Survivor Diaries 3 – Lost!

Terry Lynn Johnson's Survivor Diaries 3 - Lost is a jungle survival story for 9 year olds about a boy who worries about everything, and then everything goes wrong.

What happens

Carter is eleven and a massive bird fan. He's on holiday in Costa Rica with his parents, hoping to tick a very rare bird off his list. Anna is twelve, a bit bossy and absolutely fearless. She's found a machete and heard a legend about a monkey statue.

Lick the statue and you'll be strong, apparently. Carter knows it's made up. He does it anyway.

Then the howler monkeys start roaring overhead. Anna panics and bolts off the path, Carter chases after her, and by the time they stop they have no idea where the trail is. Night is coming.

What makes this one special is Carter himself. He has anxiety and gets panic attacks, and he copes by knowing EVERYTHING about every possible danger. He's even got an emergency kit in his pocket. So what happens when a monkey steals it? You feel his heart race right along with his.

It's also packed with real survival tips. How to find safe water. Why you step on roots, not over them. How to make a water filter and a raft from bamboo and vines. Carter and Anna argue a lot. They also start to see what's great about each other, which is lovely to watch.

If you've got a worrier at home, a couple of things to know. Carter's panic attacks are described honestly, and one leaves him passed out on the jungle floor. He's also stung by a scorpion and spends a long, frightening night in the rain. The good news is that the story opens with him being interviewed back home, so your reader knows from the very first chapter that he gets out.

For a child who worries a lot, seeing Carter carry on through all that could be really reassuring. For a child who just loves animals and adventure, it's a thrill.

What to read next

If they're hooked, go back to Overboard! It's the first Survivor Diaries book, about a boy and a girl who end up in the sea when a whale-watching trip goes badly wrong.