Trail Trouble, page 3
“Marlon helped us find a way back,” Nadia chimed in. “Plus he learned how to set up and break down a tent. And he saved us from dehydration with his water filter!”
Marlon blushed. “I guess I did learn some things, huh?” he said.
“Can we get something to eat?” said Nadia. “We’re starving! All we’ve had to eat is trail mix.”
“And after that, if my ankle is OK, can we walk the actual trail tomorrow?” said Marlon. “I really want to learn more about it. Even though we’ve had a rough time, I think I’m starting to like the outdoors.”
Marlon’s parents looked shocked. “Really?” Mom said.
Marlon nodded. “But for now, can Nadia and I have some pancakes?”
AUTHOR BIO
Shawn Pryor is the creator and co-writer of the all-ages graphic novel mystery series Cash & Carrie, writer of Kentucky Kaiju, and writer and co-creator of the 2019 GLYPH-nominated football/drama series Force. He is also the author of the Jake Maddox Sports Stories title Diamond Double Play. In his free time, Shawn enjoys reading, cooking, listening to music, and talking about why Zack from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is the greatest superhero of all time.
ILLUSTRATOR BIO
Alan Brown is an English illustrator working in children’s books and comics. His love of art started as a young boy, when he had unlimited access to comics at his gran’s sweetie shop. These days, he can be found busy at his desk, illustrating with help from his two sons and dog.
GLOSSARY
bacteria (bak-TEER-ee-uh)—
very small living things that exist all around you and inside you; some bacteria cause disease
canteen (kan-TEEN)—
a small metal container for holding water
dehydration (dee-hy-DRAY-shuhn)—
a life-threatening medical condition caused by a lack of water
enthusiast (in-THOO-zee-ast)—
a person who is very excited about or interested in something
filter (FIL-tur)—
a device that cleans liquids or gases as they pass through it
incline (IN-kline)—
a slanting surface
lush (LUHSH)—
covered with a thick growth of healthy plants
ranger (RAYN-jur)—
a person in charge of a park or forest
shelter (SHEL-tur)—
a safe, covered place
steep (STEEP)—
having a very sharp slope, almost straight up and down
torrential (taw-REN-shuhl)—
coming in a large, fast stream
unison (YOO-nuh-suhn)—
at the exact same time
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Imagine you and your family are going hiking on the Appalachian Trail. What is one thing you would most want to see or do while hiking? Talk about what it is and why it’s important to you.
Marlon and Nadia were lucky to escape from the danger of the black bear and her cub while making their way back to camp. What other types of scary situations do you think could happen while hiking? Talk about some possible dangers.
In this story, Marlon struggles to put up the tent until Nadia gives him a hand. Think about something you struggled to accomplish until you received help from someone else. Talk about what it was, who helped you, and how that made a difference.
WRITING PROMPTS
Have you ever taken a hiking trip or camped out? Describe your experience in a few paragraphs. If you haven’t done either of those things, then describe what you would like to do during your hiking or camping trip.
It can be interesting to think about a story from a different point of view. Try writing Chapter 5 from Colt the dog’s point of view. What was Colt thinking about when he jumped inside Marlon and Nadia’s tent?
Marlon’s parents wanted him to spend less time on his phone and more time enjoying the great outdoors. How do you think Marlon felt about that at the start of the story compared to the end? Write a few paragraphs explaining how his attitude shifted after his hiking experience.
THAT’S A LOT OF HIKING
The Appalachian Trail is more than two thousand miles long and runs across the eastern United States. It is the longest hiking path in the world. It travels through fourteen states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Nearly fifteen thousand people have hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, which can take five to seven months to complete. The elevation changes along the trail make completing the hike the same as climbing Mount Everest sixteen times over! (The summit of Mount Everest sits at 29,029 feet.)
According to the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Appalachian Trail crosses a road every four miles. Along those roads are many small mountain communities, which can make it easier to find your way back to civilization. In some areas, the Appalachian Trail runs straight through many towns or passes within a few miles of other towns.
WHAT ABOUT THE BEARS?
Black bears live and pass through almost all parts of the Appalachian Trail. Bears usually avoid people, so an encounter is unlikely. But if you’re in black bear country, it’s better to travel in a group. (You don’t want to move through a bear’s habitat silently or alone.)
If you do happen to come across a black bear, know what to do. Here are a few tips:
Keep a safe distance. Give the bear as much space as possible. If you can, go back the way you came. If you have to continue, give the bear a lot of space.
Identify yourself by speaking calmly and firmly so the bear knows you are a human, not prey.
Stay calm. Stand your ground but slowly wave your arms in the air. This will make you appear larger and more intimidating.
Walk, don’t run, and keep your eyes on the bear so you can see how it’s reacting.
Jake Maddox Adventure is published by Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone.
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2020 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN: 978-1-4965-8694-0 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-9203-3 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-8695-7 (eBook PDF)
ISBN: 978-1-5158-8103-2 (ebook)
Summary: On a summer vacation with his family, Marlon Keys is about to hike the Appalachian Trail. He isn’t exactly thrilled about the trip—he’d rather play on his smartphone and connect with his friends back home. But when Marlon and another hiker named Nadia accidentally get separated from the group on the hike, his “boring” vacation becomes an exercise in survival.
Cover illustration by Giuliano Aloisi
Designer: Lori Bye
Jake Maddox, Trail Trouble
