Backcountry

by Jenny Goebel

A girl and her diabetic alert dog face impossible odds when they're stranded in the unforgiving wilderness. Hatchet for a new generation! Emily has always excelled at sports, and her athletic abilities have given her confidence on and off the courts. So when she starts to drag during her middle school volleyball season, she assumes it must be the flu. Why else would she be missing simple spikes and blocks? But after a particularly intense game she finds herself riding in the back of an ambulance, a paramedic telling her that her life will never be the same. Adjusting to life with type 1 diabetes isn't easy. Emily is desperate to prove that she's just as strong and capable as ever, so she jumps at the opportunity to go on a backcountry ski trip with her dad and her new diabetic alert dog, Molly. But when an avalanche rips through the area, separating Emily from her father, she and Molly are left to face a challenge far greater than anything she could have imagined. When it becomes clear that no one will come to their rescue before their food and insulin run out, Emily and Molly must find strength they didn't know they possessed -- and faith in one another -- to survive the harsh wintery conditions and escape the backcountry.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

Jenny Goebel is the author of GRAVE IMAGES, a forthcoming middle grade novel from Scholastic (Nov 1,2013).

She lives just outside of Denver, and if she's not hiking up a mountain or mothering, or doing both simultaneously, she's probably sitting at her computer writing.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald]

Squeeeee! (That’s my inner child saying, “Wow, what a book! I hope the author writes more like this one!”) If I’d had this novel as a kid, I would have read and re-read it!
It checks all my boxes for a great middle-grade read:
☑️ Young girl with a life challenge
☑️Realistic relationship issues
☑️Heroic service dog
☑️Much breathtaking wilderness drama, that kept me turning pages
☑️No foul language
☑️Even a gorgeous cover!
I’ll be looking out for more books from this author!

[Savannah Lily Colleluori]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved how Emily persevered through her struggle and did not let her diabetes define her personality and bravery! This was the best book I have ever read!!!!!!!!!!!😀🤓👍👍👍👍

[Jenna]

Good middle grade book touching on chronic illness (diabetes), self acceptance, relationships (family, friends), and survival. Recommended to me by my nine year old who loved it :)

[LostCitiesGirl]

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!!
It was a great story and I love how Emily wasn't just defined by her diabetes. She's smart, she's sporty, and she's a great role model. I fond her relationsip with her parents very interesting. Emily seems like a living, breathing character.

Honestly, I totally thought Molly was dead, but I'm the sort of person who always finishes a book, and IT WAS SO AWESOME WHEN SHE WASN'T! I almost stopped reading, but it was so rewarding when Molly came back.

There was just one thing that bugged me. The cover makes her look like a 16-year-old wearing a lot of makeup. Other than that, this book was great! I'd totally reccomend!
*There is one punctuation mistake on line 9 of page 77. There should be a period and there isn't.

[Cassie]

A fast, gripping read, perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen, Dusty Bowling, and Rodman Philbrick.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emily’s journey, her grit and perseverance but also her more vulnerable and introspective moments. The difficulties with balancing friendships with competitive sports, the struggles of connecting with parents, and the unplanned obstacles—in Emily’s case, her Diabetes diagnosis—make this a truly relatable story and one I believe Middle grade readers will glean so much from.

Can’t wait to read this with my 5th graders!

[Jill]

A fast paced and suspenseful adventure for middle grades! A lot of great lessons in perseverance and overcoming fears.

[Kim Bahr]

Strong survival/adventure book with a female protagonist.

[Heather]

A good kids book where the girl saves herself.

[Kari Scyoc Wilson]

Great middle grade book filled with adventure, but mentions of important topics- relationships, disability, fear, etc. And the idea that your diagnosis doesn't have to hold you back is a great lesson for kids to read about.

[Jessica_loves_books]

This is a book geared toward 4-8th graders. I loved it!
The story opens with a girl who is the star of her volleyball team in the middle of a big match. She's feeling woozy, and she suddenly blacks out. She awakens in the hospital to find herself with a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. She is full of doubts and questions, she wonders if she will ever regain her elite athlete status, she needs to learn how to manage her health and administer the insulin and the sugar she needs to keep her body healthy. She fears her dad, who only seemed interested in her when she was competing, will now revert to a distant relationship. Her saving grace, they have a remote, backcountry ski trip planned over winter break. If she can learn how to manage her diabetes, her overprotective mother will let her go.
Once on the trip, twists and turns abound. She is confronted with challenges even seasoned readers may not see coming. I LOVED this book, I found it engaging and so thrilling. I cannot wait to recommend it!

[Sam]

This book would be great for students learning about theme, because the main character very explicitily states everything she is learning as she is learning it. While I think my students will enjoy reading about Emily working to survive on her own in the back country, it is also a little misleading. The plot starts with Emily being diagnosed as diabetic, but then skips over everything to do with her diagnosis and learning how to handle it. For students who want to read a sports fiction book, this also misses the mark - playing volleyball is not a key part of this story.
Overall the book has some great moments you could use in a discussion and any kind of survival story / story about a cute dog will tend to hook my readers. I just wish it was a little longer so a few more areas could have been developed.

[Lia Dale]

“Backcountry” is a typical survival story reminiscent of Paulsen’s “Hatchet.” Emily is challenged by her recent diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. Much to her mother’s dismay, Emily is determined to continue with her plans for a cross country skiing excursion with her father. Her relationship with him has been strained and she hopes to spend quality bonding time with him. With her service dog, Molly, by her side, Emily is suddenly separated from her father and must persevere through several mental, physical, and environmental obstacles to survive.

I bought this book at the Scholastic Book Fair for my classroom collection. I plan on reading it to my students to discuss plot and character development. I highly recommend this book for middle school students who enjoy survival stories!

[Steph]

A middle grade story of a girl who gets diagnosed with diabetes but feels determined to live a normal life and still heads on an adventure with her dad. Alas, a winter storm causes her and her dog to be separated from her father, so she faces managing her diabetes and surviving the weather alone. Throughout the story, she reads letters from an 18-year-old army soldier written in 1945, so that adds an element of history to the story. 3.5 stars

[Tara]

BACKCOUNTRY was SO, SO good! Once I started reading it, I could not stop. Perfect for any middle-grade (or, heck, adult) fan of survival stories, the story follows Emily and her diabetic alert dog Molly through an exciting and terrifying rescue in the Colorado mountains.

Bonus note: I was a longtime editor at a diabetes magazine, and I was very impressed with the representation of Type 1 diabetes in this book.

Highly recommended!

[Marissa Grey]

This book had a lot of curve balls that I did not expect. Emily went through so many challenges that really made her grit and determination shine through. It taught a lot of lessons in the end. I would recommend this book if you like adventure with a lot of troubles that go on.

[Suzi Morton]

“Victory comes in all different shapes and forms. It doesn’t always mean that you defeat your opponent, like in a volleyball match or the Nazis surrendering to the Allies. Sometimes victory means that you stop letting something have power over you.”

Sempre Avanti. Forward Always.

[Kristen White]

I really enjoyed this middle school adventure. I love how the author incorporated a journal from WWII to encourage her not to give up! I have a student with Type 1 diabetes and this will be a gift to her.

[Lynne]

Read because my daughter read it and loved it. I love a good survival story and this was no exception. It was gripping without being too overwhelming. Molly is my favorite character.

[Adalynn Doerman]

Great book hard to put down!

[Elizabeth S]

As a Type-1 diabetic myself, I am pretty impressed with how it is represented in this book. Very accurate. And the story itself is a pretty good adventure.

[Jess_boc]

I read this with my 9 year old, and we enjoyed it!

[Amy Johnson]

Ok

[✨ Adalyn✨]

Must read it. I could so relate if I was her. 😅

[Abby Rigdon]

Well written …perfect for that 4th-6th grade reader. If you have a diabetic (and athletic) child, it’s very empowering.

[Ave Hanlon]

As a type 1 diabetic myself I thought the way the author explained it was really good. I have also never seen a book with diabetes in it so I really wanted to read it.

[Mai]

Great adventure story for middle schoolers.

[Carter Howe]

Backcountry is an adventurous book with so many twists and turns that make you want to jump up out of your seat!!!!!❤️🙌😊

[Lucie]

So so good totally recommended full of perseverance and courage read read read totally recommended

[Cami Cazi]

It is impossible to put down, with lots of action and a constant need to read more.

[Laura Talley]

Well written! Worth the read