Bibliographic Information:
Title: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team
Author: Christina Soontornvat
ISBN: 978-1536209457
Publisher: Candlewick
Copyright Date: October 2020
Reading Level / Interest Level: Min/Max Grade Levels 4 - 7 (NoveList)
Genre / Format: Adventure Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Book
Themes: Rescue, International Collaboration
Awards or Honors: YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (2021 Finalist)
ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category (2021)
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (2021)
School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Books (2020)
Plot Summary: Coach Ek and his team of twelve young boys go on a local cave exploration trip in Thailand after soccer practice. It's a great bonding experience for the team; they find a small lake to relax at and have a good time. But when they turn back to go home, they struggle to retrace their steps; the water levels are rising and paths are being closed off. Suddenly Coach Ek and his twelve boys are trapped. Hundreds of volunteers across multiple organizations begin collaborating to rescue the boys as soon as they find out that they are missing. Learn every detail about this rescue through colorful photographs, illustrations, and first hand interviews. This book does a fantastic job of presenting the facts, the science, and heart involved in this incredible rescue.
Author Background: Though All Thirteen is her first published nonfiction title, Christina Soontornvat has extensive experience writing nonfiction through her museum work, where she would write about science, dinosaurs, and engineering for the museum website. Soontornvat was in Thailand during the entire rescue and wanted to write a book about it for children, centering around the Thai people's perspective as much as possible (Publisher Spotlight, 2020). Christina Soontornvat is an award winning author of children books of all ages and she lives in Austin, Texas (Soontornvat, n.d.).
-Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: This well-researched, thorough book does a wonderful job of capturing the extensive cooperation between multiple people/organizations involved in this incredible cave rescue. It presents many colorful photographs that help capture the beauty and claustrophobia of the caves, giving us an idea of what the cave rescuers were seeing as they searched. There are a couple of scientific illustrations that are strategically placed throughout the book. These colorful models break down complicated information in a way that non-experts will understand. The placement of these illustrations make it possible for the reader to fully appreciate the complexity of this rescue. The scientific illustrations effectively conveyed how and why caves are formed and the mechanisms involved in the rescue, including cave diving. The author paints a picture of the lives of the people trapped, their families, and their culture providing further background to the rescue. The author presents facts but most importantly, weaves a narrative that pulls the reader in. You can learn about this famous rescue anywhere online, the news or through primary resources. This book however stands out in that it presents facts while capturing the heroism of regular people and celebrating the power of working together. Overall, this book does a great job of presenting context surrounding the cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team in a thorough, engaging, and approachable manner. The many colorful photographs, the scientific illustrations, and the descriptive narrative all help to paint a detailed account of this inspiring story.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Many of the teens in our community have never been inside a cave before and many still don't know how to swim. While a Karst cave system is out of the question in the Bay Area, there are smaller, and different kinds of caves that we could explore. The library will work with local parks for access and to these sites. Alternatively, the library can collaborate with a local swim instructor for a free demo on how to swim.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: June 23, 2018. A quick trip to a local cave turns deadly when rising water levels begin to close off all the exits. Now Coach Ek and his twelve young boys must conserve their energy and hope that someone comes to their rescue before they run out of oxygen. Learn about this incredible moment of heroism in Thailand and the inspiring collaboration that saved lives.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: I don't anticipate very many challenges for this feel-good story. One potential challenge could be from concern parents arguing that the book covers a story that is too traumatic for young readers. Some people also blame the coach for taking the boys into the cave; parents may argue that reading about this may make it difficult for young readers to trust authority figures. I would argue that the coach should be celebrated for keeping the boys safe while trapped; just because cave exploration is uncommon in the bay area, does not mean it's uncommon in other parts of the world. That's part of the reason why I included the book in the collection: to expose young readers to the country of Thailand while exploring a moment in history when the world united to save a group of boys.
Reason for Inclusion: This incredibly inspiring story is told in an engaging format. The author did a wonderful job of providing context that would help the reader appreciate the complexity of the situation. This rescue occurred in 2018 and involved international collaboration; it is a modern example of the world coming together to save these young boys and their coach. The story is told through a combination of colorful, high definition photographs, detailed scientific illustrations/models, and an engaging, well-paced narrative of the rescue tying everything together. This inspiring story is a great way for our teens to learn about a different country, its culture and how working together can make a difference.
Enhancements
Missing soccer team found alive in Thailand cave