Red Fox Road

Frances Greenslade, 1961-

Book - 2020

"Francie and her parents are on a spring road trip: driving from British Columbia, Canada, to hike in the Grand Canyon. Her mom and dad are fighting because her dad is relying on GPS, while her mom wants to follow a (paper) map. When the GPS leads them down an old logging road, disaster strikes. Their truck hits a rock and wipes out the oilpan. They are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Francie can't help feeling a little excited, as she'd often imagined how she'd survive if she got stranded in the bush, and now here they are. Her dad sets off to walk for help. Francie and her mom are left on their own, with little food, but that's okay: her dad will be back in a few hours, with help -- and hot chocolate, he promised.... But hours go by. And then a day. And then another. Francie relies on her outdoor living lessons and her keen interest in nature for distraction, gathering dandelion leaves and fir needles for tea. Then one morning Francie wakes up all alone."--

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Subjects
Genres
Action and adventure fiction
Published
Toronto : Puffin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company 2020.
Language
English
Main Author
Frances Greenslade, 1961- (author)
Physical Description
239 pages ; 22 cm
Issued also in electronic format
ISBN
9780735267817
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A hazardous choice on a family trip generates cascading events that leave a teen struggling to survive in the Oregon wilderness. Unlike her father, 13-year-old Francie and her mother enjoy hiking. During the family's drive from Penticton, British Columbia, to the Grand Canyon, Dad opts for a shortcut that his new GPS indicates should cut 100 miles from their trip. Mom's doubts--his road's not on her paper map--prove justified as the road grows rougher and night approaches. Francie reads her survival guidebook and naps until a rock takes out their truck. Making the best of things--they've got camping gear, though little food and no cellphone (her parents don't like them)--they spend a night in the vast, beautiful forest. The next morning, Dad sets off for help, carrying their tent and the GPS. As days of waiting pass, Mom--mentally unstable since Francie's twin sister died from a congenital heart defect--starts behaving erratically. Francie copes with her own fear by planning and preparing for contingencies. She'll need all her hard-won knowledge as challenges mount. Resourceful, doggedly careful, courageous Francie brightens this often somber tale. As she's recovering from a scary bear encounter, the clear night sky enchants her. Her love and respect for the wilderness, its plants and denizens who are simply trying--like her--to survive, shine. Francie and her parents are White. Rendered with exquisite sensory detail, this hero's journey is a resonant read for unsettling times. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.