Flood

Stay Alive #4

by Joseph Monninger

Stranded in the middle of nowhere, you have to fight to survive!

When a heavy storm causes their town to flood, a group of kids must fight to survive against the harsh elements. But the storm is just the beginning of their worries. After all the power goes out, they're going to have to scrounge to find water, food, and a dry place to stay. Who will stay alive?

Genres: Survival, Adventure, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2014

About the author

Joseph Monninger was an American writer and Professor of English at Plymouth State University. He lived in Warren, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazingly, no one died in this one! The survival tips are interesting and helpful.

[Lara Shatnawi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only was it entertaining, but it was also full of information that could help us in similar situations that we may face. Would definitely recommend

[Jack Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay Alive: Flood
I read Stay Alive: Flood because I am a true friend of survival stories. I enjoy a book that starts out in a normal world and developers into a life or death situation. I expected this book to be about someone or a group of people living in the city when all of a sudden a flood hits that looks like it will never end. This is exactly what the book was about, but instead of a someone it was a group of kids and their grandmother. I have always thought what I would do if there was a flood in my city but I never actually experienced this.
After reading the book this quote really inspired me: "People liked to overlook the obvious, pretend it didn't matter, but Ellis knew better. You had to proceed in an intelligent way." (Monninger 152). This quote is trying to say that ever little thing matters. People overlook the little things in life and only care about the ones that are noticed right away. But it's usually the small things in life that really make a difference.
I recommend this book to my family and friends because I know they will like it. I also recommend it to true fans of survival stories. This isn't your average story about losing control in a plane and getting stuck on an island, its unique. There are not many books about surviving a flood in the middle of the city. So, I would recommend this book to students and adults who enjoy a survival boo.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several days of constant rainfall causes the street in a small Illinois town to flood. The story, which could have been ripped from headlines after various hurricanes or floods, follows the attempts to survive of several residents of a small apartment building. The author interjects some helpful tips about how to survive, including what to put in a first aid backpack, including batteries and water purification tablets. While the tips are sound, they might have been better placed at the start or at the end of the story. As they are, they sort of serve as cautionary devices. Like most of us, the survivors aren't prepared for the disaster. They don't have much food or water, and Carmen, one resident, is taking care of her little brother while her mother is at work. Two brothers, Ellis and Day, seem annoying at first but then end up as heroes. The daily drudgery of trying to survive is enhanced by the inclusion of snakes. It seems that the apartment owner has allowed his nephew to breed snakes for sale in the basement. The snakes have left their cages and are in the apartment. I have no idea if that sort of thing could actually happen, but I will confess that I kept turning the book's pages to see how these folks would get out of their watery mess.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this enough, and 3rd-5th graders looking for an adventure story will enjoy it. I just thought there was too much story that focused on specific elements in their situation, and not those which would happen to anyone in a flood. The snake situation seemed to be more of the storyline instead of the actual flood, which drove me crazy! I do like the survival tips throughout the book, however, and I do think kids will enjoy this series.

[Mari Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shocker! No one died in this one. Not quite as good as the others. Plot seemed overly sensationalized and more unrealistic then the others. Best for grades 3-5.