The Long Way Around

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

In an exciting wilderness adventure, three cousins are cut off from their parents by a huge earthquake—and must hike long and treacherous mountain trails back to safety, with only each other to rely on.

During a hiking trip with their parents in the mountains of California, cousins Owen, Vivian, and Amy are finally allowed to camp for one night at a little lake all on their own. But when a massive earthquake blocks their return path, there’s only one way home: the long way around, through a wilderness filled with fierce animals, raging rivers, unstable weather, and high passes. The hardest challenges the cousins face, however, are the troubles they’ve brought with them: bold Vivian’s fear of starting middle school and of changes she can’t control, Owen’s lingering emotional scars from a car accident, and Amy’s desire to live in stories rather than in boring regular life. Drawing on courage and humor, the cousins weather storms, make the most of dwindling rations, and face their deepest fears in order to bring each other safely home. This gripping contemporary novel from celebrated author Anne Nesbet is bursting with excitement, rich natural settings, and characters who will have readers rooting for them all the way.

About the Author

Anne Nesbet is the author of the historical middle-grade novels Cloud and Wallfish, The Orphan Band of Springdale, Daring Darleen: Queen of the Screen, and V Is for Victorine, as well as three fantasy novels for middle-graders. Her books have received numerous accolades, including multiple starred reviews and appearances on many best book and notable lists. A professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Anne Nesbet lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area.