• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

More than 30 riveting — and true! — survival stories from Larry Verstraete, the master of adventure non-fiction.

A slave in mid-1800s North Carolina squeezes into a 2' x 3' box and has friends mail him to Philadelphia . . . and freedom. A doctor injects 8000 Polish Jews with a substance that makes it appear they have typhus, getting them sent into quarantine instead of to death camps. Apollo 13 astronauts use duct tape, a hose, and other spare parts to fix failed machinery and bring their spacecraft safely home.

Following the popularity of the award-winning At the Edge: Daring Acts in Desperate Times, winner of the Silver Birch Award for Non-Fiction, this new collection from Larry Verstraete features over 30 incredible true stories of survivors who found creative ways to beat impossible odds.

Writer and educator Larry Verstraete is the award-winning author of 13 books of non-fiction, many of which focus on scientific or historical themes. An active promoter of literacy, Larry is a frequent visitor to schools and libraries where he shares his enthusiasm for science, history, and writing with students, teachers and parents.

Larry Verstraete lives and writes in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Larry Verstraete's profile page

• Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Award (Atlantic Canada)
• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Commended, Resource Links, Best of the Year

Praise for Larry Verstraete:

"Case Files is a great book for any young person looking to spice up standard school curriculum in science and history, hoping to put a little scandal in a school project, or simply hoping for a good, compelling read." —Quill & Quire (for Case Files)

"Great for both dipping into in snippets or for an engrossing read from start to finish, At the Edge will intrigue young readers with a sense for adventure." —Canadian Children's Book News (for At the Edge)

"The fast-paced stories are so full of exciting events that readers will be sure to quickly read the book from start to finish!" —CM: Canadian Review of Materials