All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team
by
Christina Soontornvat
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Candlewick
Imprint
Candlewick
ISBN
9781536209457
Awards and Honors
2021 Newbery Medal Honor Book
2021 Sibert Honor Book
2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
2021 Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honoree
2021 Kirkus Prize Winner in Young Readers' Literature
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight.
Luckily, the Wild Boars are a very extraordinary "ordinary" group. Combining firsthand interviews of rescue workers with in-depth science and details of the region’s culture and religion, author Christina Soontornvat—who was visiting family in Northern Thailand when the Wild Boars went missing—masterfully shows how both the complex engineering operation above ground and the mental struggles of the thirteen young people below proved critical in the life-or-death mission.Author's note. Source notes. Bibliography. Index. Full-color maps, photographs, and illustrations.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
288
Trim Size
7 1/2" x 10"
Dewey
796.52
AR
7.2: points 7
Lexile
1020L
Genre
Nonfic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Nov 2020
Book Genres
Narrative Nonfiction
Topics
Science and nature. Disasters. Psychology. Survival stories. Caving accidents. Search and rescue operations. Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Standard MARC Records
Download Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
Download Cover Art
Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
Horn Book
An author of picture books, easy readers, and middle-grade novels, Soontornvat (A Wish in the Dark, rev. 5/20) here presents a compelling work of nonfiction. On June 23, 2018, in Mae Sai, Thailand, twelve members of a youth soccer team and their coach decided to explore a nearby cave after practice. After venturing several miles in, they found themselves trapped by floods caused by unseasonably early monsoon rains. As Thailand marshaled international resources, the world watched the drama unfold. The rescue — all thirteen survived — would be nothing short of miraculous. In lucid prose written in third-person-present tense for a heightened sense of immediacy, Soontornvat gives readers a journalistic account of the difficulty and complexity of the rescue effort. Using interviews and other primary sources, she keeps a tight focus on the unfolding story, with its inherent edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-your-throat drama, adroitly juggling a parade of characters, clearly laying out the technical and engineering challenges, and judiciously parsing out expository information in the occasional sidebar. The rescue effort brought out the best in humanity, and inspiring messages of teamwork, cooperation, sacrifice (the death of a Thai diver is covered in a chapter called “A Tragic Loss”), loyalty, faith, and hope abound in these pages. Liberally illustrated throughout with full-color illustrations and maps; an author’s note, source notes, a bibliography, and an index are appended. (See Marc Aronson’s Rising Water, rev. 5/19, for another account of the same events.) JONATHAN HUNT
School Library Journal
Gr 4-7-In 2018, 12 members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their assistant coach were trapped in a cave for 18 days. It was a stunning and miraculous story that captivated the world. On June 23, 2018, the team and their assistant coach decided to hike through the caverns of Tham Luang Nang Non, the Cave of the Sleeping Lady. However, when they tried to leave, they discovered that the cave was flooded and they were trapped. Soontornvat's narrative nonfiction account shares these events and those that led to the rescue along with intricate details about caverns, sump diving, and other scientific details that emphasize the harrowing conditions of the rescue. She also touches on Thai culture, immigration issues, Buddhism, and religion. The main rescuers and their heroic efforts are highlighted, but Soontornvat also showcases stories of the Thai volunteers who had a huge impact on the rescue. Full-color photographs, maps, illustrations, and graphs are included throughout the text. The author, who is Thai American, was in northern Thailand visiting family when the story first broke. Her author's note features background information about interviewing the people involved with the rescue and meeting the Wild Boars team. Extensive source notes are included as well as a bibliography, image credits, and an index. VERDICT This stellar nonfiction work reads like a heart-pounding adventure story. Every library should have a copy.-V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elem. Sch., Raleigh, NC?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Grades 5-8
Nonfiction Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8
You'll love our NM+ Category which offers 12 more intriguing nonfiction selections for middle school readers. Readers with a thirst for factual knowledge will look forward to these books arriving each month.
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
Interests
Clean Books,Biographies,Diversity,History,Nonfiction,Science/STEAM
Grades 5-8
Nonfiction Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
Other Recommended Titles From Nonfiction Middle Plus
Nonfiction Middle Plus
January 2023
Nonfiction Middle Plus
December 2022
Nonfiction Middle Plus
October 2022
