Just Keep Walking - Hardcover

Downing, Erin Soderberg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1338851306 ISBN 13: 9781338851304

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2024

Synopsis

Wild meets Gilmore Girls on the Trail, Just Keep Walking is a story of resilience and the healing and restorative power of wilderness and nature from acclaimed middle-grade and chapter-book author Erin Soderberg Downing.

Two years after her parents’ surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior’s north shore―a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It’s not a situation that either of them ever predicted they’d find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs.

Along the trail, they’ll suffer through endless aches and pains, scorching heat, and crippling self-doubt. They’ll encounter bears, moose, and other wildlife and meet and collect an assortment of unlikely friends. Day after day, Jo will battle the incessant thoughts that come in and out of her head. But as one obstacle after the next continue to test her strength and ultimate survival, Jo will have to confront her greatest fears head on and learn how to be alone.

What begins as a journey to prove to her father that she and her mom can make it on their own turns into a quest to rediscover their strength, build resilience, and prove that they can survive―both for themselves and for each other.

About this title

About the Author

Erin Soderberg Downing has published more than seventy-five highly acclaimed books for kids, including Controlled Burn, Just Keep Walking, and her Fall 2025 middle-grade novel What Happened Then. She has also written several popular and bestselling series for young readers: The Great Peach Experiment, Puppy Pirates, and the forthcoming Just Like Home (Spring 2025). Erin loves reading, swimming, exploring the woods, traveling with her family, and walking around Minneapolis lakes with her fluffy and mischievous dogs, Wally and Nutmeg.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A relatable mother-daughter story filled with humor, heart, and adventureControlled Burn proved to be such a great success between Trade and the Channels in this pbk format―and this is another book by Erin that Fairs are signing on to in a big way and that is also nestled in Scholastic’s sweet spot.A vividly told story about perseverance, and survival, and recognizing that you can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you react to it. Erin is so gifted at navigating the anxiety and emotions of this age group.Perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Cynthia Lord, and Ali Benjamin

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1338851306
• ISBN 13: 9781338851304
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256