The SOS File

The SOS File
by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers
illustrated by Arthur Howard
Henry Holt and Company, LLC (2004)
Interest Level: 8-12 years

Category: Contemporary Fiction
Type: Short Stories

Summary:
Mr. Margo's SOS class assignment some students diligently writing about their near mishaps while others struggle for ideas. One of the students tells about her accident on her go-cart when her partner was not able to jump in at take off. That meant there was no one to pull the brake. OOOooo, Lookout! In the next SOS Jerry ate all the candy bars he was supposed to sell for the baseball team. He had to borrow the money from his mom and then find a way to pay her back. What a bummer! The next SOS proved to be a "beary" scary adventure. Augustus and his family went on a camping trip to Little Bear Mountain. While Augustus and his friend, Dodger, were hiking on the mountain they walked around the corner and what did they see? A large black mother bear with two small cubs! What did they do? Did they make it safely back to camp? Read The SOS File to find out what happened to Augustus and about the other SOS stories from the other students. The one very special story, the last SOS, gives hope to all the students.

Online Connections:
1. Author website: www.betsybyars.com
2. Author's spotlight: www.classzone.com/novelguides/authors/byars.cfm

Book Connections:
1. Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
2. The Givig Tree by Shel Silverstein

Keywords: sos, 911, help, emergencies