Fiction Survival Stories

When a tsunami heads for the coast, Nick Chase and Jess Hardy have to run. They make it into the woods above the bay—only to see the sea flooding their whole neighborhood along the shore. Destroying everything.

Ollie Mackerelli is determined to face his fear of the dark, once and for all, but he gets more than he bargained for when his therapist turns out to be an actual monster. To make it even worse, Ollie is transformed from a boy to a possum and locked in a cage. With no way to call for help, Ollie must learn to be brave (with the help of some furry friends), or he will be the main course.

Cade is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric creatures, ancient relics, and, stranger still - people. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game, controlled by mysterious overlords.

The New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X, Gregg Hurwitz, returns to Creek's Cause to follow the Rains brothers as they fight an alien threat that has transformed everyone over the age of 18 into ferocious, zombie-like beings, in this thrilling sequel to The Rains. Battling an enemy not of this earth, Chance and Patrick become humanity's only hope for salvation.

Warsaw, 1942. Sixteen-year old Mira smuggles food into the ghetto to keep herself and her family alive. When she discovers that the entire ghetto is to be "liquidated" - killed or "resettled" to concentration camps - she desperately tries to find a way to save her family. She meets a group of young people who are planning the unthinkable: an uprising against the occupying forces. Mira joins the resistance fighters who, with minimal supplies and weapons, end up holding out for 28 days, longer than anyone had thought possible.

Ralph and Robyn live at Crocodile Lodge, their family ranch in South Africa, where they help with the animals, aid the conservation effort and learn the land. That is, until a mysterious predator starts terrorising the reserve. On the trail for answers, the siblings discover the fearsome culprit: the largest crocodile they've ever seen, uncannily similar to the long-extinct Sarcosuchus Ralph recognises from his favourite game, Predasaur. And when a nearby village is ravaged by a deadly disease, the stakes are higher than ever.

Born the runt of his litter and gambled away to a rusty old riverman, the Newfoundland pup Seaman doesn't imagine his life will be marked by any kind of glory - beyond chasing down rats. But when he meets Captain Meriwether Lewis, Seaman finds himself on a path that will make history. Lewis is just setting off on his landmark search for the Northwest Passage, and he takes Seaman along. Sharing the curiosity and strength of spirit of his new master, Seaman proves himself a valuable companion at every turn.

Ricky Bradhsaw has never sailed the Spanish Main, searched for buried treasure, or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish galleon. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky falls into the chilly waters of a creek across from his apartment while trying to rescue Barnacle, a mangy mutt with shrimp breath. Now Ricky finds himself on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner, and great honor and glory for all who can survive the curse of the Black Avenger.

When Jason meets his mom’s billion-dollar invention, an artificial intelligence device named Proto, he accidentally gets caught up in a mysterious adventure. Proto goes missing, and then people go missing. Now Jason and his coolest-neighbor-ever Maya must risk their lives to prevent global mayhem. But who is behind this devious plot? Is it another AI? The FBI? Or any other abbreviation with an I? What exactly is there to learn about artificial and human intelligence while fighting for your life against a legion of furry puppies or a battalion of drones?

Jessie and the gang are reunited for a second heart-pounding whitewater ride through the Grand Canyon. The teens are thrilled to have another go at the Colorado together - especially Jessie, who will get to pilot a raft this time. But when they find out that the infamous ringleader Troy is behind the reunion trip, tempers flare. Troy says he wants the chance to redeem himself, but Jessie suspects his motives. Nonetheless, and even as the water rises to record levels, the river calls Jessie and the others to embark on another life-or-death adventure.

As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life - when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty…his whole town empty…empty except for an eerie fog - and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell? Tom is a good reporter, but no one has ever covered a story like this before.

Echoes of the Frontier gathers thirteen unforgettable tales by literary giants such as Jack London, Willa Cather, Mark Twain, and Bret Harte—each story capturing a different facet of life at the edge of civilization. From the perilous ride of The Denver Express to the poetic solitude of On the Divide, and from the chilling desperation of Love of Life to the dry wit of Nevada Sketches, these stories illuminate the grit, dreams, and humanity of those who dared to tame the wild.

Twelve-year-old Ann understands there is only one thing to be grateful for as a slave: having her family together. But when the master falls into debt, he plans to sell both Ann and her younger brother to two different owners. Ann is convinced her family must run away on the Underground Railroad. Will Ann's family survive the dangerous trip to their freedom in the North? This Girls Survive story is supported by a glossary, discussion questions, and nonfiction material on the Underground Railroad, making it a valuable resource for young listeners.

Shy takes the summer job to make some money. A few months on a luxury cruise liner - how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two...there’s always going to be a fresh crop of passengers, after all. He’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom with the bills. But then an earthquake more massive than any ever recorded hits California, and Shy’s life is changed forever. The earthquake is only the beginning. Twenty-four hours and a catastrophic chain of events later, Shy is lost at sea, fighting to survive - and stuck with her....

A civil war rages between the Glorious Path - a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier - and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.

Mary has lived with a secret, hiding the scars of an abusive past and struggling to navigate a world that doesn’t know the real her. At sixteen, she’s on the brink of unraveling, with everything she’s kept hidden threatening to surface. Mitch, her best friend, has always stood by her, but when he uncovers the truth of what Mary has been hiding, everything changes. With the weight of her secret now out in the open, Mitch’s love and loyalty are put to the test as their bond is pushed to its limits. Together, they’ll have to face the truths they’ve kept buried and find the strength to survive.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a tale of revenge and retribution. Edmond Dantes, a young, energetic sailor, is falsely accused of treason on his wedding day and incarcerated in the forbidding Chateau d'If prison. His escape and ultimate revenge on those who wronged him makes this one of the most thrilling stories in French literature, as compelling now as when it was first published in 1846.

Even under the most normal circumstances, high school can be a painful and confusing time. Unfortunately, Lilianna’s circumstances are anything but normal. Only a few people know what caused her sudden change from model student to the withdrawn pessimist she has become, but her situation isn’t about to get any better. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil’s worst fears are realized.

September, 1939. The six Zaks siblings watch in silent horror as the Wehrmacht marches into their quiet hometown in southern Poland. Concerned for their survival, Yisrael Zaks leads his wife Haiya and his brothers Volf and Avraham toward the Russian border. But their escape does not go unhindered; and as they are captured by the invading German forces, they can hear their father’s last commandment still echoing behind them: “Never break the family apart. And whatever you do: never, ever leave any one of your siblings behind.”

When 11-year-old Jack Martel crawls out of his pup tent on the first morning of his camping trip with his mom in Acadia National Park, he notices right away that something isn’t right. Where is his mom’s tent, and their rental car? And where is his mom? Any other kid might panic, might even go to the police. But Jack isn’t like other kids. And his mom isn’t like other moms. Jack knows that it’s up to him to find his mom before someone figures out what’s happened and separates them forever.