telling and education, When the Worst Happens is highly recommended for 9 to 12-year-olds (and above) – whether your an adventure seeker, bad luck finder, or armchair crusader.