18 Days Underground & Other Incredible Rescue Stories

by Joanne Mattern

When a soccer team gets trapped in a cave by surging waters, the world looks on wondering if they will survive. This and more true stories ripped right from the headlines!

Genres: Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Mattern is the author of many books for children. Her favorite topics include animals, biography, and history. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Reviews

[Kate Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read at only 96 pages. It includes multiple stories of incredible rescues from around the world. The book is definitely geared toward a younger audience (I'd say 4th-6th grade) and lacks the depth that older readers may be looking for. That being said, the stories are inspirational and told in a way that pulls the reader in. I was excited to see that two of the stories, neither of which I'd been aware of prior to reading this book, occurred in my home state of Oregon. I also loved that the author included not just human heroes/rescuers, but animal ones as well. The stories are researched and cover the basic story of the rescue, but don't go into depth about what the individuals went through and/or the process of rescuing them. The book was enjoyable and very quick to read (less than hour). I would recommend it to those who enjoy true stories or who are looking for a quick read.

[Preston Mott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just kinda boring

[Norah Baron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely written for kids. As an adult the book lacked in substance but this would be a good book for a 3-4th grade student.

[Lyndsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories are better than others. Will be great for small group work!