The Skeleton Tree

Gr 4–7—Narrator Christopher Gebauer does a fine job bringing this survival story to life for young listeners. Twelve-year-old Chris, his Uncle Jack, and another, slightly older boy named Frank set off on a sailing trip along the Alaska coast. When the boat sinks, Uncle Jack is killed and Frank and Chris are shipwrecked in a remote area without a radio, food, a way to make fire, or any other necessary gear. Frank has some survival skills, but Chris does not. The boys have to work together to figure things out and survive. They find an abandoned cabin and are able to glean supplies from Japanese tsunami debris along the beach. Chris never gives up hope that they will be rescued and helps Frank deal with the adverse conditions in his own way. Eventually, the boys learn of a family bond, form their own tenuous relationship, and make it through.