This is another great Rodman Philbrick adventure. He is a master at getting to the action immediately and I always recommend his books to my reluctant readers because I know he'll hook them right away. They are different enough that you don't always know exactly what's going to happen but he has found his niche.

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

I haven't read the first two books in Rodman Philbrick's The Wild Series, but if they're anything like Wild Wave, then I'm in for a treat.

Nick and Jess are two middle school students that fate tosses together when a tsunami hits their small coastal town. Together, the the two seek higher ground and make it to the woods above just as the wave hits. As it hits, they witness the wave wash away their lives. Finally, as the water recedes, they find themselves trapped and must work together to find help and survive.

This was an engaging read, told from Nick's point of view. Because it's told in first person, you get an inside look at Nick's fear and courage as he and Jess work to escape. The author does an excellent job setting the scene. He pulls the reader in and establishes a connection between the characters and the reader. This book just isn't about survival, the author also weaves in themes relating to finding your place in the world and family.

The chapters are short and well-paced, and I really enjoyed the writing style. This book is full of adventure and mental tension. Wild Wave is perfect for fans of the I Survived or the Survivor Diaries series.

Thank you, Netgalley and Rodman Philbrick for allowing me to review! As always, my review is my own opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared to my Instagram @what_emm_reads shortly.

I love every book I read by this author, but I think my students will be especially interested in this one. It was a well written book about a disaster, but is more mature than the I Survived books. Given that it was a little longer than that series, there was more character development and backstory.

It was a normal day for Nick. He was trying to complete a school assignment about rescue animals when all of a sudden the animals start acting erratic and that is when he notices the water in the bay being sucked away…only to return shortly with a vengeance! Releasing what was happen Nick and Jess (a schoolmate that volunteers at the animal sanctuary) attempt to reach higher ground as the wall of water comes rushing back. But that is just the start of their incredible struggle to not only survive but to help others as well. This book is so much fun. Loved the characters and situation and Rodman Philbrick does such a wonderful job of torturing our young heroes, constantly putting them in tense and dangerous situations. This is the kind of story that even kids who don’t much care for reading will enjoy. Wild Wave is just the kind of book I’d have loved to read as a kid, and it’s the reason why after I finished reading it I ordered not only it but the first two books in the series for my nephew. (And yes even though they will be for my nephew you can bet I’ll be reading those first two books as well, lol) I’d like to thank Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Wild Wave.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R23PGDK5CC57LH/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The Wild series continues with another exciting adventure! Like others in this series, the action starts almost immediately. Nick is visiting the local nature preserve on a tour led by classmate Jess when an earthquake and massive tsunami hit. They run off into the woods and are trapped in the destruction. They must work together and overcome their fears to find their way to safety.

This was not as well-written as his other books, but the simple language and themes will help struggling or reluctant readers. Hand this book to fans of the I Survived or Wild series.

"Wild Wave" by Rodman Philbrick is an excellent addition to his "Wild" series. As a NJ resident near the Pinelands and shore, this story hit very close to home. With this story Philbrick creates a realistic picture of what could happen should a tsunami hit our shores, but also provides an exciting story of resilience and survival.

I might not be teaching middle schoolers anymore, but I think even my freshmen kiddos would get a kick out of kids vs nature in this wild survival story. Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the ARC.

This was a fast paced read that I’m sure my students would enjoy. Fans of survival stories will devour this book. Can’t wait to add it to my classroom library!

For two children, the unimaginable happens: a tsunami hits their small town, and as they flee towards higher ground, racing through the pine trees, they have no idea what sort of devastation will follow, nor whether anyone else survived.

Nick and Jess struggle through the woods in search of help, rescue, or anyone else alive...but the tsunami is not the only danger they will face. This catastrophe will force them to find hidden strength and work together, as they deal with the aftermath of the wave, hazards in the forest, wildlife, and other dangers.

A good adventure book for middle-graders, my own heart was racing along with theirs. I can see why the author has won multiple awards, including Newbery Honor.

This is a nonstop adventure book! The details about the effects of the earthquake and tsunami are well written. Boys and girls will be drawn to this story.

My middle school students love Rodman Philbrick (Freak the Mighty and The Wild Series), so I was excited to read the next installment of The Wild Series and am happy to report that I will be recommending Wild Wave to them as well. Like the other books in the series, Nick and Jess have a natural disaster to overcome, this time a tsunami that strikes their small coastal town with no warning. Nick and Jess only knew each other by sight at school, but as they run from the coming wave together up the hill and into the forest, they quickly learn that they will be depending upon each other for their survival, both physically and emotionally as they wonder about whether their parents survived as well. I loved how Philbrick made you feel the danger without making it feel over the top and unrealistic. I also loved Nick and Jess's teamwork, especially when they meet up with the Bumpers, older educators from their school. Nick and Jess are transformed into heroes in spite of their fear, and middle grade readers will be cheering for them every step of the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own as an unpaid reviewer always seeking more titles for my 2000-book middle school library.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Scholastic Press for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Wild Wave (The Wilds, 3) by Rodman Philbrick. This middle grade survival novel will be published August 6, 2024. All opinions are my own.

Nick and Jess are two middle school students that fate throws together when a tsunami hits their small coastal town. The two seek higher ground together and make it to the woods above the bay before the wave hits. They witness the wave wash away their lives as they know them. When the water recedes, they find themselves trapped in the devastation of the former pine woods. Now, they must work together to survive and find help.

This was a quick but engaging read. I really enjoy Philbrick's style. He does an excellent job of pulling in the reader and establishing connections between the characters and the reader. While this is a book about survival, he also masterfully weaves in sub-conflicts and themes related to finding your place in the world and family. The chapters are short and well-paced. There is a great balance of adventure and physical tension as well as mental tension.

My 7th graders already love the first two books in this series, and I'm sure they will love this one too. I can't wait to add a copy to my classroom library and share this book with my students.

Wild wave takes you on a adventure through the forest. Two students display bravery and courage as they set out to get help for their teachers after a tsunami hits their area.. They hit obstacles as they traverse the forest to find help.. Students will like to read this adventure packed novel. I have the other wild books in the library and will be putting this one on my future list to order!

I really enjoyed this adventure book for kids! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me. Two kids, who go to school together, but don’t really know each other, end up surviving a tsunami together. They are stuck miles from anywhere in a pine forest that has been completely destroyed. As they try to find a way out, they encounter an elderly couple who needs their help. The kids rest for a day or so and then they’re back on the move to get out of the forest and try to find help so that the older couple can be rescued. There is a lot of adventure and harrowing circumstances they have to overcome. I now know I need to get my hands on the first two books in this series to read and add to my classroom library!

Oh boy! That was one intense survival novel!
I can say with certainty I'm very glad to be safe at home reading from the comfort of my couch and not involved in the circumstances the characters were involved in.
An earthquake, tsunami, heights, being separated from the adults and any technology that could help you determine what might lie ahead, not so friendly animals galore, and then some! This book keeps you reading as you fear for the safety of the characters, the safety of the two teachers they are on a mission to save, and the fear of what condition they will find the rest of their world to be in if and when they arrive.
Kids will definitely enjoy this!

Thank you to NetGalley for the E ARC.
Our story begins when Nick, our main character, is spending a Saturday morning at Cape Courage, NJ on a wild animal tour where he is working on a school assignment. Nick has been struggling with school, and his parents (who might be getting a divorce) have had to meet with his teachers this year about his grades and lack of motivation. Jess, a girl his age is leading the tour, and they have just noticed the bobcats are acting strangely, when they noticed that the water has been sucked out of the bay. Nick and Jess immediately take of running for higher ground, just when the huge wave hits. They and one of the bobcats climb a tree in hopes of staying safe. Will they survive?

What I liked: The story is divided by days, as the kids struggle to stay alive after one catastrophy after another. The chapters are short, with the plot evenly paced which will keep relunctant readers engaged. Philbrick's Freak the Mighty is on our 7th grade core list, so this book will be an easy sell.

This is a thrilling adventure with short chapters and as many curveballs as you can think of (plus a few more). Readers will devour this third installment in Philbrick's adventurous series!

Nick and Jess have only a few minutes to react as a tsunami is headed towards their town. They barely manage to escape but become stranded deep in the woods and must climb and fight their way out. Through their journey, they meet an elderly couple they know who are stranded and need help. Nick and Jess continue to fight not just for themselves, but for their old friends' survival.

This was a light, fluffy read with problems that are solved almost as quickly as they arrive. Some of the events didn't seem plausible, but I kept reading to see what crazy things would happen next. The chapters are very short and end on cliffhangers that make this perfect for a reluctant reader or even as a read-aloud with a class that needs something fast paced. I raced through it, rooting for Nick and Jess the whole way. Definitely check it out!

I've been a fan of this author since I read The Big Dark. I've also read Wildfire, Wild River, and now Wild Wave. It's like I Survived for more advanced readers who want a little more character devlopment with their natural disaster. Follow two teens struggle to survive after a tsunami turns the woods they fled to into a huge pile of timber they can barely see the top of. Helped by another couple stranded with their boat well away from the water, but under the mountains of uprooted trees, they now how to find their way out of the timber pile in enough time to help rescuers get to the couple before one of them runs out of diabetes medicine. Definitely recommending this one. And also putting The Big Dark back in front because of our recent explosion of Northern lights.

Great book for young readers. Action packed, captivating. And immersed in learning experiences. Huge hit.

Kids will love this gripping survival story about Nick and Jess, at an animal sanctuary, feeling an earthquake and when Jess says run they do because they know a tsunami is coming.Into the woods they go, and they see their science teacher and husband on their capsized boat and stay with them a day or two until they go searching for help. Nick and Jess encounter a bobcat, a sinkhole, a rattlesnake, and aftershocks as they try to find their way out of the tangled mess of trees. By the fourth day they wonder will they be able to find their way out?