Children's Book Suggestions | Survival Stories

Some of our favorite survival stories for readers in grades 3-7, most of which are great readalikes for I Survived. For more fictional survival stories, browse our full list of survival stories for kids. Survival guides and true stories can be found in Children's Nonfiction under number 613.69.

Updated June 5, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Across the desert
Bowling, Dusti
Paper Book
One girl sets out on a journey across the treacherous Arizona desert to rescue a young pilot stranded after a plane crash in this gripping story of survival, friendship, and rescue from a bestselling and award-winning author. ​ Twelve-year-old Jolene spends...

A young teen sets out into the desert in search of her favorite livestreamer, a young pilot whose plane went down and whose disappearance the authorities refuse to take seriously. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The last kids on Earth
Brallier, Max
Paper Book
The original #1 New York Times bestselling The Last Kids on Earth is now a full-color graphic novel! Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a...

The ultimate kid-friendly zombie apocalypse story! (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Clan
Brouwer, Sigmund
Paper Book
The classic survival story gets a prehistoric twist in this gripping middle-grade adventure featuring a boy and his sabre tooth tiger cub, perfect for fans of Hatchet. Part survival story, part animal-human friendship story and part redemption story, Clan follows the...

A prehistoric survival story featuring a disabled teen boy from a Christy-nominated Canadian author. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Stranded
Probst, Jeff
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller * From the Emmy-Award winning host of Survivor, Jeff Probst, with Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life co-author, Chris Tebbetts, comes an adventure series where a family vacation becomes a game of survival! It was supposed to be a...

The host of the Survivor reality show uses his insider survival knowledge to help craft a suspenseful survival story for young readers. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

I survived the sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this New York Times-bestselling series! Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck -- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full...

The O.G.! The original chapter books are also being adapted as graphic novels. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Overboard!
Johnson, Terry Lynn
Paper Book
A Sunshine State Award nominee A high-stakes adventure series perfect for fans of the I Survived series and Hatchet. Eleven-year-old Travis and his family are on a whale watch off the coast of Washington when disaster strikes. The boat capsizes, throwing everyone...

The first book in this interconnected survival story series starts in a familiar setting: whale watching off the PNW coast. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Two degrees
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller! #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz (Refugee; Ground Zero) is back, tackling the urgent topic of climate change in this breathtaking, action-packed novel that will keep readers turning pages while making...

Three interconnected stories of young teens surviving climate disasters in a not-too-distant future where the global temperature has risen two degrees Celsius. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Never say die
Hobbs, Will
Paper Book
When the motto of your village is "never say die," you have a lot to live up to. . . . At home in Canada's Arctic, Nick Thrasher is an accomplished Inuit hunter at fifteen. About to bring home a caribou for his ailing grandfather, Nick loses the meat to a fearsome creature...

Will Hobbs writes super engaging wilderness stories for 8th and 9th grade boys. City of Gold is another fav! (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Dog driven
Johnson, Terry Lynn
Paper Book
From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen. McKenna Barney is trying to hide...

A dogsledder with a vision impairment sets out on a daunting race through the Canadian Arctic. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Paradise on fire
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
From award-winning and bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age survival tale exploring issues of race, class, and climate change.​   Addy is haunted by the tragic fire that killed her parents, leaving her to be raised by her...

A grieving city kid is sent to wildnerness camp after the death of her parents, only to be faced with a life-threatening climate disaster. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Hatchet
Paulsen, Gary.
Paper Book
Celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Newbery Honor-winning survival novel Hatchet with a pocket-sized edition perfect for travelers to take along on their own adventures. This special anniversary edition includes a new introduction and commentary by author Gary Paulsen, pen-and-ink...

A beloved classic about a teen boy who survives 54 days in the wilderness with only his wits and a hatchet after being stranded alone in a plane crash. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)


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