Alone

Alone Book Trailer  - Olivia T., Camdyn J., and Presley D. from Liberty Middle School

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students K-16, and she is nationally recognized for presenting workshops and speaking to audiences across the country. She studied theater and dramatic literature for many years, earning degrees from Occidental College and the Ohio State University. Megan is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Northern Colorado Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Columbine Poets of Colorado, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She is an Impact on Education Award winner, a fellow with the Colorado State University Writing Project, a Fund for Teachers fellow, and a member of the Colorado Poets Center. She used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she lives in northern Colorado. -from meganefreeman.com/about-megan

Perfect for fans of Hatchet and the I Survived series, this harrowing middle grade debut novel-in-verse from a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet tells the story of a young girl who wakes up one day to find herself utterly alone in her small Colorado town.

When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. 

With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten.

As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life? 

-from Simon & Schuster

Praise for ALONE: 

The novel is gripping and the plot fast-paced...This is a tense, engrossing survival story on par with classics such as Hatchet. - Booklist 

Freeman’s middle-grade debut starts with a wallop and carries on from there...sweeping down spare pages in thin lines of verse in this Hatchet for a new age. Suspenseful, fast-paced, and brief enough to engage even reluctant readers.  - Kirkus   

​A captivating and thrilling survival tale. - NCTE Excellence in Children's Poetry Committee

Realistic fiction fans will appreciate the thoughtful use of language that hints at Maddie’s introspection and evolution, and survival buffs will appreciate her creativity as she resolutely addresses each new emergency. - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Reading Group Guide from Simon & Schuster; includes discussion questions and extension activities

Strive to Stay Alive! Basic Outdoor Survival Skills for Everyone article from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Disasters and Emergencies: Let's Make a Plan from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Preparedness Videos from FEMA ready.gov

Isolation article from goodtherapy.org

What is Social Isolation? article from therapytribe.com

Alone Read-Aloud with Author Megan E. Freeman YouTube video from Simon Kids (10:02)

Poetry Workshop for Kids with Megan E. Freeman, Author of Alone YouTube video from Simon Kids (15:38)

author's website

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