This month I read the realistic fiction book Two Degrees, by Alan Gratz. Two Degrees has three different stories inside of it. The first one is about a thirteen year old girl named Akira who lives in the Sierra Nevada, California. While out on her regular Saturday morning horseback riding, Akira and her dad notice smoke. However, they think nothing of it and continue on with their day. This later comes back to bite them as Akira, her father, and some strangers they recently met find themselves in the midst of the flames which quickly spread. They are forced to let their horses go, and try to survive. The second story is about two best friends in eighth grade named George and Owen which takes place in Churchill, Manitoba. Owen and George were going to spend their weekend in George’s family’s cabin. However, this vacation is cut short after an angry mother polar bear mauls Owen and George before they can even reach the cabin. Injured, weak, and lost, George and Owen must use all of their senses to survive and hopefully make it back to town. The last story is about a seventh grade girl named Natalie Torres who lives in Miami, Florida. As Hurricane Rueben builds up, so does Natalie’s anxiety despite her mom telling her to calm down. She and her mother, try to hide from the storm in their house, but when the waters flood her house, Natalie is left outside and forced to compete with the elements and survive.

I really enjoyed this book because of the humor. Despite these being fairly serious topics, Alan Gratz found a way to keep it funny and entertaining. Instead of feeling sad while reading, Alan kept it upbeat and I even found myself laughing at some of the jokes. The author did a great job at making the characters come to life in this book, and I definitely recommend it.

My favorite character in the book was George because of how loyal he is to Owen. I can prove this with a quote from page 96 which reads, “The booming sound startled Owen awake and made Momma Bear flinch. She looked back over her shoulder, and Owen looked with her. It was George!” This quote proves Georges loyalty because despite being seriously injured, he still gets up to save his friend from being killed. George had been swatted in the head by the mother polar bear which was now attacking Owen, but he put Owen’s life first and he saved him.

My favorite quote is on page 16 which states, “Akira’s dad grabbed her and lifted her off Dodger, and she sobbed guiltily. ‘No! Dodger! She cried, reaching out for him.” I like this quote because it shows just how much of a bond Akira and her horse have. Even though Akira knows leaving Dodger is the right move, she just can’t part with him without feeling guilty.