Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Backcountry by Jenny Goebel - OPTIONAL

Backcountry
by Jenny Goebel
, 224 pages Middle Grade Scholastic, 2023. $9 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

13yo Emily is an outstanding athlete who has just been diagnosed with diabetes. As her world seems upended, she clings to the backcountry ski trip she and her father had planned. Despite her father's fear about the diabetes, they head out only to face a winter storm that separates them. Emily has to figure out how to survive on her own. 

I liked how Emily faces her diabetes diagnosis and the explanation of what she has to do to do deal with it. Diabetic readers will identify with Emily, and her experience can provide empathy for those unfamiliar with it. Emily's challenges in the backcountry just seemed never ending though. She has to deal with the loss of her insulin, a winter storm, her dad's broken leg, falling in a river, hypothermia, wolves, and a potential avalanche situation. It seemed a bit much, but the theme about overcoming challenges, especially diabetes, was nice. Race is never specified, but the art on the cover would indicate that Emily is white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

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