Just keep walking

"Two years after her parents' surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior's north shore--a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It's not a situation that either of them ever predicted they'd find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs. Along the trail, they'll suffer through endless aches and pains, scorching heat, and crippling self-doubt. They'll encounter bears, moose, and other wildlife and meet and collect an assortment of unlikely friends. Day after day, Jo will battle the incessant thoughts that come in and out of her head. But as one obstacle after the next continue to test her strength and ultimate survival, Jo will have to confront her greatest fears head on and learn how to be alone. What begins as a journey to prove to her father that she and her mom can make it on their own turns into a quest to rediscover their strength, build resilience, and prove that they can survive--both for themselves and for each other."--Amazon website.

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	J FICTION DOW	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	J FICTION DOW	Searching... Unknown
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Summary

*A MIBA Bestseller!

Wild meets Gilmore Girls on the trail in this indie bestselling story of resilience and the healing and restorative power of the nature from bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing

"A fun, heartfelt tale of adventure, family, and determination that will make you just keep reading." -- Dan Gemeinhart, award-winning author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Two years after her parents' surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior's north shore--a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It's not a situation that either of them ever predicted they'd find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs.

Along the trail, they'll suffer through endless aches and pains, scorching heat, and crippling self-doubt. They'll encounter bears, moose, and other wildlife and meet and collect an assortment of unlikely friends. Day after day, Jo will battle the incessant thoughts that come in and out of her head. But as one obstacle after the next continue to test her strength and ultimate survival, Jo will have to confront her greatest fears head on and learn how to be alone.

What begins as a journey to prove to her father that she and her mom can make it on their own turns into a quest to rediscover their strength, build resilience, and prove that they can survive--both for themselves and for each other.

Author Notes

Erin Soderberg Downing grew up exploring the forests and lakes of Northern Minnesota, and to this day, her best ideas for stories often come to her deep in the woods, where she can find plenty of creative space to explore and imagine. She has written more than fifty books, including The Great Peach Experiment series (a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection), the magical middle-grade novel Moon Shadow, and the Puppy Pirates chapter book series. Erin currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband, three adventurous kids, and two very fluffy dogs.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up--After her dad bails on their long-awaited father/daughter hike to be with his new family, Jo decides that she and her mother will hike longer and farther than her dad and brother did years before, to prove to him (and themselves) that they don't need him anymore. Out of spite, she plots a 111-mile trek through the Superior Hiking Trail--but spite doesn't last long, as Jo and her mom navigate the wilderness, make new friends, and work together to process the difficult emotions that come with divorce. This is an adventure story with a lot of heart. Readers looking for a pulse-pounding survival tale should look elsewhere, as the focus is on Jo dealing with the emotional fallout of her dad leaving. She has plenty of support in the wilderness, a fact that she uses to remind herself that she and her mother have similar support in their lives as well. While Jo's internal monologue as she processes her feelings about her dad can get a little monotonous, it's realistic, and her amusing observations about trail life shake things up. As Jo treks with her mom through the wilderness, she learns that things will get better as long as she just keeps moving forward. VERDICT This is a great choice for libraries looking for realistic fiction about dealing with divorce, as well as those seeking stories about the healing power of nature.--Mimi Powellt

Kirkus Review

A two-week mother-daughter backpacking trip on Minnesota's Superior Hiking Trail brings both insight and misery. Twelve-year-old Jo was looking forward to a promised backpacking trip with her father, when he abruptly abandoned the family for another woman and her children. Jo's mother, newly divorced and unhappy--and not a hiker--nevertheless gamely volunteered to make the trek with Jo. As the two inexperienced hikers set out with everything they need in heavy backpacks on their backs, Jo's primary motivation is to go farther than the 100 miles that her dad hiked with Jake, her older brother, when he was 12. Authentic in its depiction of the exhaustion, blisters, wrenched knees, boring dehydrated food, gross latrines, and wildlife dangers that make up a multiday backpacking adventure, the story also deftly contains a nuanced storyline as Jo struggles with not only her physical discomfort but her emotional discomfort as well. She lacks confidence in herself, feels she needs to protect her overwhelmed mother, and has deeply conflicting emotions about her dad. Jo's love of reading (she brings The Hobbit with her, and other classics feature in the plot) gets a clear shout-out, and her sometimes funny, sometimes gritty, and ofttimes just plain miserable outlook avoids giving the neatly wrapped-up insights a preachy feel. Jo and her mother read white; important secondary characters include an interracial lesbian couple. Nimbly plotted and deftly insightful. (maps, author's note, glossary with photos) (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Excerpts

A relatable mother-daughter story filled with humor, heart, and adventureControlled Burn proved to be such a great success between Trade and the Channels in this pbk format--and this is another book by Erin that Fairs are signing on to in a big way and that is also nestled in Scholastic's sweet spot.A vividly told story about perseverance, and survival, and recognizing that you can't choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you react to it. Erin is so gifted at navigating the anxiety and emotions of this age group.Perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Cynthia Lord, and Ali Benjamin Excerpted from Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Reviews (2)

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Kirkus Review

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