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  • 96 Miles by J. L. Esplin book cover
  • 96 Miles by J. L. Esplin book cover
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96 Miles

by J. L. Esplin

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A desert survival trek tests self-reliance

$13.79 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praise from Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor Award-winning author

    Gary D. Schmidt praises the book as a suspenseful survival story and highlights its story of brotherly love.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A desert survival trek tests self-reliance

When a blackout and a theft leave the Lockwood brothers without their family’s stored supplies, John and Stew must cross 96 miles of Nevada desert to seek help. Their journey puts practical survival under pressure while raising questions about their father’s belief in self-reliance and what people owe one another. The crisis gives the story two connected concerns: how to endure immediate danger, and whether getting through hardship is something a person can do alone. The brothers’ trek is the framework for exploring family ties, neighbors’ responsibilities, and the uncertainty of human behavior in desperate circumstances.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • A match for ages 9–12 interested in survival fiction and adventure.
  • For readers who enjoy stories centered on siblings facing danger together.
  • Suitable for readers interested in self-reliance and responsibility toward others.

Themes

Survival and determinationBrotherhood and familySelf-relianceMutual responsibilityHuman behavior under pressure

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Now in paperback: J. L. Esplin's 96 Miles is a survival story sure to appeal to fans of Gary Paulsen's classic Hatchet and Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived series.

21 days without power. Two brothers on a desperate trek. 72 hours before time runs out...

The Lockwood brothers are supposed to be able to survive anything. Their dad, a hardcore believer in self-reliance, has stockpiled enough food and water at their isolated Nevada home to last for months. But when they are robbed of all their supplies during a massive blackout while their dad is out of town, John and Stew must walk 96 miles in the stark desert sun to get help. Along the way, they're forced to question their dad's insistence on self-reliance and ask just what it is that we owe to our neighbors, to our kin, and to ourselves.

From talented newcomer J. L. Esplin comes this story of survival and determination as two young brothers confront the unpredictability of human nature in the face of desperate circumstances.

"A suspense thriller, survival story, and a story of the love between brothers. You'll turn the pages and be surprised again and again."--Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor Award-winning author of The Wednesday Wars

"Readers who enjoy realistic survival stories will not be able to put down Esplin's debut.... Filled with survival techniques, danger, and overcoming realistic obstacles, this story will have readers turning pages. A great choice for lovers of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet or Roland Smith's Peak."--School Library Journal

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