Buried Alive!: How 33 Miners Survived 69 Days Deep Under the Chilean Desert

by Elaine Scott

Overview

In August 2010, thirty-three miners were buried alive, two thousand feet below the
surface of the earth. After seventeen tense days, just as hope was nearly gone, rescuers
made contact with the men. Joy broke out around the world—all thirty-three men
were alive! But it would be long weeks before they emerged from the mine.
What did the miners feel, trapped in the steamy darkness so far underground?
What did they eat? How did they get along? And most important, how did they survive
in those seventeen days when death lingered so near, and after, during the long
wait for rescue?

 

This amazing true story about problem-solving, community, and real-life heroes is
made kid-friendly by veteran nonfiction writer Elaine Scott. It will inspire for years to
come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547707785
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/17/2012
Edition description:	Library Edition
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	1,059,326
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elaine Scott is often praised for making complicated scientific concepts accessible for young readers. She is the author of Our Moon: New Discoveries About Earth's Closest Companion, Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time, and many other books on space and other topics. She lives in Houston, Texas. Visit her online at elainescott.com.

Editorial Reviews

"An engaging, suspensful look at a tragedy averted that also provides a glimpse of a challenging way of life."—Kirkus Reviews "This dramatic account is a rock-solid case study in the power of a collaborative frame of mind."—Booklist "This well-organized treatment hits just the right tone for middle-grade readers."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books —

From the Publisher

On August 5, 2010, a copper mine in Chile collapsed, trapping 33 miners nearly half a mile underground. Shifting the focus back and forth between the plight of the buried miners and the rescue efforts underway at the surface, Scott creates a riveting tale. She describes the choices the miners' strong leader advised that prolonged their survival long enough to be rescued and the creative solutions that effected that rescue. They drilled through over 2,000 feet of especially hard rock, delivered supplies to the trapped men through a tiny bore hole and then invented a way to carry the men, one at a time, to the surface in a very small capsule. Evocative color photographs on almost every page enhance the brief text. The narrative moves step by step through the events that led up to the collapse, follows the efforts of the trapped miners to sustain life by rationing their extremely limited resources and describes the effect of the accident on their families. It also covers the development of a vibrant tent city at the rescue location, the ingenious strategies developed by the rescuers and finally the lasting impact on the survivors, many of whom remain unemployed. An engaging, suspenseful look at a tragedy averted that also provides a glimpse of a challenging way of life. Pair this with Marc Aronson's more in-depth Trapped (2011). (glossary, author's note, additional websites) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews