A typical adventure/survival story for middle grade readers, Off the Map by Meika Hashimoto will reaffirm the value of keeping one’s head in a stressful situation. Hashimoto tells the story of Marlo, her dog Cheerio, and her best friend Amos.
Marlo has been abandoned, first by her dad and then by her best friend Amos; consequently, she feels unlovable and confused by why Amos left her stranded in the lunchroom at the end of the school year. When Marlo’s mother, a river guide in Alaska, suggests a canoe trip on the Yukon River, Marlo is super excited to escape into the wilderness to use her skills. What she doesn’t know is that Terry and his son Amos will be accompanying them on this trip.
Once on the river, the two tweens are too busy being angry and sullen to pay attention, so they end up taking a turn that gets them lost. Separated from their parents and carrying only enough supplies for four days, the two must resolve their differences and work together if they hope to survive.
Hashimoto’s book oscillates between moments of danger, wild joy, and silent wonder.
- Donna