Alison Reads

Wow! Action, adventure, shipwreck, exploration, extreme suffering and rescue–and it’s all true. In 1914, Perce Blackborow stowed away about the Endurance to be part of Ernest Shackleton’s polar expedition. As most of us know, the ship was caught in pack ice and crushed. The crew had to abandon ship and set out with sleds and lifeboats to find rescue. Amazingly, they were all rescued, but not until nearly two years later. This is a fictionalized account of how the crew managed to survive in the bitter cold and dark of the Antarctic. The book focuses primarily on the three youngest members of the expedition, Perce and his buddies Billy and Tim. There is a map and a timeline which I found useful. Inspiring and easy to read (the prevalence of short sentences bothered me a bit), it is sure to capture the reader’s interest. A YRCA 2008 nominee for grades 10-12, this would also be of interest to middle schoolers if they don’t mind reading about toes being amputated and dogs being shot.