Sole Survivor
$31.63
- Hardcover
272 pages
- Release Date
28 January 2026
Summary
Eleven-year-old Norman Ollestad is no stranger to extreme situations. Whether it’s surfing big swells off Topanga Beach or skiing in a blizzard, he has braved one adrenaline-rush adventure after another, pushed by his thrill-seeking father to realize that “anything’s possible.” And with Dad by his side, sometimes Norman believes him.
That motto is put to the ultimate test when the small plane Norman and his dad are aboard is engulfed by a snowstorm and crashes in the San Gabriel Mount…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780374392611 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0374392617 |
| Author: | Norman Ollestad, Brendan Kiely |
| Publisher: | Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc |
| Imprint: | Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 272 |
| Release Date: | 28 January 2026 |
| Weight: | 366g |
| Dimensions: | 27mm x 147mm x 219mm |
| Audience Age: | 10 |
You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
20 October New Releases That Will Make Kids Fall in Love With Reading (LitPOP Media)
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year Selection
A Kansas NEA Reading Circle Selection
“Sole Survivor is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride right from page one. A real-life Hatchet for a new generation. You gotta read it to believe it!” –Alan Gratz, New York Times-bestselling author of Refugee and Heroes
“A harrowing tale of perseverance through tragedy and survival through seemingly impossible circumstances. Inspirational, propulsive, and unforgettable. This one leaves a mark.” –Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway and Ruin Road
”A high-octane page-turner.” –The Washington Post
“Readers who enjoy nail-biting wilderness stories will be riveted. A tragic, gripping, and inspiring story.” –Kirkus Reviews
“This riveting middle grade memoir recounts the harrowing true story of 11-year-old Norman Ollestad, who survived a plane crash in the San Gabriel Mountains during a blizzard. The coauthors weave Ollestad’s childhood trauma into a gripping survival narrative, rich with flashbacks that explore themes of resilience, complicated parental love, and self-discovery … Fans of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet or Lauren Tarshis’s ‘I Survived’ series will find both kinship and catharsis here, though this memoir is uniquely poignant due to its autobiographical roots … Highly recommended.” –School Library Journal
“Ollestad and Kiely team up to deliver a wrenching novel based on Ollestad’s own childhood survival experience … [A] tale of resilience and finding the strength to weather terrifying and uncertain situations.” –Publishers Weekly
”[A] jaw-dropping tale of survival … Ollestad’s story is deeply, tragically, and triumphantly unforgettable.” –LitPOP Media
Norman Ollestad
Norman Ollestad is the New York Times-bestselling author of Crazy for the Storm, an Amazon Best Book of the Year published in 15 countries; Gravity; French Girl with Mother; and Formentera, an Audible Original short story. His work has appeared in TIME, Outside, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Ojai, California with his family.
Brendan Kiely is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the novels All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter, and the critically acclaimed nonfiction book, The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege. He is the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Seton Hall University and he lives with his family in New York City.
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