Tracks in the Snow [Hardcover]

Lucy Jane Bledsoe (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Erin and her science project partner Tiffany become lost in the snow-covered Sierra mountains when Erin leads them on a trek to find her missing babysitter.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6. A straightforward tale of wilderness survival. Erin Flaherty, 10, and her science partner, Tiffany, set off into the snowy forest near their California mountain town, purportedly to find animal tracks for a school project. Erin is troubled by the disappearance of her 16-year-old babysitter, Amy, and believes that she may have hidden in a remote miner's cabin rather than face a move to Arizona. When the girls see boot tracks in the snow, Erin reluctantly confesses to Tiffany that her real agenda is locating Amy; to her surprise, Tiffany agrees to help. As a blizzard gathers, common sense dictates returning home, but their reckless determination leads them onward. A sprained ankle forces them to spend the night in the woods. The next morning, their plight worsens as they discover they are lost, matchless, hungry, and threatened by hypothermia and predators. The girls must rely solely on their wits to survive. Tiffany grows more confident in the face of adversity and discovers her essential self; she decides to reclaim her real Vietnamese name, Hoa Tran. Amy is finally found, nearly dead from exposure. Although they have all been through a difficult ordeal, Erin can see clearly the contrast between her and Hoa's strength?borne of elemental survival?and Amy's sad, frightened condition. The ending is abrupt, affording no encounter between the lost girls and their parents, but the simplicity and intensity of this adventure will satisfy many children, particularly those who like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet (S & S, 1987).?Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. Girl Scout dropouts Tiffany and Erin find their survival skills tested when their trek into the woods to search for animal tracks is interrupted by a sudden snowstorm. Tiffany doesn't realize that Erin is searching for something else besides tracks--her missing baby-sitter, Amy, who had mentioned a cabin in the woods. This wouldn't be a wilderness adventure without calamity, and the two girls improvise, use their wits, and fight panic and hypothermia to emerge triumphant. Despite predictability and plodding writing (and having one of the 1990s girls wear saddle shoes), many libraries will want this because of Bledsoe's thorough outdoor knowledge, the basis of the story, and because, for a nice change, the adventure features girls. Susan Dove Lempke

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823413098
• ISBN-13: 978-0823413096
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lucy Jane Bledsoe is the author of many novels, including the Spring 2010 "The Big Bang Symphony: a novel of Antarctica." She loves good food, wilderness, friends, and all felines and sea mammals. She's been to Antarctica three time and stayed in all three American stations, as well as in field camps where scientists are studying penguins, the Big Bang, and climate change. She believes novels should engage the mind and the heart.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tracks in the Snow (Avon Camelot Books) (Paperback)

I just read this book out loud to my 11-year-old niece for the fun of it (though she could have read it herself). She squealed with delight with the adventure and suspense at every turn. "I LOVE this book!" she kept saying over and over. "This book is SOOOOOO good!" I couldn't put it down either and we stayed up late that night gripped by the book and finished it the next day. Its discussions of tracks, snow and weather conditions, and how to be responsible in the outdoors are credibly accurate yet seamlessly woven into the story. And the messages that we are capable of caring for others, believing in ourselves, thinking our way through difficulties, and fully meeting life's challenges are invaluable for children, especially girls.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GO GIRLS!, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tracks in the Snow (Hardcover)

A great adventure story about two girls thrust together to do a science project for school. One has an over active imagination and no one believes her when she says her babysitter is missing. The other is a shy Vietnamese girl who seldom talks to anyone. Born in the United States, but whose parents went through the war, she is new to school and her parents are afraid to let her out of their sight. Both girls have their own reasons for continuing to follow the tracks in the snow. As their Saturday adventure continues they learn to work together as a team. As they learn more about each other they begin to become friends working together instead of each for their own reason. As a blizzard strikes, the two Girl Scout dropouts spend two nights lost in the woods trying to remember what to do to survive. An exciting read! It shows that girls have the ability to be heros!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great adventure book, May 24, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Tracks in the Snow (Hardcover)

"Goodbye Erin", as she heard mom say. "Amy will be here don't worry". Amy has been Erin's babysitter for the past two years and it was spring break, Amy was suppose to be babysitting Erin over spring break and her parents depended on her. But when Amy doesn't show up, Erin gets worried. Amy hasn't been and isn't very respondsible, but when shes not there in a few hours Erin knows that for sure there is something wrong. Her parents, neighbors, and even the police don't believe her outrageous story. Amy and Erin loved Pioneers they went exploring together off the highway in the trees. The day after Amy doesnt show up Erin Flaherty convinces her partner in science that they need to do a report on animal prints. Tiffany (her science partner) agrees and off they both were to the woods. But in the middle of all this they get caught in a teribble snow blizzard, what else could go wrong?!So the journey continues all threw this book I wont give away the ending but it is a great adventure story. I would recommened it for ages 8-13.