Great Escapes

Gr 3-7–This collection of true stories introduces readers to everyday individuals from around the world who escaped from tight situations. Spanning from the early 19th century to the present, each chapter focuses on a different escape attempt, with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. A portrait of the person begins each chapter, the art style reminiscent of graphic novels. Chapters are short and contain a lot of information, but often leave out much of the context. This makes the text read more like a summary of events than a retelling, which could appeal to reluctant readers. At times, stories fail to go into detail regarding tough topics of slavery, colonialism, and Nazi Germany. While this may make the read less distressing to young readers, it could leave them with the impression that escapees’ captors and circumstances weren’t particularly severe. Some escapees in the book are violent criminals, and the epilogue does address this, pointing out that these individuals should not be admired. This sentiment is somewhat at odds with the introduction’s claim that the book’s stories are meant to inspire young readers.