Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
March 1, 2006/in Fiction 10-14 Middle/Secondary /by Richard Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 157 March 2006
Reviewer: Adrian Jackson
ISBN: 978-0746068410
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 10-14 Middle/Secondary
Length: 304pp
Buy the Book

The Survival Game

Author: Tim Wynne-Jones

Among many special and surprising qualities, what works particularly well in this novel is the linking of the physical and psychological worlds so that we have the 14-year-old Burl Crow, running off into the remote Canadian interior, to survive the bullying brutality of his father and the harsh natural world and trying to steer his way physically and morally. Burl has learnt to hide himself within himself and it is a natural step for him to run away, braving the elements, until, in the midst of this wilderness, he comes across the hideaway of an eccentric pianist and composer, complete with grand piano if little else to resist the winter. The book cleverly shows the similarities as well as the huge differences between the two escapees and this is the beginning for Burl in discovering the kindness of strangers, seemingly casual at first and then later, in his ex-school teacher, a more determined and transforming act. This is not a cosy read, there is a lurking violence in nature and in the people, including Burl himself. The book is tangibly physical in its realisation of the beauty and rawness of the outside world and subtle in its creation of Burl’s internal struggles. There’s a great deal of journeying for Burl to do, with some very thoughtful questions about what is valuable and what ultimately matters, and a marvellously tense closing section where Burl is again confronted by his father and he finally discovers the riches within himself. It’s a remarkable book.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Richard Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Richard Hill2006-03-01 11:31:332023-04-11 11:36:01The Survival Game

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Inclusive Books for Children book-gifting scheme expands again

June 18, 2025

School Library Association Announces 2025 Shortlists for the Information Book Award

June 17, 2025

Choice and reading relevant to their interests = reading for pleasure

June 11, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Into the Wardrobe: C S Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles
Scroll to top