Journey Outside

by Mary Q. Steele

Book Overview

A Newbery Honor book This fast-paced story is more than an adventure--it is a search for answers in a bewildering world that is as terrifying as it is beautiful. Grandfather said they were headed for the Better Place, but Dilar suspected they were headed nowhere, simply following the dark underground river blindly. And so one night he leaped onto a shelf of rock and watched the flotilla of the Raft People disappear. And from there he found his way...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140305882
• ISBN13: 9780140305883
• Release Date: July 1979
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Journey Outside

I read this book when I was in junior high and was quickly enthralled! It's one of those books that stays with you forever(I just turned 50!) As I grew older I searched high and low for this story and finally found it. This is one of the best books I've ever read and I've read thousands! It has everything you could want, mystery, adventure, and it tells the truth of human nature. A must read and one to share with your children and grandchildren! Also read; The Forgotten Door. CAT

Awesome Unforgettable

The reason I'm even looking up this book is because it's the only book that I remember by title as reading in elementary school. I read this book probably 33 years ago. I barely remember the premise, but the above reviewer above has the story right. Just know that this book is an excellent adventure, and exporation of culture for an inquisitive 4-6 grader. I am going to find it, and read again at age 41 soon. Again, sorry to not go through the plot...... boy lives underground or something in a river system within the earth... boy gets out of his "River territory" and starts to traverse the underwater landscapes... boy meets many interesting cultures, boy wants to return to his people to tell them of the life outside. Way cool!!

Great read aloud for a world cultures curriculum.

As an avid reader and a fifth grade teacher, I found this book to be intriguing. The main character travels through a number of societies as he explores Earth. Ms. Steele made each exploration of a culture interesting because she included the reader by describing the items before naming them. As I read, I envisioned my students trying to figure out what the items were before the items were named in the book. I plan to begin my school year with this book as a read aloud (I got this idea from an exceptional teacher I worked with this summer!) to introduce my students to aspects of world cultures.