Nature Trails

Books for Teens

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!

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Adventure in Survival by Maurice Beam.
BR 819.
Three young people, stranded on a raft in the Pacific Ocean, drift to an island inhabited only by goats and pigs. They have a chance of survival only if they use their wits. For junior and senior high readers.

Beardance by Will Hobbs.
RC 39234 or LP 50041.
While accompanying an elderly rancher on a trip into the San Juan Mountains, Cloyd, a Ute Indian boy, tries to help two orphaned grizzly cubs survive the winter and at the same time completes his spirit mission. For junior and senior high readers.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Alden R. Carter.
RC 42881.
A few years ago Mark's brother and a friend took the same canoe trip that Mark's father and uncle completed long ago. Now Mark and his cousin Randy are going, and they are both unhappy with the idea. But as the trip turns nightmarish, the two boys find strength in their new friendship. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers.

Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen.
BR 12210 or RC 48214.
Back in society, going to school and trying to fit in, Brian savagely beats a bully who attacks him. With the help of Caleb, a blind counselor, Brian realizes that he needs to go where he belongs, in the wilderness again. Sequel to The River. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen.
RC 24450 or LP 139.
A 14-year-old Eskimo boy, who feels at odds with aspects of modern life, takes a 1400-mile journey by dog sled across ice, tundra, and mountains seeking his own "song" of himself. For junior and senior high readers.

Downriver by Will Hobbs.
RC 36801.
Jessie, 15, is one of eight troubled teens participating in a nine-week outdoor survival education program dubbed by the kids as "Hoods in the Woods." The purpose of the program is to put the kids in life-threatening situations that they work together to resolve. But the real challenges start when the group, led by charismatic Troy Larsen, decides to ditch the counselor and run the white water of the Grand Canyon. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Drift by William Mayne.
RC 25103 or LP 8.
In the bleak, harsh, late winter world of the North American wilderness in the days when white settlers and Native Americans hardly understood each other's cultures, Rafe, a boy from the white settlement, and Tawana, an Indian girl, wander off together to find a bear and are swept into immediate danger on the frozen lake. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Far North by Will Hobbs.
RC 45784.
A plane goes down in the Canadian wilderness, stranding two fifteen-year-old boys and an Indian elder. Before he dies, the elder teaches the boys survival skills that may sustain them in their struggle against hunger, predators, and the severe northern winter. For junior and senior high readers.

Free Fall by Joyce Sweeney.
RC 46250.
Four teenage boys sneak away from home to explore a deep cave. They become lost and soon realize that their survival depends on controlling their fears and pulling together. In a last ditch effort to escape, one boy risks a perilous underwater swim to safety. Strong language. For junior and senior high readers.

The Goats by Brock Cole.
BR 7672 or RC 29197.
In this multilayered survival novel, Lauren and Howie, two thirteen-year-old loners, are left on an island hungry and naked by their fellow summer campers. While on the run they learn to rely on each other and realize their own inner resources. For junior and senior high readers.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
BR 11525 or RC 30535 or LP 236.
Brian, 13 and troubled by his parent's divorce, is flying in a single-engine plane to visit his father. As Brian is the only passenger, the pilot casually shows him how to fly the plane. When the pilot has a heart attack and dies, Brian must take control. After the plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, Brian has only the hatchet attached to his belt to help him survive. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

The Hiking-Climbing Handbook by Curtis W. Casewit.
RC 9479.
Advice for beginning hikers and climbers on equipment, techniques, safety, schools and camps, and specific trails. For high school and adult readers.

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.
BR 50097 or BR 50216 or RC 33792 or LP 352.
A novel about three animals: a Labrador retriever, a Siamese cat, and an old white blue terrier, as they make their way home across 250 miles of Canadian wilderness. For junior and senior high readers.

Perilous Ascent: Stories of Mountain Climbing by Phyllis R. Fenner.
BR 2198.
Ten adventures of men of courage, imagination, and daring who conquered some of nature's most challenging mountain peaks. For junior and senior high readers.

River Thunder by Will Hobbs.
RC 49064.
Jessie and her friends from Downriver are back to raft down the Grand Canyon. They discover that the trip if paid for by rich kid Troy but decide to have fun anyway, only they are unaware of the record-high water due to mismanagement and bad weather. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Snow Bound by Harry Mazer.
BR 4440 or RC 15110.
Furious with his parents, Tony steals his mother's car and heads for the country. Angry with her overprotective grandmother, Cindy hitches a ride with Tony. Together they head straight into a raging blizzard in upstate New York where they face a grim fight for survival. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers.

Strange Companion: A Story of Survival by Dayton O. Hyde.
RC 9519.
A runaway boy stows away on a small plane that crashes in the Canadian Northwest, leaving him to survive a brutal winter. His only companion is a young whooping crane that eventually plays a part in the boy's rescue. For high school and adult readers.

Take It Easy by David Hill.
BR 12541.
New Zealand. Rob Kennedy, still mourning his mother's passing, joins five other teenagers for a week-long hike through rugged mountains. But when they wake up one morning, their adult guide is dead. For junior and senior high readers.

There Will Be a Road by Dwight William Jensen.
RC 13263.
In Idaho in the late 1920s, an eighteen-year-old and his buddy decide to live in the woods and earn some money by chopping trees. When their dugout shelter is destroyed by fire they are forced to head back to town. They get caught in a raging blizzard, but the two friends face their trek heroically. For high school and adult readers.