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Stranded
One storm. One winter. One girl's fight for survival.
A contemporary My Side of the Mountain, Stranded is the story of a wilderness-hungry Black girl from Manhattan whose journey in the Adirondack mountains becomes a nail-biting story of courage, independence, and survival.
Eleven-year-old Ava Adams is looking for something different. The tall Manhattan buildings around her feel like walls closing in. And what if she doesn't fit in with her city-loving friends or busybody family who think Black folks "don't do nature?" But in a twist of fate, Ava is shocked to learn that her parents are actually allowing her to stay with her Aunt Raven in the Adirondacks for the summer.
In her Auntie's simple cabin, living off the land with nature's beauty filling her senses, the woods feel more like home than Manhattan. As Summer comes to a close and Aunt Raven has to leave for the winter, the dream has to come to an end. Or does it? When Aunt Raven leaves, Ava expects her parents' truck to arrive any moment. But as the hours go by, the reality sinks in. They're not coming.
That night, one storm will change everything. When lightning strikes a nearby tree just before it lands on the cabin, the roof and the water tank of Aunt Raven's cabin are instantly destroyed. With no cell reception and no neighbors for miles, Ava begins to realize what she's up A frozen garden, a diminishing supply of food, an abandoned neighboring farm, and mountains blanketed with snow and ice mean Ava is on her own-literally. And her newly developed survival skills might not be enough. It's the ultimate test, but this isn't just about proving something to her parents. It's about proving it to herself.
A contemporary My Side of the Mountain, Stranded is the story of a wilderness-hungry Black girl from Manhattan whose journey in the Adirondack mountains becomes a nail-biting story of courage, independence, and survival.
Eleven-year-old Ava Adams is looking for something different. The tall Manhattan buildings around her feel like walls closing in. And what if she doesn't fit in with her city-loving friends or busybody family who think Black folks "don't do nature?" But in a twist of fate, Ava is shocked to learn that her parents are actually allowing her to stay with her Aunt Raven in the Adirondacks for the summer.
In her Auntie's simple cabin, living off the land with nature's beauty filling her senses, the woods feel more like home than Manhattan. As Summer comes to a close and Aunt Raven has to leave for the winter, the dream has to come to an end. Or does it? When Aunt Raven leaves, Ava expects her parents' truck to arrive any moment. But as the hours go by, the reality sinks in. They're not coming.
That night, one storm will change everything. When lightning strikes a nearby tree just before it lands on the cabin, the roof and the water tank of Aunt Raven's cabin are instantly destroyed. With no cell reception and no neighbors for miles, Ava begins to realize what she's up A frozen garden, a diminishing supply of food, an abandoned neighboring farm, and mountains blanketed with snow and ice mean Ava is on her own-literally. And her newly developed survival skills might not be enough. It's the ultimate test, but this isn't just about proving something to her parents. It's about proving it to herself.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2024
40 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Shannon Smith
39 books36 followersI was born and raised in Oakland, CA and now live in Davis, CA with my husband and two children. I love to read, write, listen to music, dance, act silly, and visit the coast. I've worked at elementary schools for over 25 years, and love spending my days with children. My books include: The Little Christmas Elf (2011), Treasure Hunt (2019), Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story (2019), Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Survival Story (2019), and Charlotte Spies for Justice: A Civil War Survival Story (2019). I have two new titles releasing in 2020! The first is my new series with Capstone titled The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane, releasing January 1st. The second is Sarah Journeys West: An Oregon Trail Survival Story, releasing February 1st.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 28, 2025
Probably more like a 3.5, but I enjoyed it enough reading it out loud to my MTSS group that I couldn't wait to finish with all of them. Naughty me! All the kids had the same thought I did... that Ava could have saved herself a lot sooner. But I understand why it was important to the story for her to try to stick it out on her own for as long as she did. The trailer of this book during the Scholastic Book Fair made the puppy seem much more important to the story than it actually was. If you're looking for a dog story, this isn't one; the dog doesn't appear until right at the end. But that puppy was a sweet addition. I like that Ava is a POC... it added an element of interest and learning for my students. Ava's world, even down to her hair and how she cared for it, was much different from my students' experiences.
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November 22, 2024I was *obsessed* with both Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain as a kid. So anytime a kid/teen survival book comes out now, I HAVE to read it.
(Maybe at some point I should make a post with just KidLit survival genre recs... Would y'all like that? 🤔)
STRANDED is the latest to hit my stack (and probably the first wilderness survival chapter book I've seen with a Black protagonist?) Anyways, it was delightful, and I would definitely hand this one to the subset of elementary school students who dream of living alone in the woods 🌨️🥾.
(Maybe at some point I should make a post with just KidLit survival genre recs... Would y'all like that? 🤔)
STRANDED is the latest to hit my stack (and probably the first wilderness survival chapter book I've seen with a Black protagonist?) Anyways, it was delightful, and I would definitely hand this one to the subset of elementary school students who dream of living alone in the woods 🌨️🥾.
July 28, 2025
This is a black writer and the characters in the novel are all black. I admit that I find the black voice difficult to accept and appreciate.
The first part of the novel is a black family's discussion around whether a black person should camp in the wilderness. The boy says "Black folk don't camp" and "in the movies Black people always die first in the wilderness" and "Black folks don't do nature" and then there's a bit of a discussion amongst the family members, and the father says "Black people like nature, too. We can do whatever white people do. This ain't 1950" and he goes on to say "You ever heard of James Beckwourth (sic)...he was a Black mountain man."
So we are in the realm of identity politics, and I don't like it, but I read on.
The girl gets to go into the wilderness, gets stranded, and almost dies. Apart from breaking into tears at every conceivable opportunity, she manages to survive the snow, the bears, the pine tree falling on her cabin, the injuries she sustains, and the tick that lodges in her arm and gives her a fever.
What to say?
Ava is about to turn 12 which means she is turning into a woman. But the whole family are so weird about under garments. Auntie Raven won't hang her underwear on the line She hangs them indoors. Ava strips off naked at one point and then she's so scared somebody might see her even though they are miles away from anywhere stuck out in the wilderness and she wraps a blanket around herself and peers this way and that in case anyone might be lurking around.
The line in the book that had me most flummoxed was this:- "I knew I could be myself here. I wasn't weird, or nerdy, or not-quite-Black-enough. Here I could be just Ava, Queen of the Wilderness..." Where did that come from?
Despite all that I felt that the author has an authentic voice, and the book is not without its merits.
There are some cute observations made and spoken by the characters about such topics as basketball, expiry dates, schoolwork, and most importantly about family dynamics and unspoken roadblocks to relationships.
A book written for kids should not be judged on the same criteria as adult fiction, just as a work of fantasy should not be judged the same as an historical novel. Therefore I give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
The first part of the novel is a black family's discussion around whether a black person should camp in the wilderness. The boy says "Black folk don't camp" and "in the movies Black people always die first in the wilderness" and "Black folks don't do nature" and then there's a bit of a discussion amongst the family members, and the father says "Black people like nature, too. We can do whatever white people do. This ain't 1950" and he goes on to say "You ever heard of James Beckwourth (sic)...he was a Black mountain man."
So we are in the realm of identity politics, and I don't like it, but I read on.
The girl gets to go into the wilderness, gets stranded, and almost dies. Apart from breaking into tears at every conceivable opportunity, she manages to survive the snow, the bears, the pine tree falling on her cabin, the injuries she sustains, and the tick that lodges in her arm and gives her a fever.
What to say?
Ava is about to turn 12 which means she is turning into a woman. But the whole family are so weird about under garments. Auntie Raven won't hang her underwear on the line She hangs them indoors. Ava strips off naked at one point and then she's so scared somebody might see her even though they are miles away from anywhere stuck out in the wilderness and she wraps a blanket around herself and peers this way and that in case anyone might be lurking around.
The line in the book that had me most flummoxed was this:- "I knew I could be myself here. I wasn't weird, or nerdy, or not-quite-Black-enough. Here I could be just Ava, Queen of the Wilderness..." Where did that come from?
Despite all that I felt that the author has an authentic voice, and the book is not without its merits.
There are some cute observations made and spoken by the characters about such topics as basketball, expiry dates, schoolwork, and most importantly about family dynamics and unspoken roadblocks to relationships.
A book written for kids should not be judged on the same criteria as adult fiction, just as a work of fantasy should not be judged the same as an historical novel. Therefore I give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2024
I read this book with my nine year old son. He is a fan of adventure books. What started off as an exciting storyline turned into an absolutely unrealistic joke of a story. So Auntie Raven, not making sure that her email message has been received, leaves her eleven year old niece in the woods, by herself, with no phone or access to communication, so that she can catch her flight? OK. Ridiculous. Even better, when Ava’s parents finally find her a month or so later, the first thought isn’t to take her to a doctor or hospital to make sure she’s not suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, frostbite, or Lyme disease, but hey, Mama does her hair. That’s all that matters. We definitely will not be purchasing another book by this author or reading one! Should be pulled from the Scholastic Book Fair!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. New Yorker Ava loves nature and envies her aunt Raven, who lives in a cabin in the Adirondack mountains. When her family surprisingly agrees to let her spend an extended period with her aunt, Raven is in heaven - until her aunt announces that she needs to go to California to help a friend recovering from surgery. But then her parents don’t show to pick her up. Now actually stranded, Ava must use what she has learned to survive, all while waiting for an adult to figure out the mix-up that has left her there. Kids will enjoy this one. Recommended for grades 5-8.
October 22, 2024
A middle grades survival story with a Black girl as the main character? Yes please! Sure, there were some moments that were bit unbelievable, just like most survival stories but well written, and very enjoyable. I will eagerly be putting it into my fourth grade classroom.
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September 21, 2024Stranded is great for fans of Hatchet and Alone!
July 10, 2025
This book came highly recommended from my 10 year old, and I can see why. Stranded is a modern day Hatchet story with a strong female lead. It was both inspiring and endearing!
June 9, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ava is graduating from 5th grade, but not looking forward to the summer. Everyone else seems to be able to do what they want, like her brother Alex who will be going to basketball camp. Ava loves the outdoors, and wishes she could be like her Aunt Raven, who lives in the Adirondacks, so when her parents ask her what she wants to do, she asks if she can spend the summer with her Aunt. They reluctantly agreed, and soon Ava is learning a lot about what it means to live in the wilderness. Aunt Raven was left the cabin by a professor, so works only occasionally, and tries to live off the land. She and Ava's mother had a falling out when she moved, but mainly because Ava's mother missed her twin. Ava is glad to be in the wilderness and has a list of things that she wants to do, like climb all 46 larger peaks and swim in the lake every day. Unfortunately, Raven's lifestyle requires a lot of work, and there are chores that have to be done before winter comes. The two do go on some camping trips, and Ava gains a few skills, like cooking over a fire and being mindful of wild creatures. After a trip to town to get provisions and check e mail, Ava is inspired by seeing the local school to ask her parents if she can spend the entire year with her Aunt. All of the adults agree, and Ava is soon doing her home school work and mailing it in, along with weekly letters to her parents. When her Aunt has to go to California to help a friend with a conservation project. She e mails Ava's mother about this, and arranges for Ava to be picked up. Ava is very angry that her plans have been scuttled, so when her parents don't show up on time, she encourages her Aunt to go so she doesn't miss her plane. The next day, when her parents still don't show up, Ava realizes that her Aunt mistyped the address, and even though she knows her parents aren't aware of what's going on, she decides to stay on her own, more or less to spite them. For a while, things are okay. The power cuts occasionally, the roof leaks a bit, and Ava is too tenderhearted to kill any animals to eat. She gets a tick in her arm, which isn't great, but when there is a huge storm, a tree falls on the cabin and destroys it. She gathers the resources she can, and tries to stay in place for a while, but eventually walks north to get to the nearest neighbors. They aren't there, but she breaks into their cabin and gets some food. She stays there for a while, and finds a puppy under the house that she takes care of. She also kills a coyote with a bow and arrow, and cooks the rabbit that the coyote had killed. She eventually goes back to her aunt's and stays in the shed. Her arm is infected by the tick, and she is fevered. She takes a knife, sterilizes it, and cuts out the tick, but knows she needs to get help. There's a bis snowstorm that traps her in the shed, but she manages to climb out and bring the puppy, Ronnie (for Adirondacks) with her. Luckily, she hears a vehicle on the road. Her parents have gotten a call from Raven, wanting to wish Ava a happy birthday, and come to rescue her. Ava is a little regretful that she put herself in danger, but is glad that she got to spend time in the wilderness.
Strengths: I adored Aunt Raven, and feel like we didn't get quite enough of her story. She was very understanding to take in her nice and allow her to spend so much time in her small cabin with her. What patience! She does her best to teach Ava some survival strategies, and to teach her that being in the wilderness is not the vacation that Ava thinks it will be. The Adirondacks sound very beautiful and interesting, and it's no surprise that Ava, having been raised in New York City, is interested in being outdoors. I love that the author wanted to show a Black girl having an outdoor adventure; with the exception of the new Camp Twisted Pine by Burch, I'm not sure that there are any others.
Weaknesses: There was not enough time spent with the puppy; if a dog appears in a survival book, it has to save the main character at some point in time! While Ava's survival skills and attitude will be perfectly understood by young readers, I recently reread George's 1959 My Side of the Mountain, and there where several points in time when I thought "Ava, you're no Sam Gribley." Again, Ava has few backwoods skills, but I wanted her to either repair the cabin and continue to live there on her own, or hike to safety (while fighting of the requisite bear, baking tree bark bread over a campfire, and surviving a snow storm with just a tarp) with Ronnie because I have read way too many outdoor survival books.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase a copy of this because I love the idea that Ava is determined to fight the stereotype that Black people don't belong in the wilderness, and because this had some fresh twists on the outdoor survival story. Hand this to readers of Hashimoto's The Trail, Richards' 15 Secrets to Survival, or Wynne-Jones' The Starlight Claim.
Agh! Scholastic has released this in paperback only, but at least Follett has a prebound copy.
Ava is graduating from 5th grade, but not looking forward to the summer. Everyone else seems to be able to do what they want, like her brother Alex who will be going to basketball camp. Ava loves the outdoors, and wishes she could be like her Aunt Raven, who lives in the Adirondacks, so when her parents ask her what she wants to do, she asks if she can spend the summer with her Aunt. They reluctantly agreed, and soon Ava is learning a lot about what it means to live in the wilderness. Aunt Raven was left the cabin by a professor, so works only occasionally, and tries to live off the land. She and Ava's mother had a falling out when she moved, but mainly because Ava's mother missed her twin. Ava is glad to be in the wilderness and has a list of things that she wants to do, like climb all 46 larger peaks and swim in the lake every day. Unfortunately, Raven's lifestyle requires a lot of work, and there are chores that have to be done before winter comes. The two do go on some camping trips, and Ava gains a few skills, like cooking over a fire and being mindful of wild creatures. After a trip to town to get provisions and check e mail, Ava is inspired by seeing the local school to ask her parents if she can spend the entire year with her Aunt. All of the adults agree, and Ava is soon doing her home school work and mailing it in, along with weekly letters to her parents. When her Aunt has to go to California to help a friend with a conservation project. She e mails Ava's mother about this, and arranges for Ava to be picked up. Ava is very angry that her plans have been scuttled, so when her parents don't show up on time, she encourages her Aunt to go so she doesn't miss her plane. The next day, when her parents still don't show up, Ava realizes that her Aunt mistyped the address, and even though she knows her parents aren't aware of what's going on, she decides to stay on her own, more or less to spite them. For a while, things are okay. The power cuts occasionally, the roof leaks a bit, and Ava is too tenderhearted to kill any animals to eat. She gets a tick in her arm, which isn't great, but when there is a huge storm, a tree falls on the cabin and destroys it. She gathers the resources she can, and tries to stay in place for a while, but eventually walks north to get to the nearest neighbors. They aren't there, but she breaks into their cabin and gets some food. She stays there for a while, and finds a puppy under the house that she takes care of. She also kills a coyote with a bow and arrow, and cooks the rabbit that the coyote had killed. She eventually goes back to her aunt's and stays in the shed. Her arm is infected by the tick, and she is fevered. She takes a knife, sterilizes it, and cuts out the tick, but knows she needs to get help. There's a bis snowstorm that traps her in the shed, but she manages to climb out and bring the puppy, Ronnie (for Adirondacks) with her. Luckily, she hears a vehicle on the road. Her parents have gotten a call from Raven, wanting to wish Ava a happy birthday, and come to rescue her. Ava is a little regretful that she put herself in danger, but is glad that she got to spend time in the wilderness.
Strengths: I adored Aunt Raven, and feel like we didn't get quite enough of her story. She was very understanding to take in her nice and allow her to spend so much time in her small cabin with her. What patience! She does her best to teach Ava some survival strategies, and to teach her that being in the wilderness is not the vacation that Ava thinks it will be. The Adirondacks sound very beautiful and interesting, and it's no surprise that Ava, having been raised in New York City, is interested in being outdoors. I love that the author wanted to show a Black girl having an outdoor adventure; with the exception of the new Camp Twisted Pine by Burch, I'm not sure that there are any others.
Weaknesses: There was not enough time spent with the puppy; if a dog appears in a survival book, it has to save the main character at some point in time! While Ava's survival skills and attitude will be perfectly understood by young readers, I recently reread George's 1959 My Side of the Mountain, and there where several points in time when I thought "Ava, you're no Sam Gribley." Again, Ava has few backwoods skills, but I wanted her to either repair the cabin and continue to live there on her own, or hike to safety (while fighting of the requisite bear, baking tree bark bread over a campfire, and surviving a snow storm with just a tarp) with Ronnie because I have read way too many outdoor survival books.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase a copy of this because I love the idea that Ava is determined to fight the stereotype that Black people don't belong in the wilderness, and because this had some fresh twists on the outdoor survival story. Hand this to readers of Hashimoto's The Trail, Richards' 15 Secrets to Survival, or Wynne-Jones' The Starlight Claim.
Agh! Scholastic has released this in paperback only, but at least Follett has a prebound copy.
September 16, 2025
Ava is staying with her aunt off the grid in her aunt’s cabin deep in the Adirondacks. Ava is thrilled her parents let her come for the summer, and then stay on for the school year. She loves being in nature, away from the stifling city, and learning how to live off the land. But when her aunt gets an SOS from a friend, an email doesn’t go through, and a storm hits, suddenly Ava has to survive on her own with winter closing in and the cabin in shambles.
This was just the kind of survival story I was craving. I devoured it quickly. I like how it shows that a Black girl can survive just as well in nature as anyone else (despite Ava’s older brother buying into the movie tropes and telling her she’ll die in the forest). Ava is a huge introvert and craves the quiet of nature. It is good to see her flourish in the forest setting. I also liked seeing her problem solve and work out how to survive (well, mostly, she is still a tween and sometimes it shows….like leaving the tick she finds in her body because she didn’t understand how to remove it safely. Eww, eww, eww.) She’s a realistic character with a balance of strengths and flaws. Ava’s mom and aunt have a strained relationship, and Ava is trying to figure out what happened because it is clear they both love one another. That feeds into the miscommunication that happens that results in Ava being stranded (and Ava is part of the problem there, because she’s upset with them about something). I like how there is a hopeful ending with reconciliation and better communication established. (And yes, there’s a puppy on the cover but it doesn’t show up until almost the end of the story so don’t get too attached to that part of the story.)
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are some bumps and bruises, scratches, and a nasty bug bite. The puppy’s siblings didn’t make it through a snow storm (you don’t know them before).
Ethnic diversity: Ava and her family are Black Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Ava has to break into a neighbor’s cabin for supplies, but she makes sure they are compensated later.
This was just the kind of survival story I was craving. I devoured it quickly. I like how it shows that a Black girl can survive just as well in nature as anyone else (despite Ava’s older brother buying into the movie tropes and telling her she’ll die in the forest). Ava is a huge introvert and craves the quiet of nature. It is good to see her flourish in the forest setting. I also liked seeing her problem solve and work out how to survive (well, mostly, she is still a tween and sometimes it shows….like leaving the tick she finds in her body because she didn’t understand how to remove it safely. Eww, eww, eww.) She’s a realistic character with a balance of strengths and flaws. Ava’s mom and aunt have a strained relationship, and Ava is trying to figure out what happened because it is clear they both love one another. That feeds into the miscommunication that happens that results in Ava being stranded (and Ava is part of the problem there, because she’s upset with them about something). I like how there is a hopeful ending with reconciliation and better communication established. (And yes, there’s a puppy on the cover but it doesn’t show up until almost the end of the story so don’t get too attached to that part of the story.)
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are some bumps and bruises, scratches, and a nasty bug bite. The puppy’s siblings didn’t make it through a snow storm (you don’t know them before).
Ethnic diversity: Ava and her family are Black Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Ava has to break into a neighbor’s cabin for supplies, but she makes sure they are compensated later.
January 22, 2025
I like a good survival story, no matter what age group its written for. STRANDED is more of an okay one, but I enjoyed it for the most part.
I've never heard of Black people not "belonging" in the outdoors, but if that's a thing (which it must be since it's brought up in the book), then I'm glad this story shakes up that notion. Ava definitely learns to not just love nature for its serene beauty but also to appreciate that its whims can be both dangerous and deadly. As she learns wilderness survival skills from her aunt, she gains knowledge that she adds to her natural toughness, the combination of which helps her deal when she's stranded in the forest. I like that Ava's interests are unique and that her family learns to accept that part of her, even when it scares them.
Plotwise, STRANDED gets off to a bit of a slow start. In the middle, several things happen that aren't very believable. They're necessary to the plot, but they just don't feel realistic. The survival part of the story doesn't come until the last 1/3 of the book and that's the most exciting portion of the tale by far. Ava's adventures in the wilderness are plenty interesting, making for a tense, suspenseful ending.
Smith's prose is pretty humdrum throughout, with way more telling than showing. Because of that, I never felt fully immersed in this story. I liked Ava, though, and wanted her to survive her ordeal. Kids should find STRANDED engrossing. It's a quick, exciting read overall.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
I've never heard of Black people not "belonging" in the outdoors, but if that's a thing (which it must be since it's brought up in the book), then I'm glad this story shakes up that notion. Ava definitely learns to not just love nature for its serene beauty but also to appreciate that its whims can be both dangerous and deadly. As she learns wilderness survival skills from her aunt, she gains knowledge that she adds to her natural toughness, the combination of which helps her deal when she's stranded in the forest. I like that Ava's interests are unique and that her family learns to accept that part of her, even when it scares them.
Plotwise, STRANDED gets off to a bit of a slow start. In the middle, several things happen that aren't very believable. They're necessary to the plot, but they just don't feel realistic. The survival part of the story doesn't come until the last 1/3 of the book and that's the most exciting portion of the tale by far. Ava's adventures in the wilderness are plenty interesting, making for a tense, suspenseful ending.
Smith's prose is pretty humdrum throughout, with way more telling than showing. Because of that, I never felt fully immersed in this story. I liked Ava, though, and wanted her to survive her ordeal. Kids should find STRANDED engrossing. It's a quick, exciting read overall.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
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October 25, 2024Ava has always dreamed of leaving the city and experiencing nature. As summer approaches, she has the idea of asking her parents to let her visit her aunt who lives in a cabin in the Adirondack Mountains. She is amazed when they say yes!
She says goodbye to her parents and her three brothers and travels with Auntie Raven into Adirondack Park. When she arrives, she is a bit surprised at how rough the cabin is and how few modern conveniences there are. She immediately begins learning what it is like to live in and survive in nature.
Ava learns how to fish and hunt, although, she doesn't have much luck. She chops wood, does some rough camping, and learns to do her laundry by hand. Other than a few trips into town to the post office and the library, Ava is spending time in nature just as she hoped.
When Auntie Raven gets news that she will have to travel to California, Ava must adjust to the fact that she will have to return to the city earlier than she had planned. There is a miscommunication between Ava's parents and her aunt which leaves Ava stranded in the mountain cabin. What follows is a hair-raising adventure that will test Ava's newly acquired survival skills.
Author Nikki Shannon Smith's novel STRANDED is perfect for adventure seekers and readers who have loved reading books like Gary Paulsen's HATCHET.
She says goodbye to her parents and her three brothers and travels with Auntie Raven into Adirondack Park. When she arrives, she is a bit surprised at how rough the cabin is and how few modern conveniences there are. She immediately begins learning what it is like to live in and survive in nature.
Ava learns how to fish and hunt, although, she doesn't have much luck. She chops wood, does some rough camping, and learns to do her laundry by hand. Other than a few trips into town to the post office and the library, Ava is spending time in nature just as she hoped.
When Auntie Raven gets news that she will have to travel to California, Ava must adjust to the fact that she will have to return to the city earlier than she had planned. There is a miscommunication between Ava's parents and her aunt which leaves Ava stranded in the mountain cabin. What follows is a hair-raising adventure that will test Ava's newly acquired survival skills.
Author Nikki Shannon Smith's novel STRANDED is perfect for adventure seekers and readers who have loved reading books like Gary Paulsen's HATCHET.
January 7, 2025
Ava loves the outdoors. With only two days of school left she is thrilled when their class takes a trip to Central Park. Her friends on the other hand don’t care for it too much. They are into sports, reading and posting online or playing video games. Ava knows she will be stuck at home with her family unless she can convince them to let her go to her Aunt Ravens cabin in the Adirondack Mountains.. Ava knows it will be an uphill battle convincing her mother to let her go. Her mother doesn’t agree with her twin’s decision to live in the middle of no where. Her brother calls her crazy because “black folks don’t do nature.” What she assumes will be an impossible task, turns into the possible. She never expected her dad to side with her. Just like that they are making plans for her to spend her summer with her aunt.
Ava and her Aunt get along great. She knows a lot about being outdoors, but her aunt has so much more she can teach her. When her aunt is called away and she is left alone, life becomes very real. I loved this book. I loved how passionate Ava was about being outdoors. I loved that she didn’t try to conform to her family’s ideas of what you should be passionate about. I loved the realistic relationship throughout the story. This is a book I want my students to read. I highly recommend it.
Ava and her Aunt get along great. She knows a lot about being outdoors, but her aunt has so much more she can teach her. When her aunt is called away and she is left alone, life becomes very real. I loved this book. I loved how passionate Ava was about being outdoors. I loved that she didn’t try to conform to her family’s ideas of what you should be passionate about. I loved the realistic relationship throughout the story. This is a book I want my students to read. I highly recommend it.
October 25, 2024
I loved this book! In some ways, it reminded me of the book, Hatched by Gary Paulsen, but on a very different level. I found it to be a fast read and an I-can't-put-this-down book. It's perfect for upper elementary and middle school readers. It would be a great classroom read-aloud too! I do hope there is a sequel in the works!! I want to keep reading about Ava and her family. I feel like there is still so much more to be said and shared.
A definite must-have for all libraries and classrooms!
@nikki2smith #Stranded #NikkiShannonSmith #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries #PublicLibrarians #ReadABook #Books #Read #MGReads MGBooks #MGLit #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads
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I loved reading the story but I kept questioning Ava's thought process of trying to help her mom and auntie have a better relationship with each other. So much so that she was willing to stay alone and not get help sooner. It's been a while since I had an 11-year-old in the house but I also understood her point of view that her aunt trained her and she can do this, surviving in the wilderness alone.
A definite must-have for all libraries and classrooms!
@nikki2smith #Stranded #NikkiShannonSmith #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries #PublicLibrarians #ReadABook #Books #Read #MGReads MGBooks #MGLit #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads
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I loved reading the story but I kept questioning Ava's thought process of trying to help her mom and auntie have a better relationship with each other. So much so that she was willing to stay alone and not get help sooner. It's been a while since I had an 11-year-old in the house but I also understood her point of view that her aunt trained her and she can do this, surviving in the wilderness alone.
Read
December 15, 2024This is great. I love that it was a contemporary but still completely believable for the times survival story to scratch that itch for when you want to read something survival-y that isn't racist or about a boy (though minus one point for still having a dog; my kingdom for a survival story without a dog). I really appreciated the way discussions of racial identity and the role it plays in outdoorsiness and survival were handled, not to mention a little nod to how even something like . The end felt a bit rushed and confusing and almost like it was out of order? . All in all, though, this was a well rendered survival story that I really enjoyed reading!
February 10, 2025
3 stars for me personally, 4 for the target audience. I think it's great to have diverse rep in both the off-the-grid outdoorsy and survival genres for younger readers and would definitely recommend it to them. I liked Ava and her entire family, and the last third was certainly exciting, but I spent way too much of this book stressed about if/when Ava would finally have to kill an animal other than fish.
(if you would like to know: .
Side note: I listened to this as an audiobook because it was the fastest method of access, narrated by Ahnya O'Riordan. I think this may have hampered my enjoyment a bit because there are so many moments in which Ava gets panicky and/or upset, and that always grates on my ears. A personal issue, not the narrator's fault; she's great.
(if you would like to know: .
Side note: I listened to this as an audiobook because it was the fastest method of access, narrated by Ahnya O'Riordan. I think this may have hampered my enjoyment a bit because there are so many moments in which Ava gets panicky and/or upset, and that always grates on my ears. A personal issue, not the narrator's fault; she's great.
April 10, 2025
My 9 year old son came with this book and say “you should read this one, you’ll like it”. He was right. I think is a lovely story for kids, interesting, with adventures, some lessons to learn, love, family problems as any other family have.
Ava is adorable, brave and naive. Her strength grows with the story and so her confidence and love for nature, her family and herself.
I think this store doesn’t underestimate the young reader that it is written to.
I’ve got sensible at the end and even showing wet eyes.
I love also him checking on my and my reading progress on the book with very inquisitive question!
Nice sharing this with him :)
Ava is adorable, brave and naive. Her strength grows with the story and so her confidence and love for nature, her family and herself.
I think this store doesn’t underestimate the young reader that it is written to.
I’ve got sensible at the end and even showing wet eyes.
I love also him checking on my and my reading progress on the book with very inquisitive question!
Nice sharing this with him :)
April 2, 2025
This book is intended for any young person who has an interest in nature but was held back by, "black people don't do that".
Wonderful story of strength, struggle and perseverance, great for middle grade readers! I would 100% recommend this book to that age group.
Personally this book wasn't for me, but that's okay, because I was not the intended audience!
The main character didn't make the best choices and as an adult I was not impressed. I was also irritated at the adults in this story, but if everyone made logical choices then this story would have no plot or message.
Wonderful story of strength, struggle and perseverance, great for middle grade readers! I would 100% recommend this book to that age group.
Personally this book wasn't for me, but that's okay, because I was not the intended audience!
The main character didn't make the best choices and as an adult I was not impressed. I was also irritated at the adults in this story, but if everyone made logical choices then this story would have no plot or message.
May 10, 2025
This middle-grade outdoor thriller has plenty of suspense and surprises in store for the reader. Ava loves nature but is stuck in NYC, so she is thrilled to go visit her aunt in the Adirondacks for the summer, where her aunt Raven takes her on hikes and teaches her about nature and survival. When unexpected events leave Ava on her own during a snowstorm, she much call on all her new skills - and a lot of courage - to save herself and a newfound friend. I talk more about the book in this video, starting at 4:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gteNo...
July 22, 2025
The students at my school love Hatchet and I was hoping I could recommend this to them, but that will NOT happen. I had to force myself to finish because it is (inexplicably!) part of this year’s Reading Bowl competition. Auntie just leaves her niece alone in the Forest with no transport or communication? Never calls the parents to make sure Ava is okay? Cucumbers in a garden in Upstate New York in October (silly, but really irritated me!) November is NOT early for first snowfall in Adirondacks!
October 30, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grad adventure book! Ava is an 11 yo young Black girl in Manbattan who keeps getting told that “Black folks don’t do nature.” She is obsessed with the outdoors and convinces her parents to let her spend the summer with an aunt in a rustic cabin in the Adirondacks. Due to a series of miscommunications - Ava ends up stranded alone at the cabin as bad weather sets in. Can she survive the woods?
It was a great story - thrilling enough to keep the target audience on the edge of their seats. I really liked it.
It was a great story - thrilling enough to keep the target audience on the edge of their seats. I really liked it.
August 28, 2024
Stranded is a riveting survival story with major appeal for upper elementary and younger middle schoolers who love survival stories like Hatchet and Alone. Starring a Black female protagonist with a love for the outdoors, this book celebrates living off the land and caring for the natural world. Hand to camping fans, kids who dream of living off the land, and lovers of survival fiction.
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/review...
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/review...
July 27, 2025
I've been meaning to read this book for a while and was happy to discover it was a good read. I read The Hatchet to my classroom almost every year and this book is very reminiscent to it but a more approachable read. Love that the main character is a strong female lead and its actually fairly realistic in how much she struggles with limited knowledge. I'd like to make this an option for book clubs, following The Hatchet as a read aloud. Or possible even a read aloud in place of The Hatchet.
July 30, 2025
Miss Lori read this book in one sitting! It was an adventure story that had my heart racing. A nature-loving NYC girl longs to visit her aunt in the Aridondacks. When her wish is granted, she visits her "off the grid" aunt and falls in love with learning how to survive in the wild. A crazy turn of events leaves her stranded alone and she must survive on her own.
Middle school kids who like survival stories will eat this one up!
Middle school kids who like survival stories will eat this one up!
August 10, 2025
There are a lot of valid survival tips in here and it's worth reading to gain that knowledge. Especially if it's easier to read it in novel form instead of in a manual. The author lacked authenticity in a few places such as right after a significant snowstorm she had a bear crunching leaves and snapping sticks - those leaves and sticks would have been buried in the snow.
November 24, 2024
A good and enjoyable read, but it's definitely not comparable to Gary Paulsen's "Hatchett". Both are survival stories but that's a far as the comparison goes, as the quality of the writing doesn't compare. I also felt the frequent references to skin colour was unnecessary to the story.
December 16, 2024
I read this book to my 4th grade class as a read aloud. They absolutely loved it! It was a great book to read before our survival unit in our ELA curriculum. It had humor, survival techniques, and was a great discussion to find out what the theme is
December 27, 2024
I typically love survivalist stories like Hatchet. This book annoyed me. I didn’t like the “black folks don’t do nature” or leaving an 11-year old by themselves in a remote cabin in the Adirondacks when her parents are late.
December 29, 2024
Great book however, for a kids book to have so many references to race, in negative way, is really frustrating. Made me not want to let my son read this even though I really enjoyed the rest of the book.
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December 31, 2024I love survival stories, and this one had some different elements than others I’ve enjoyed. I appreciated Ava’s courage and determination to survive. I wish the puppy had played a bigger role in the story.
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