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A Bear Grylls Adventure #2
The Desert Challenge
The exciting second book in the new young readers series from survival expert and Chief Scout BEAR GRYLLS.
Sophie loves activity camp . . . but is terrified of insects. It's so bad that she won't go into the tent on her own, just in case something flies at her, or she steps on a creepie-crawlie. But when she's given a compass by one of the other boys on the campsite, Sophie is magically transported to the desert on an adventure where they're impossible to avoid!
With the help of survival expert Bear Grylls as her guide, she will learn how to withstand the extreme temperatures of the desert and how to spot mirages, encounter giant camel spiders, deadly scorpions and snakes . . . but will Sophie overcome her fear of insects back in the real world? And who will she give the compass to next?
Each book in this fun new 12-book series from BEAR GRYLLS follows a different child on the outdoor activity camp. Once they are given the magical compass, they meet the inspirational adventurer in an amazing place and learn new skills and facts they can take back with them to their real life.
Sophie loves activity camp . . . but is terrified of insects. It's so bad that she won't go into the tent on her own, just in case something flies at her, or she steps on a creepie-crawlie. But when she's given a compass by one of the other boys on the campsite, Sophie is magically transported to the desert on an adventure where they're impossible to avoid!
With the help of survival expert Bear Grylls as her guide, she will learn how to withstand the extreme temperatures of the desert and how to spot mirages, encounter giant camel spiders, deadly scorpions and snakes . . . but will Sophie overcome her fear of insects back in the real world? And who will she give the compass to next?
Each book in this fun new 12-book series from BEAR GRYLLS follows a different child on the outdoor activity camp. Once they are given the magical compass, they meet the inspirational adventurer in an amazing place and learn new skills and facts they can take back with them to their real life.
128 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2018
14 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
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July 20, 2023Read with my 9 year old and we both enjoyed it AND learned some great facts about the desert & desert survival. (We also enjoyed pulling up pics of some of the creatures mentioned in the book).
We’re both looking forward to more from the same series!
We’re both looking forward to more from the same series!
June 15, 2022
I really liked the way she learned not to be scared of bugs. 👍
July 31, 2023
Good book, has very good life hacks and an amazing story
January 9, 2024
A fun, fairly informational story that corresponds well with our current science unit. My 5&9 yr old each give it 5 stars :)
May 24, 2017
I received a copy of this title from Allen & Unwin for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Sophie HATES insects - which makes everyday life difficult for her at the outdoor adventure camp she is staying at for the school holidays. When a boy at the camp hands Sophie a compass, she is whisked off on a desert survival trek with Bear Grylls and learns that in the scheme of things, insects may not be the most important thing to worry about.
The Desert Challenge is the second book in a projected series of twelve centred around well known survivalist Bear Grylls. The books follow the same format and are set around a group of children at a wilderness adventure school holiday camp. Each book introduces the protagonist child (in this case Sophie) and a few of their friends - in this book one we meet Chloe and Fatima, Sophie's tentmates, as well as being reintroduced to Olly, Jack and Omar from the first book - and highlights the protagonist's particular personal growth issue that needs working on, before whooshing the child off, by means of a magical compass, to a survival-based adventure accompanied by none other than the Ursa Major himself. The child is then magically transported back to the moment they left their normal life and puts the lessons learnt in their survival trek to good use before passing the magical compass on to the next unwitting victim.
These books are cleverly produced and will certainly hit the mark with their target audience. They focus on problems that children working in groups are likely to have - Sophie is scared of insects to such an extent that she screams mindlessly whenever she sees one, which causes upset amongst her friends. At the end of this book Sophie passes the compass on to Omar, who we met in the first book, and who seems to be struggling with a need to be the best at everything. The fact that by the end of the series, readers will have been introduced to all of the kids at the camp is a brilliant idea because it means the books are linked and will have familiar characters in them, but don't necessarily need to be read in order. The use of the magic compass injects a fun dose of fantasy into the tales and keeps them from being too dry and also provides the protagonists the opportunity to learn from a real-life survival skills master in a way that doesn't rely on basing things in reality.
The books are illustrated throughout in black and white and the font is big enough, and chapters short enough, not to be daunting to reluctant readers or those who struggle. The books would also be a great option for read-alouds to younger children who don't have the ability to read chapter books themselves yet, but are interested in longer and more varied stories. It's also encouraging to see that the characters in the books are of diverse cultural backgrounds and that this is reflected in the illustrations.
These books are sure to be a hit with young readers who love "real-life" stories but aren't necessarily drawn to nonfiction.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Sophie HATES insects - which makes everyday life difficult for her at the outdoor adventure camp she is staying at for the school holidays. When a boy at the camp hands Sophie a compass, she is whisked off on a desert survival trek with Bear Grylls and learns that in the scheme of things, insects may not be the most important thing to worry about.
The Desert Challenge is the second book in a projected series of twelve centred around well known survivalist Bear Grylls. The books follow the same format and are set around a group of children at a wilderness adventure school holiday camp. Each book introduces the protagonist child (in this case Sophie) and a few of their friends - in this book one we meet Chloe and Fatima, Sophie's tentmates, as well as being reintroduced to Olly, Jack and Omar from the first book - and highlights the protagonist's particular personal growth issue that needs working on, before whooshing the child off, by means of a magical compass, to a survival-based adventure accompanied by none other than the Ursa Major himself. The child is then magically transported back to the moment they left their normal life and puts the lessons learnt in their survival trek to good use before passing the magical compass on to the next unwitting victim.
These books are cleverly produced and will certainly hit the mark with their target audience. They focus on problems that children working in groups are likely to have - Sophie is scared of insects to such an extent that she screams mindlessly whenever she sees one, which causes upset amongst her friends. At the end of this book Sophie passes the compass on to Omar, who we met in the first book, and who seems to be struggling with a need to be the best at everything. The fact that by the end of the series, readers will have been introduced to all of the kids at the camp is a brilliant idea because it means the books are linked and will have familiar characters in them, but don't necessarily need to be read in order. The use of the magic compass injects a fun dose of fantasy into the tales and keeps them from being too dry and also provides the protagonists the opportunity to learn from a real-life survival skills master in a way that doesn't rely on basing things in reality.
The books are illustrated throughout in black and white and the font is big enough, and chapters short enough, not to be daunting to reluctant readers or those who struggle. The books would also be a great option for read-alouds to younger children who don't have the ability to read chapter books themselves yet, but are interested in longer and more varied stories. It's also encouraging to see that the characters in the books are of diverse cultural backgrounds and that this is reflected in the illustrations.
These books are sure to be a hit with young readers who love "real-life" stories but aren't necessarily drawn to nonfiction.
April 4, 2021
“The Desert Challenge,” by Bear Grylls, gives tips for surviving the desert. Sophie loves everything about summer camp, except the bugs! When a boy gives her a strange compass she is whisked away to the desert. Now, Sophie must face the desert with its hidden dangers with the help of survival guide Bear Grylls.
(Book 90 of 100) This continues to be my new favorite children’s book series. While the characters in the books are over the top, the survival tips are awesome. This book cautions about extreme temperatures, mirages, insects, and other creatures in the desert. I give this book a 5/5-star rating. I recommend this book series to young adventure enthusiasts.
#TheDesertChallenge #BearGrylls #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #bookcommunity #instabooks #igreads #igbooks #bookish #books #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #reader #reading #bookreviews #SurvivalBooks #Adventure #MiddleGrade #ChildrensBooks #MagicalRealism #SurvivalTips #Desert #CreepyCrawlies #BucketFullOfGrubs
(Book 90 of 100) This continues to be my new favorite children’s book series. While the characters in the books are over the top, the survival tips are awesome. This book cautions about extreme temperatures, mirages, insects, and other creatures in the desert. I give this book a 5/5-star rating. I recommend this book series to young adventure enthusiasts.
#TheDesertChallenge #BearGrylls #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #bookcommunity #instabooks #igreads #igbooks #bookish #books #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #reader #reading #bookreviews #SurvivalBooks #Adventure #MiddleGrade #ChildrensBooks #MagicalRealism #SurvivalTips #Desert #CreepyCrawlies #BucketFullOfGrubs
May 9, 2023
Sophie is at summer camp and the only thing standing in her way of having an amazing time is her absolute fear of bugs. When another boy at camp gives her a compass just as a "gift", Sophie doesn't think anything of it until it magically transports her into the desert and into the company of a man named Grylls. Together, the two make their way through the desert, as Grylls teaches her survival skills in the desert. Along the way, Sophie's fear of bugs is put into greater perspective. As she magically gets transported back to the exact time and place of when she left, which was midrace at the camp, Sophie has yet more to overcome, like helping her team win this race!
There's a fellow camper, Omar, who is just about the baddest sport on Sophie's team. I liked how Sophie handled him throughout the book. Language: there were a lot of "stupid"s throughout the book and one "idot", which for our early elementary students would draw big eyes and oh-ohs.
There's a fellow camper, Omar, who is just about the baddest sport on Sophie's team. I liked how Sophie handled him throughout the book. Language: there were a lot of "stupid"s throughout the book and one "idot", which for our early elementary students would draw big eyes and oh-ohs.
December 4, 2019
This was a good adventure book for young readers (1st thru 3rd maybe 4th). My first grade girl loved it, and has put the whole series on her Christmas list. My 3rd grader thought it was ok, and my 5th grader thought "meh."
I thought it was a decent night time read aloud time with the youngest. The story has just a touch of suspense, but nothing scary or nightmare worthy. The story held her interest, and it didn't make me want to poke my eyes out like when I have to read a Rainbow Magic book or Purrmaids book out loud.
Overall, it seems to be a decent early chapter book for kids. I'm happy to let her read the rest of the series on her own though.
I thought it was a decent night time read aloud time with the youngest. The story has just a touch of suspense, but nothing scary or nightmare worthy. The story held her interest, and it didn't make me want to poke my eyes out like when I have to read a Rainbow Magic book or Purrmaids book out loud.
Overall, it seems to be a decent early chapter book for kids. I'm happy to let her read the rest of the series on her own though.
January 22, 2024
This one is great because she is afraid of creepy curly bugs and critters. Learn how to survive in the desert, we still use tips that we learned in this one!!
We LOVE the Bear Grylls books! A lot like Magic Tree House they are fun fiction combined with nonfiction information. In the Bear Grylls adventures the children have not only a personal challenge to overcome but also an environmental one, learning survival skills along the way!
We LOVE the Bear Grylls books! A lot like Magic Tree House they are fun fiction combined with nonfiction information. In the Bear Grylls adventures the children have not only a personal challenge to overcome but also an environmental one, learning survival skills along the way!
August 11, 2018
Really cute adventure fiction for an emerging chapter book reader. The book peppers in survival skills plus desert information in a natural way. Sophie is afraid of all things creepy crawly, after she “falls through a compass” (nice touch) she meets up with Bear in a desert and learns to overcome her fears as well as desert survival.
July 31, 2020
Same feelings as the first: appreciate the don’t be scared of bugs theme but it’s a ridiculously fast solution to such a problem and too easy. I liked the facts in the book. They broached the topic of the compass but then backed up again so we still don’t know how that works even remotely. Solid survival skills but as a book, it probably shouldn’t be a fiction.
December 29, 2020
My 7 yr old can’t get enough of reading these books aloud! In each story, a child is transported from summer camp by a magical compass to a wilderness spot (this one a desert) with Bear Grylls. Bear teaches them skills to overcome a fear or hurdle they have been struggling with before they suddenly find themselves back at camp. Pretty much my son’s dream! :)
May 23, 2022
I like this set of books for kids. There is an adventure that teaches you about how to survive in the wild. I learned some things about the desert in this one! 136 pages with some extra fact pages at the end. Oh, and it is written with OpenDyslexic font, which makes it eassier for those with dyslexia to read!
September 24, 2022
I purchased this series since it uses Dyslexic Open font. It does seem to make reading easier for some diagnosed dyslexic readers and the stories are age appropriate for 2nd to 6th grade. The added bonus of being about the television star makes the books very inviting for students. It is a good clean series about real problems children struggle with and how to overcome them.
August 27, 2024
A fun story about facing your fears! There were some great tips for surviving in the desert that could definitely come in handy someday. The kids are very excited for Omar’s journey next because he’s got some work to do on himself 😆
October 31, 2017
I think my scaredy sister should read this(:
May 16, 2018
In this series, kids are transported by a magic compass to a survival situation where they can learn survival techniques and a little life lesson from Bear Grylls.
October 17, 2018
Liked this more than the first, a fun adventure with message about teamwork. Liked the questions at the end.
March 24, 2019
Great kids book! All about perseverance and overcoming your fears.
January 12, 2020
Really enjoyed reading this and quite interesting too
April 19, 2020
My 7, 9, 11 love me to read these out loud and they want Bear to write more!
August 21, 2020
My 7 year old really liked this one.
November 15, 2020
Gotta love some Bear!
April 30, 2021
It was just okay.
September 21, 2021
Emerson really liked the adventure told int his story, but said he liked the first book better. He loves that he learns some “survival skills” while reading.
June 28, 2023
My daughter really enjoys these being read to her
October 31, 2023
Family read.
We enjoyed learning about the desert and how to survive there.
We enjoyed learning about the desert and how to survive there.
December 20, 2023
It was okay, bit too good to match the others later in the series.
August 4, 2024
نسخه فارسی اثر را خواندم
October 3, 2024
This book series is a medium-to-fast-paced adventure series for children/middle-grade readers. While the actual books are fiction, they contain loads of nonfiction information for survival as well as for personal growth and wellbeing. My eight-year-old and five-year-old love them and I’m enjoying them immensely.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews