Distress Signal | Scholastic Canada
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Distress Signal

By Mary E. Lambert   

Scholastic Inc. | ISBN 9781338607444 Hardcover
272 Pages | Ages 8 to 12

Scholastic Inc. | ISBN 9781338607451 Ebook
272 Pages | Ages 8 to 12

In this edge-of-your-seat survival story, four classmates are stranded in a desert wilderness after a flash flood separates them from the rest of their grade. Can they make it to safety?

Lavender's class is on a field trip in the desert of Chiricahua National Monument, hiking down a ravine, when a flash flood strikes! As the water hurtles down the ravine, everyone sprints for safety. Lavender runs in the opposite direction as the rest of her class and scrambles up a tree while the torrential river rages by. When the waters finally recede, Lavender finds herself stranded in the brutal heat of the desert with only her ex-best friend Marisol, mean-girl Rachelle, and a boy named John. They are shaken, disoriented, and have just one pack of supplies and the most basic wilderness knowledge. Can they find their way back to safety? They will have to learn to work together in spite of their differences if they want to survive.

Raves & reviews:

Praise for Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes:

"Annabelle's smart, perceptive voice is fresh and realistic. Well-drawn and sympathetic characters (even, eventually, Annabelle's parents) drive this immersive tale. This debut story is a standout." — Kirkus Reviews

"This poignant tale with an authentic and memorable narrator will resonate with many young readers — whether they have personal experiences with hoarding or not. Move this to the top of the realistic fiction purchase list in libraries serving middle graders." — School Library Journal

"Gutsy and affecting. A believably hopeful ending reinforces the story's call to face problems rather than hide or run from them, and to ask for help from others — especially family." — Publishers Weekly