• Age: 13 to 17
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 13 to 17

It's the last run of the day and hotdog skier Luc isn't afraid to go out of bounds to get the most out of a downhill experience. Though his girlfriend, Cass, is a bit more cautious, she's not going to let Luc go on his own. But as the weather takes a turn for the worse, the skiers become lost.

When Search and Rescue gets the phone call that the skiers may be missing, the office is being manned by rookie Chic. The rescue team know they must wait until morning before they set out in the poor weather conditions, but when they still havent located the missing skiers by the end of the next day, Chic decides it's up to him to head out and find them on his own.

Heather's love of storytelling began on her parents' farm in Ontario where the animals were great listeners and the source of many stories. After Heather graduated from university, she moved west with fellow mountaineer Rolf Kellerhals to the mountains they loved. Working with children in group and foster homes and then having a family kept Heather busy, but she kept one ear tuned to storytelling until her first book was published. Eventually Heather and Rolf waved goodbye to big city life in Edmonton and Vancouver and moved to Quadra Island where they have a farm and woodlot. And what stories of forest, mountains and sea are waiting there to be told!

Heather's dad also played the bagpipes!

Heather Kellerhals-Stewart's profile page

"SAR Powderhounds is part soap-opera drama, part real-world insight into the fast-paced and dangerous world of snow skiing and snow rescue. Told in alternating perspectives, readers hear both Luc and Chics reasons for loving the snow and taking chances. Authentic details never get jargony and will intrigue powderhounds and flatlanders alike."

VOYA

"Fast paced and full of adventures, this ski rescue tale is hard to put down. This is an excellent choice for the so-called reluctant reader -- and even those who are non-skiers."

Bill Baker, English Teacher

"Several features of this book will make it accessible for struggling readers. The chapters are short, the characters' names are short, and the chapters have headings that can help trigger memory cues. The story was exciting and the characterization believable." Rated G: good, even great at times!

Resource Links

"An adventure novel, SAR Powderhounds follows the course of the search and rescue mission from two alternating viewpoints -- through both the eyes of Chic on his first search and rescue mission and Luc as he tries to keep himself and Cass alive in a blizzard on a mountain. Kellerhals-Stewart has captured the attitude and viewpoints of teenage boys quite excellently. SAR Powderhounds is a great book to get outdoorsy types reading up a storm."
Recommended

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"SAR: Powderhounds is a very fast-paced look into a search and rescue mission. . . When I finished, I was so full of adrenaline. . . This book will be great for young adventure seekers. It isn't too long or too in depth for middle grades, but will appeal to many teens as well."

Baute Book List blog

"Heather Kellerhals-Stewart captures the danger and daring of the young rescue team willing to risk their own lives to help even the most foolhardy risk takers. Readers will feel the bone-chilling cold and the whipping wind and snow as they follow the stories of both the missing skiers and the team sent to find them."

S. Kruger, Middle School Teacher