How to Survive Anything

Gr 5—9—Buchholz doles out hilarious and handy advice for suffering though both natural and man-made catastrophes. Part survival guide and part self-help book, it provides honest, tongue-in-cheek answers to questions teens may be reluctant to ask out loud, in addition to imparting disaster preparedness strategies. It's a clever, winning combination. Superb full-color digital illustrations and photographs and a lively, conversational tone will catch and keep readers' attention, and the list-heavy layout is fun to read and easy to understand. The author includes everything from avalanches and shark attacks to life's embarrassing moments. Fascinating factoids break up the text. This is a much-less-daunting read than Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht's The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (Chronicle, 2007), but it is just as informative. Fans of Tracey Turner's Deadly Perils and How to Avoid Them (Walker, 2009) will enjoy this useful offering.—Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL