Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace Book

Combative brothers Doug and Gordon Grillo accompany their parents on the annual research trip to the Rockies. They fly into Denver, drive several hours, then hike in the last couple of miles. It's very remote. This year is different; the boys' mother is expecting the death of her older brother, one whom she has had conflicts her entire life. When they have to leave for the funeral, they leave the boys behind. They're older; they're scouts; it's too expensive for last minute plane tickets when the boys didn't even know their uncle.

Mom and Dad will only be gone two, at most three days. The boys could handle it if their relationship weren't so dysfunctional. A few hours after the parents depart, the brothers have a blow-out. Gordon goes off to camp on a high pass where Doug is afraid to go. His fear of heights paralyzed him on that climb 2 years earlier.

Recommended as a good survival story as well as a story about relationships, the dangers of being alone in the wild, and maturing.

Readalikes:
Peg Kehret - Earthquake Terror; Lauren Tarshis - The Destruction of Pompeii, A.D. 79 (I Survived series); P.J. Petersen - Wild River; W.R. Philbrick - Wildfire; James Preller - Blood Mountain; Watt Key - Terror at Bottle Creek; Brandon Wallace - Wilder Boys; Rachel Vail - Justin Case; James Patterson - From Hero to Zero; Cynthia Voigt - Homecoming.

Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Flawed; brave;
Storyline: Character driven
Writing style: Attention-grabbing
Tone: Emotionally intense; Serious; Suspenseful
Frame: Rocky Mountains, CO; contemporary
Theme: Sibling rivalry
Grade level: 5 - 8