Survivors by David Long

Faber and Faber, 2016. ISBN 9780571316014
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Survivors is a gorgeous hardback book, offering a collection of survival stories. Readers can read about known characters such as Shackleton and Mawson as well as less known characters such as Juliane Koepcke who fell from a plane. Each story averages 8 pages in length and because each chapter is a stand-alone event, readers can read them in any order and over any time frame. The stories of Mawson and Shackleton link well to Year 4 and Year 6 Science and the story of Greg Rasmussen surviving the Kalahari Desert is also a good link for these year levels with the study of Africa and harsh environments. The book would also be great for reading aloud in a classroom. Teachers could read a story a week, investigate story sequences, created storyboards, investigate the vocabulary and study the characters and how they survived. The short stories are great for comparing events and characters. The language in each chapter is descriptive and easy to read, making this book ideal for and highly recommended for readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster