The Raft [Paperback]

Robie is an experienced traveler. She's taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there's a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn't panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she's in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that's when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there's no sign of help on the way.
The Raftis a thrilling novel of survival from award-winning author S.A. Bodeen.

S. A. Bodeen's first novel,The Compound, earned her a Flying Start fromPWand was chosen by YALSA as a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She lives in Oregon with her family.

1. Before she boards the plane home to Midway, Robie has a frightening encounter with a stranger in
Hawaii. Why do you think the author included this scene?

2. What do you think is the biggest challenge to Robie when she's on the raft? (Food? Water? Boredom? Sharks?) How does her knowledge of nature help her deal with these challenges?
3. If you were stranded on a raft in the middle of the Pacific with one pack of Skittles, do you think you'd eat them in one sitting or save them? How long do you think you could make them last?
4. Discuss the pros and cons of Robie's final encounter with Starbuck. Do you agree with her decision?
5. How do you think Max's necklace ends up with Robie at the end?

&readers who pass this novel around will have lots of fun debating exactly what saves her [Robló&