Escape from Fire Mountain

World of Adventure #3

by Gary Paulsen

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Roberts tries to help two children trapped by a forest fire but finds her efforts blocked by poachers who want her to become one of the fire's victims. But after a shocking turn of events, the fire becomes the least of Nikki's problems. Will Nikki's horse, Goblin, and her years of hunting guide experience save her, or will Fire Mountain reign supreme?

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Audiobook, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

67 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enlivened by the author's own wilderness experience over many decades, Escape from Fire Mountain is a high-stakes look at a young girl thrust into crisis out in the deep woods. Thirteen-year-old Nikki Roberts has grown up in the Wabash Mountains; her father runs the Tall Pines Hunting Lodge, but no hunting is allowed in summer, so Nikki's mother and father are planning a short visit to the city. Nikki will stay by herself at the lodge for the first time. She's excited for the opportunity...until she happens upon a pair of poachers while riding her horse, Goblin. How far will the poachers go to silence her? Nikki manages to escape back to the lodge, but the danger isn't over.

With a lightning storm moving into the area, Nikki checks her father's CB radio and catches part of a distress call from a young boy. Something about a fire, and an injury to his sister. Nikki must head out on her own to find the two kids, but a canoe trip down the rapids could be lethal. She will have to travel mostly on foot. The rain has stopped, but if a lightning strike started a fire, Nikki may find herself trapped by roaring walls of flame at any moment. It's a huge relief when she locates eight-year-old James and his four-year-old sister Molly, hiding from the flames on a mountain ledge, but can she get them to safety and radio for help before tragedy happens?

Just as perilous as fire is the presence of the poachers, who discover Nikki and the kids and set off in murderous pursuit. Nikki might be able to outdistance them on her own through the mountainous terrain, but James and Molly slow her down. She'll need to use her wits to keep the men at bay until help arrives, which is not easy with forest fires raging. If Nikki, James, and Molly survive, Nikki will have proven she's ready for adult responsibility in the wilderness...and discovered she has more courage than she imagined.

Escape from Fire Mountain is easily best of the first three books in Gary Paulsen's World of Adventure series. Even as a kid, you may someday be in a situation where you have to save your own life or the lives of others, a crisis requiring swift, brave, competent action. Your whole life you counted on your parents to bail you out of trouble, but at some point you have to learn to save yourself. This is true in the book not just for Nikki, but James, who contributes more than a bit to their escape from the fire and poachers. I would consider rating Escape from Fire Mountain two and a half stars; it's too short for optimal immersion, but is a good way to introduce Gary Paulsen to younger kids, and Steve Chorney's glowing, action-packed cover art is a great way to draw them in. A book like this could be a childhood favorite.

[Jeffery Worrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and the whole plot behind it. I also love how the children in this story express there feelings over the story of how they got lost in the woods. 5 stars! One of my favorite books EVER!

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of this series but due to the types of adventures that Gary Paulsen is usually known for writing about I was surprised to find a female protagonist. True the adventure in Escape From Fire Mountain is actually almost really tame compared to some of his other books written with guys in mind such as Hatchet but it is still a rather nice change.

The writing unlike some of his other novels, though, is made with a much younger audience in mind so it is more linear in the telling of its story. What would account as rabbit tracks and side stories in any bigger book just act as the next plot point to be reached while throwing in a bit more of perceived adventure to the reader such as: well we have a fire, maybe we should throw in some white water or how about another human peril to spice things up just a bit more.

What probably lowered the star rating for me on this book were mostly two things.... The first is the cover of the book shows an adventure book that offers to be exciting and daring all at once. Instead the actual cover is a combination of all the elements included in the story while they at no time occur as showed portrayed by the cover artwork. As an aside of that there is also no mention at all the name of the mountain(s) where this is occurring so creative licensing on that point as well.

Secondly the copy that I was presented with promised the reader that there is a forest fire survival guide included with it. Being a used book I am not sure on the whole packaging but I can mostly clearly confirm that guide isn't firmly attached to the back or front of the book thus if you are purchasing the book with that in mind you may want to try for a new edition in which nothing has been pulled out than lost and/or misplaced.

All in all it was a decent and fast read that younger readers may be interested in if you are trying to get them started on the adventure genre but not get them in too deep.

[Tyler S]

I'm reading a book by Gary Paulsen, Escape From Fire Mountain. The is a girl that her parents leave for a trip and she stays home alone. She went to ride a horse when she heard someone in the mountains so she got off her horse to get down. There were two guys on 4 wheelers with guns and she watched them poch a sheep for the horns. They saw the horse and thought it was a wild one because they heard something move by them. Then they confronted her and she was very scared they told her to go back home and she watched them drive off. There was a fire down the river she took a cameo down there rescued two kids then they were stopped by the poachers the took them to a tent and were told to sleep for the night she went and popped the tires on one 4 wheeler and took the bolt for a gun and clogged the other one with rocks and sand. They rode on the other 4 wheelers and got help.

I like the part that she saved the kids and also the part where she takes the bolt from the rifle and puts sand and rocks in the other one. The author did good on explaining all the parts clearly and not over writing them.

I would recommend the book to people that like outdoors and it is a little easier to read as well so if you struggle a little bit it may be a good book for you. It could happen in real life but it would be unlikely the ending was good because the bout got a hole in it and the poucher were caught.

[Kim Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook with my 6 year old. I thought it was okay. Had to explain poachers and why it's bad to put rocks down the barrel of a gun. But nothing like a Gary Paulsen book to bring up all the survivalist topics. Also taught my kid stop, drop, and roll, which I guess they stopped teaching in school. Gasp!!!

[Tony Petry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little book.

[Lahars_little_library · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An above average middle grade adventure.

[Mark Smiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for kids to help them learn what to do in a fire situation. And against bad guys.

[Graham Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple middle grade adventure with good tension.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Adventure about a girl who saves two young children from a fire and pouchers.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A suspenseful adventure story that I think would be perfect for early middle grade.

[Charles Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adventure story. I loved the spunkiness of the heroine.

Poachers and wildfire
Are never good things to mix
With children. Never!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Power-packed action and excitement”, as described by Paulsen and requested by Paulsen’s readers, who couldn’t care less that the plot is quite a bit over the top.

[Carly Warren]

This is an action-packed story about a young girl and her rescue of two younger children. The details are extreme, and the plot is fairly unrealistic. However, every child dreams of being a hero, so I think this would be thrilling to students. I would use this book in my classroom.

[nick]

Escape from Fire Mountain takes place in the Wabash mountains. A very happy family owns the Tall Pine hunting lodge down by the mountains. The characters are a brave young girl named Nikki she is an eleven year old brave young girl. There is also her mom and dad too. But, then her parents go away for awhile to help one of there relatives. While Nikki was sitting at home alone watching T.V the day her parents left she heard the radio go off. So, she gets up and hear's this little boy on there yelling help, were at Devil's point help us.If you want to find out what happens, then go rent the book in your library or go and dig it out of your closet.

I like this book because there is a lot of action in it. This is a type of book that I couldnt put down that is how interesting it was. The ending made this book really special. This is my opinion but if you like action books with really good and happy endings then get this book by the best seller author Gary Paulsen.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good! The story pulled me in right away. It was about a young girl that lived in the mountains in a hunting cabin. Since it was the off season, her family went to go see their uncle while he was recovering from surgery. She stays home alone to what she thinks is going to be an eventless weekend, but it is not. The young girl goes out for a horse back ride and comes across some poachers. When she gets back to her house to call it in, a child is calling on the radio that they are trapped by a forrest fire. She goes to save the children and after she does, she runs into the poachers. They escape and firefighters are trying to put out the fire.

I would recommend this book to students who love adventure! Although they will most likely not encounter these issues, it is a fun book to get lost in!

I would keep this in my classroom and have it in the adventure section of my library.

[Shelby Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Escape from Fire Mountain, by Gary Paulsen. This book has enlarged print and easy sentence structures, both providing a great environment for young readers. The book is also written in third person omniscient point of view, which helps young readers further understand what is going on in the book without having to make too many inferences while reading.
I liked this book, especially because the main character in the book is a strong, young, girl. She takes care of two younger children she finds during the course of the book, and is able to work through difficult situations because she lives in the mountains with her parents.
I would put this book in my classroom library if I were to teach second or third grade.

[Austin.t · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book 3 stars because I didn't really like this book. If you like stuff about saving people or kinda gothic fiction books you might like this. You should try and read this anyways because just because I didn't like it doesnt mean you won't. S just give it a try and tell me what you think.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 3 stars because I didn't really like this book. If you like stuff about saving people or kinda gothic fiction books you might like this. You should try and read this anyways because just because I didn't like it doesnt mean you won't. S just give it a try and tell me what you think

[Joe Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book Escape From Fire Mountain is filled with suspense, mischief, and action. My favorite part of the book was when Nikki and to children she had rescued from the fire, stole a four-wheeler from poachers hunting in the mountains.

[Jamesziebarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about a girl who goes to save some kides frome a danjerous fire and i loved this book

[Lelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick action packed read!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok not my favorite, but if you like cliffhangers Gary Paulsen is your author.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alissa said: Nikki saved 2 people's lives and she learned she was being too hard on herself."

[Sarah Brantley]

I didn’t realize that this was the third book when I started reading it, so there were probably details and references that I needed the first two books to understand. However, even without reading the first two books I still really enjoyed this book! With a strong female lead and adventure and danger packed throughout, I’m sure both female and male students could get interested in this book!