Wild Ride: A Graphic Guide Adventure

by Liam O'Donnell

Devin, Nadia and Marcus are on their way to visit their environmentalist parents who are working to stop a logging company from clear-cutting a remote valley. When their plane crashes and the pilot is killed, the kids are left to survive in the wild with Wiley, a government bureaucrat, who is the only other passenger on the plane. Learning to build a shelter and make a fire in the woods, they discover that Wiley is working with the logging company and will do anything to stop the secret getting out. On the run and in mortal danger, the three must outrun Wiley, escape a raging forest fire and outwit a hungry grizzly bear to make it to safety.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade, Survival

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

I’m an award-winning author, educator and literacy advocate. I have created over 35 graphic novels and books specifically for reluctant readers, including Max Finder Mystery, Graphic Guide Adventures, Geeked Out Mysteries and two new series Tank & Fizz and Battle of the Blocks.

Visit liamodonnell.com and say hi! That'd be awesome.

Reviews

[Cheryl Rainfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novels can be a fun way to read a story, and are a great way to encourage a child to read. When they come packed with useful and interesting tidbits of information, such as survival skills, they may be even more appealing to some readers. Wild Ride is a graphic novel for middle-grade readers with tons of survival information and a storyline that will have readers turning the pages.


My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


In Wild Ride one kid and two teens–Devin, Nadia, and Marcus–get on a small plane to join their parents in the wilderness of B.C., along with two adults–Mr. Wiley and the pilot. The kids’ parents are there to assess the potential environmental damage that a paper company could make to the valley if they log it, and Mr. Wiley is a government official who is sent to make a report of their findings. But on the way there, their plane goes down, killing the pilot–and because their plane was off course, no one will no where to look for them. The four band together–but then Mr. Wiley’s secret is uncovered, and he turns on the kids, leaving them to die in the wilderness. The children have to survive on their own and find a way to contact rescuers. Middle-grade readers will have a lot of fun with Wild Ride; it’s an engaging, fast-paced story in full-color graphic novel/comic book style, with detailed survival skills built in.

The opening pages are slow–they set the background, told us where we were, who the characters were, and a bit of backstory. I would have preferred a more engaging opening. Still, after that page, we dive into the story. The bulk of the story moves quickly. Most of the text is dialogue (read in dialogue bubbles), which increases the pace of the book. There are also text boxes, some that give a short summary of previous events, others that double as dialogue, offering step-by-step survival skills.

Kids who enjoy learning or daydreaming about surviving in the wild or survival skills will really enoy the detailed instructions for various survival skills, such as what to pack in a survival pack and why, how to set a broken limb in the wild, how to safely cross a river, and much more. These details will also appeal to kids drawn to books such as The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook; learning these skills in a fun and engaging way may give some children increased confidence in living in the world. There’s a kind of thrill of learning the details, how to survive. The detailed descriptions of what to include in a pocket survival kit will likely inspire some readers to make their own, and the step-by-step instructions of how to make a backpack out of just a blanket, some twine, and stones, may also encourage readers to try it out on their own.

Read my entire review here

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Wild Ride is another great example of the possibilities the graphic novel format has to offer! It is one part wilderness adventure story and another part instructional survival guide. Readers aged 8 to 12 will find the character dynamics both enjoyable and accessible; and educators will find curriculum bridges to the survival unit. Set in “the butt end of British Columbia,” city kids Devin, Nadia and Marcus find themselves stranded in the wilderness after their plane crashes enroute to meeting their environmentalist parents. Gerald Wiley, the government bureaucrat accompanying them, instructs them on skills ranging from packing the necessities of a survival kit to building a lean-to shelter to creating a good campfire. But it isn’t until Devin discovers a revealing letter addressed to Mr. Wiley that the adventure really begins! When the kids find out that Mr. Wiley is actually being bribed by the paper company that intends to log the area their parents are trying to save, they learn to work together to survive more than just the wild.

The novel’s fun and colourful illustrations pair with a story that has a relevant environmental message. Teachers and librarians looking for stories with Asian protagonists will appreciate Wild Ride. I would definitely take it camping with me—a little knowledge goes a long way!

Reviewed by Susan Ma in Canadian Children's Book News
Winter 2008 VOL.31 NO.1

[Ru · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this book! i grabbed it spontaneously at the library while making a sweep through the kids' graphic novels (which i do periodically) because i liked the look of the art on the cover. only later did i realize that it was published by orca, and was thus canadian, and again so much the better for it!

a fun, short and totally believable wilderness adventure starring a trio of unlikely heroes. scattered throughout the book were passages that could have been straight out of any scout's handbook, but they were integrated so well into the story i almost didn't realize that i was learning something (and that perhaps next time i camp, i should be taking this book with me!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a title published by Orca Books and I wanted to include it in my presentation for the RI Educational Media Association later this month. It's a simple survival story but I like that it's interspersed with facts and the artwork is decent. I think kids will grab it and it's appropriate for school libraries.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a fun graphic novel about three kids and their portly lawyer guardian who find themselves plain wrecked in Alaska. Helpful survival skills are taught throughout the story. Good for 7th grade or younger, outdoorsy, boy scout types.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm now prepared to get stranded in the deep woods after a plane crash--and the preparation came from a comic book!

I love this series a lot. This may be the only thing from Orca I've ever had high praise for, but I think this series is really strong.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fun survival graphic.

[Henrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really informative and the plot was pretty good.

[Melmcbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

My partner wrote this. It's my favourite of all his graphic novels for kids :)

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter really liked it because she likes adventures. It was really fun. It gives you a lot of information about camping (how to make a fire, how to make a carrying pack). It was a great book.

[Artslyz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice! Interesting and cute - educational without being didactic.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect graphic novel for a child who is a reluctant reader, and enjoys adventure. Good outdoor survival tips in an intense story line. Definitely gets the save the endangered species message out with a little “bad guys with briefcases”.

My 5 year old loved it too.

[Kimberly Robello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good for a short book. I was hoping they would continue this storyline in a series, but I think it's a stand-alone book. There are a lot of useful survival tips in the book, as well, that I really liked. I don't go in the woods, but if I end up stuck there, these things are good to know.

[Pranaav Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had just finished reading the book Wild Ride by: Liam O'Donnell. It was a great book about a boy named Devin his sister Nadia and his friend Marcus. They went camping with some man from an Industry K&N.

What happened in this story was Devin, Nadia, and Marcus were going to there mother but their plane crashed the pilot died and they were left with their mothers friend that worked at K&N Industries and he helped them to survive. But then Devin found his briefcase and read what it said there and the Man snapped it away from him didn't want him to read it because there was important information. He decided the put their camp on fire and run away to Eagle Alley. Nadia woke up and they didn't know where to go but Marcus said to go the Eagle Alley that was where he was supposed to go and so they went there will running away from a fire that the man started at their camp they had to pass a river altogether. They were really close to the Eagle Alley and they saw the man they ran for him but when they got to him and started talking about what will happen to him there was a bear behind Marcus. The bear stopped and Devin loved to read information about bears and told everyone what to do but the man didn't listen and ran away the bear caught him and teared him skin from his leg. Then the fire was getting close and closer to them they saw a plane and Devin had a mirror and made signals to the pilot to land they flew away and in a few days Marcus send Devin, and Nadia an article about what happened to the man and he was arrested.

This book was a great book I really liked it. I would suggest this book to kids ages from 10-15 because it is really interesting and it is really fun to read. Also this is my second book from the author and his books are great, they are graphic novels but still really interesting to read and even with pictures imaging even more

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only read one book in the series already, I enjoy and appreciate its approach, illustrations, and story. In this book, a group of teens are embarking into the woods on a small plane to reunite with family but when the plane goes down and the pilot is killed, they must survive. What the graphic adventure does is interweaves the story of the characters (and a sinister plot by an executive to take over a piece of the land) with real-applications for survival including how to cross a river (and what to do before making the decision to do it), starting a fire, creating a reflection to get the attention of a plane, trekking food, and when you're in close proximity to a bear.

While I can't even remember it all, it's a neatly-packed adventure with a diverse group of kids, and a easy-to-read style.

[Breanna Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild Ride is a comic book centered around the wilderness and it would be a great book for about a fifth grade level give or take. This comic book is about a brother and sister who are supposed to meet up with their mother in a forrest to go on a bug hunting excavation and after the plane picks them up a storm hits and they crash into a lake. They have to survive in the wilderness by themselves with a sketchy government worker and a teenage boy who knows nothing about camping or survival instincts. It would be very interesting to young men especially but some little girls might enjoy reading it as well.

[Francis S. Poesy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I like the concept and thought the How-To aspect was integrated well the cookie cutter story of the big evil logging company is totally uninspired, predictable, and unoriginal. For a few panels in which the pilot states the case for logging (we all use products made from the raw materials provided by logging, it provides jobs, etc.) I thought it might be a little more even-handed but those hopes were quickly dashed and the plot fell into the predictable green/good business/bad propaganda mold.

[Ham · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art was well done, but the plot seemed to be little more than a way to present various survival skills. If I wanted to learn how to build a lean to I would've gone to scouts when I was young. (Or at least paid attention when I did go.) And the criminal logging company willing to go to any lengths to chop down a few trees was WAY overdone. Don't read this book unless you're in love with trees and have no idea how to build a campfire.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars, probably. This one was a lot of fun and for some reason the instruction bits seemed even less intrusive than in the skateboarding one. Maybe because I'm getting used to the style. Nevertheless, I've ordered both (plus the upcoming one, Soccer Sabotage) for our comics collection.

[A.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was ok.

[Nathanael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book.