Lost in the Backyard

by Alison Hughes

Flynn hates the outdoors. Always has. He barely pays attention in his Outdoor Ed class. He has no interest in doing a book report on Lost in the Barrens. He doesn’t understand why anybody would want to go hiking or camping. But when he gets lost in the wilderness behind his parents’ friends’ house, it’s surprising what he remembers—insulate your clothes with leaves, eat snow to stay hydrated, build a shelter, eat lichen—and how hopelessly inept he is at survival techniques.

Genres: Adventure, Middle Grade, Survival, Childrens, Contemporary, Young Adult, Nature

136 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2015

Reviews

[Mellen Michaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 10 year old loved it! We read it during our read aloud time. There was enough suspense and thrill without being too terrifying and Flynn, the main character, was written as a typical young teenager which made the premise plausible.

[caleb gao · Rating 3 out of 5]

am i even allowed to rate middle grade

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read. Loved the character of Flynn - well, not loved, as he can be kind of a jerk (=typical teen boy, spoken as a mother who has raised two of them), but his development over the book is good. And the fact that he has a soft spot for his sister is a really nice touch.

[Claire Repor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good quick read that captures the experience of a boy lost in the backwoods, which I would recommend to children (age 9+) and adults.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book about a boy faced with his greatest fear, being lost in the forest. He soon discovers it's many splendours creating a connection between boy and nature.

[J]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this along with my grade 6 daughter who had to study it for school. She really didn’t enjoy this story. I thought it was a nice quick read about survival, though I think her issue, and mine, is that the character of Flynn is kind of annoying. Realistic. But annoying. I could well imagine my own 13 year old in this situation and all the terrible choices Flynn makes and his whiny internal monologue. Near the end, when things get really rough, it got better. My daughter and I talked about how we liked it so much better when he was motivated to save himself instead of literally running panicked through the woods.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written survival story for modern young readers. Hughes did an excellent job with narrator Flynn's voice; realistic in his flippant attitude towards school and paying attention to his parents, and given depth through his concern for his little sister (who it seems has far more reason to be concerned about him). Hopefully young readers will be able to tell his handful of good survival choices from his terrible ones; that would make a good topic for discussion.

[Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. Recommended to survival story readers out there. I personally think Flynn at first was kind of annoying? but then near the end when he gets lost, he starts to get motivated and actually find his way out of the forest and when he’s talking to his sister, its not like how he use to talk to her. This time, he’s a lot nicer

[Yussif Elsaadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took very long to get to the part where he actually got lost. But overall I think it was pretty good other than the part that it took Half the book for him to get lost. Another thing is the way he got rescued I wish that he like got found or something and that’s how he got out of the forest but instead he just found a house and walked out of the forest.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this at work this morning because I'm going through all our Adventure books -- the Grade 5 boys have devoured all my tried-and-true recommendations so I'm looking for others to send their way. This one was fine, they might like it, but IMO it only serves to demonstrate why the "unrealistic" survival KidLits are miles better.

[Myles Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Short term survival tale about a boy who does not like being outside.
-No real explicit violence or scariness. There are some relatively tense stand offs with animals and some debilitating injuries.
-protagonist is very family oriented and thinks about them often.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book alongside my son, who is reading it for a book report. A quick YA read about a teenage boy, Flynn, who goes missing in the forest, and has to rely on what he remembers from his outdoor ed classes to survive.

[Jackie Strouzas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kids book. Tons of thoughtful imagery. I could feel what the Character was feeling and seeing. Full of great humour that matches the age. Passing along to my kids as a must read.

[Lisa Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it came out. I read it to my 10-year-old who loved it. Fast pace and great story about a boy, who is not the outdoors type, who gets lost in the woods.

[Eddie Garcia]

this books is a fun way to learn about survival techniques

[Jill CD · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like My Side of the Mountain but need a truncated simpler version, this is a good start. Interesting and could be engaging for those that like short reads.

[Tara Bergeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love this book. It is my favourite book in the world

[☆ nazahah ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flynn was a mood #cancelpe #ewtotheoutdoors

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I booktalked this to students as a combination of Diary of Wimpy Kid and Hatchet. A humorous quick read!

[L · Rating 2 out of 5]

(1.5 stars) i guess it makes sense that i didnt find this book really exciting or intense since this is a childrens book.

But for children, i think this would be a great thriller and intense read. Just not for me.

[yami · Rating 2 out of 5]

i had to read this story for 6th grade, and I hated my ELA teacher, which made me lowkey hate this book.

[Chloe🤍 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mediocre book for middle grade students!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, honest and heartfelt read. Flynn is a typical, self absorbed, know-it-all teenager with a soft spot for his younger sister and an obsession with his cell phone. One afternoon in late October, Flynn decides to go for a walk at his patents' friends off-the-grid "backyard". What happens to him over the next three days transforms him from the outside in.
A great book for the middle grade reader and anyone who has ever yearned to be "one with the forest."

[Tammy Wooding]

Flynn hates the outdoors. Always has. He barely pays attention in his Outdoor Ed class. He has no interest in doing a book report on Lost in the Barrens. He doesn't understand why anybody would want to go hiking or camping. But when he gets lost in the wilderness behind his parents' friends' house, it's surprising what he remembers—insulate your clothes with leaves, eat snow to stay hydrated, build a shelter, eat lichen—and how hopelessly inept he is at survival techniques.

[Wunderdrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is nominated for the 2017 Hackmatack award in the fiction category.
Flynn is the kind of kid that parents are always complaining about because he would rather play a video game set in the forest than actually set foot in the woods. Unfortunately for him, he manages to get himself lost after running from an animal and losing the path. How will he survive?
This one isn't too scary, but has some suspenseful parts. I would recommend this book especially to boys grade 4-5.

[Jonine Bergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flynn is definitely a young adult living in the technology age - he is always connected with his friends through his phone. He loves his modern conveniences and is not at all interested in camping. So when he gets lost in the backwoods of a friend's home he is really not prepared.

I enjoyed Flynn's voice. Well worth the read. Definitely another view of the "lost in the woods" survival tale.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure novel for middle grade readers who loved Hatchet. Flynn is a 13 year old non-outdoorsy type kid. He is a bit of a bully and definitely has a bad attitude, until he gets lost in the woods. Confronted by wild animals and using his limited instincts for survival, Flynn begins to learn the error of his ways. A nice quick read that will even appeal to reluctant readers.

[Yvette Caradonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. Flynn was a very believable character who somehow manages to survive being lost and alone in the woods with nothing to help him survive. I did shed some tears.......... Would be a good classroom read-aloud for middle grades.

[Helen Bowes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought more could be made of the ways to keep safe when lost. They are glossed over. There was a lot of luck involved in this story.
Silver Birch Award Nominee 2016
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