How to Stay Invisible - by Maggie C Rudd

About the Book

When twelve-year-old Raymond and his pup Rosie are abandoned by his family, he uses his wilderness skills to survive in the woods, but as winter comes, he realizes his wits are not enough, and that perhaps it is time he starts trusting others with his secret.

Book Synopsis

My Side of the Mountain meets How to Steal a Dog in this high-stakes and heartfelt middle-grade story of a young boy and his dog surviving on their own in the woods.

Being alone is something Raymond is used to.

Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never had a place to call home. His free-wheeling parents move their family from town to town, and he's living in a trailer in a brand-new state when one day, they just up and abandon him. All alone with nothing but a duffle bag full of clothes and his reliable pup, Rosie, he is forced to live in the woods behind his middle school.

With a fishing pole in hand and survival guide checked out from the library, Raymond scrapes by and doesn't tell anyone his secret. This isn't the first time he's had to rely on himself. However, when winter days get colder and finding food becomes nearly impossible, Raymond makes new friends, including a curious coyote, in unexpected places. Soon, he learns that his fate will depend not just on his wilderness skills, but on the people and animals he chooses to trust.

In How to Stay Invisible, Maggie C. Rudd takes readers on a journey of survival that speaks to friendship, adventure, and the everyday wonders of nature. In middle school, blending in is easy but sometimes the braver thing is being seen.

Review Quotes

Beehive Children's Fiction Award Nominee

"A worthy match for My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet." --Horn Book, starred review

"Rudd weaves an uplifting tale of connection and found family." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The Outsiders meets Hatchet in this story that follows Raymond's ordeal to both survive in the winter woods of North Carolina and attend middle school without anyone finding out how he lives... Completely devoid of cheap drama, this tightly written, understated narrative tells its story through finely drawn characters, intensely realistic atmosphere and setting, and a protagonist who will capture readers' hearts with both his courage and his creative survival skills." --Kirkus, starred review

"This refreshingly genuine book on resilience and survival will enthrall readers from chapter one. Recommended for collections where survival books and heartfelt fiction are popular." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Maggie C. Rudd is from rural North Carolina where she lives with her family. When she isn't writing, she is teaching middle school, making forts, or outside getting muddy with her kids. She is the author of the picture books On the Fourth of July and I'll Hold Your Hand.