Lost in the Devil's Desert

by Gloria Skurzynski

Book by

Genres: Adventure, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Survival

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

"May you live in interesting times."

That ambiguous wish was not meant to be kind, because interesting times can be difficult. You and I certainly live in interesting times - dangerous, challenging, and fascinating.

My parents were born just before the start of the twentieth century; my youngest grandchild arrived in this century's final decade. The years in between have been the most dynamic in the history of the human race. Technical knowledge has exploded; so has the Earth's human population. We can create almost anything, yet each day we lose parts of our planet that can never be replaced.

I'm greedy: I want to write about all of it - the history, the grief, joy, and excitement of being human in times past; the cutting-edge inventions of times almost here.

--from the author's website

Gloria Skurzynski has also co-written books with her daughter Alane Ferguson.

Reviews

[Lgordo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library had to pull this out of storage for me, which is a pity because it's an excellent book. It's an easy-read for the earlier grades. It's a bite-sized survival story. The kid is relatable.

[Beverly McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Gloria Skurzynski book. I’m interested in books written for third through fifth graders and this book fits this category. The book focuses on Kevin Hoffman, an 11 year old, who with his family is heading to Spriggs for a visit with great grandmother. Kevin’s dad, soon to be deployed, is a marine. Kevin, by coincidence, ends up witnessing a crime and is caught in the back of a truck that the criminals steal. Once his hiding place is discovered, Kevin escapes into the desert. We accompany Kevin is his flee and struggle to survive being stranded in the desert.
Skurzynski does a great job describing the starkness of the desert. Her command of context clues is outstanding and a nifty way to teach survival skills. Students in this age group will build their comprehension through this strategy. The main character, Kevin, is well developed. This is a very entertaining and teaching book.

[Jessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book teaching students how to survive in the desert. I think that students will be entertained by the lessons it teaches and will give them something to think about when they go home.

This book would be best for grades 3-5 due to students being able to comprehend survival skills and older students not being interested in it.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with a group of 4th graders I was subbing for. It's a great story. It's a little hard to get through the hot desert with the boy, but it's an adventure, and the end is heart-warming.

Great young read!

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good adventure story, particularly for boys ages 10+. Using all the skills he had learned from a military dad, Kevin survives the ordeal of having been abandoned in the Utah desert by two escaped convicts. Simply written, a picture every three pages, or so. Good read.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

have to read because of school. good book

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does of a good job of entertaining students while teaching them how someone might be able to survive in the desert if they were stranded. Not a bad book.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good adventure story for boys. It was exciting. The writing was the best, but wasn't bad. I'll recommend or read to my boys when they are older.

[Cristeena · Rating 1 out of 5]

on page 57

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book 20 years ago when I was growing up. I really enjoyed it and I think I actually read it twice.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because it won the Beehive Award quite a few years ago. It's a fun adventure story for younger readers, and you don't see many stories for a mainstream audience set in Utah.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I can't wait for my little boy to get older so I can read this to him.