Review of 'Stranded' by Nikki Shannon Smith

This junior fiction book won the Iowa Children's Choice Award for 2026-2027, and I really enjoyed it, so I decided to review it here to give others who may not have seen it a hint or two. Ava lives in Manhattan with her parents and her three brothers. She hates the concrete city with its walls, noise, smells and traffic; she loves the great outdoors and the wilderness life that her Auntie Raven has chosen, far away from the city.

Auntie Raven is Mom's twin sister, but they are opposite in everything but looks. Ava wants more than anything to spend the summer in the Adirondack Mountains with her aunt, learning survival skills and enjoying the freedom that her aunt has. Wonder of wonders, her parents approve and Ava gets her wish. She is having the time of her life and believes that she has the skills to survive alone, but when a mix-up occurs and she is left alone in the wilderness, is she up to the task? Ranked 3.87/5 on Goodreads.com, this book is available at the Vinton Public Library.

Relax and read,

Connie, Library Assistant