SOLVED. YA Fantasy of Kid falling off a raft. [s]

[Matt]

I remember doing a book report on this YA novel that began with a young kid falling off a raft that he was riding with his tribe. He becomes separated from this tribe and has to venture this strange world on his own. He later meets a mentor of some kind and there is a scene where they survive a harsh winter and the main character tumbles down a hillside when looking for signs of spring. I recall there being mention of some tentacled creatures living in the waters of the river that the main character falls into, leaving me to believe this was a fantasy novel. I wrote a book report on it so I know it exists, but I cannot recall enough details of it to look for it. I hope someone can find it. It may have been written in the eighties or nineties, I'm not sure. I read it in the early 2000s when I was in middle school.

[Genesistrine]

Journey Outside by Mary Q Steele

[Matt]

That's it! Thank you so much! ☺️