Lost at Sea [Survival Scout]
by Maxwell Eaton III; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Roaring Brook    176 pp.
3/25    9781250790491    $20.99
Paper ed.  9781250790484    $13.99
e-book ed.  9781250422842    $9.99

In this third installment in the humorous and informative comic-format series (starting with Lost in the Mountains, rev. 7/23), Scout (a highly capable child) and Skunk (a snarky skunk) find themselves alone in a small boat when Scout’s hapless older brother is whisked away by an offended porpoise. After making a clearheaded assessment of the situation, Scout asserts to her friend that “today, we’re going to rescue ourselves.” The book shares a common-sense overview of real-life sailing and survival skills through a combination of captions, cartoony diagrams, and word-balloon dialogue between Scout and Skunk (who, through questions and irreverent quips, serves as a stand-in for curious readers). A squall forces Scout and Skunk to apply all their sailing knowledge when it most counts; they successfully navigate through the storm, reunite with the brother, and eventually encounter land—and Mom. Additional details appear in the back matter, including more technical know-how, recommended reading and resources, and an author’s note extolling the joys of sailing.

From the ">May/June 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.