Mountain Runaways - by Pam Withers (Paperback)

About the Book

After an avalanche kills their parents and Children's Services threatens to separate them, three siblings run away to hide in the mountains. Pursued by search teams, they face hunger, injury, dangerous animals, and a shadowy woods dweller. Above all, can they stop their feisty threesome from unravelling?

Book Synopsis

Will their wilderness skills be enough to survive the dangerous Rocky Mountains?

First a Canadian Rockies avalanche kills their parents. Then Children's Services threatens to separate them. That's when the three Gunnarsson kids decide to run away into the mountains and fend for themselves until the oldest turns eighteen and becomes their legal guardian. Not many would dare. But Jon, Korka, and Aron's parents ran a survival school.

Turns out their plan is full of holes. When food and equipment go missing and illness and injury strike, things get scary. They're even less prepared for encounters with dangerous animals and a sketchy woods dweller. On top of that, grief, cold, hunger, and sibling infighting threaten to tear them apart, while the search parties are closing in on them. Do Jon, Korka, and Aron really have what it takes to survive?

Review Quotes

Details about their survival techniques are abundant and illuminating....The narrative balances scenes of action with quieter moments of introspection.-- "Foreword Reviews"

A satisfying, action-packed story of survival and hope.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Fast-paced and full of action, it's Hatchet for this generation.-- "Colleen Nelson, author of The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. and Harvey Holds His Own"

Mountain Runaways is a non-stop thrill ride of a book, taking readers deep into the Albertan wilderness even as it explores some weighty family issues. In the vein of classics like My Side of the Mountain, Pam Withers combines a story of adolescent independence with actual survival techniques that are sure to keep young readers engaged (and with no small amount of warning that it might not be the best idea to go traipsing off into the woods). Readers will connect with the trio of siblings and find themselves looking at the great outdoors with a new appreciation ... and maybe some aspirations toward a far safer camping trip of their own.-- "Wesley King, #1 New York Times bestselling author of OCDaniel"

A breathless, heart-pounding alpine tale about the bonds of family and the call of adventure.-- "Alisha Sevigny, author of the Secrets of the Sands series"

About the Author

Pam Withers is an award-winning author of over twenty young adult novels, including Red Maple nominees Tracker's Canyon and Stowaway. She lives in Vancouver.