Download ‘Race to Survival,’ a free book for teens written by an Eagle Scout

Justin Cody is no outdoorsman. He’s forced to take a canoe trip in Canada with his grandfather, but he’d rather be at home texting his friends and playing videogames.

But when Justin’s grandfather is kidnapped during the trip, the 13-year-old must learn canoeing and camping skills to save himself and his grandpa.

That’s the plot of Race to Survival, Cliff Jacobson’s new book for teens. Jacobson, a Distinguished Eagle Scout and longtime Scouting magazine contributor, has interlaced practical outdoor skills in an adrenaline-filled book.

“I figured an adventure story would draw kids in, while the how-to material would teach them right,” Jacobson says.

The book, which is for readers ages 11 to 17, blends fictional action with real-life tips explained in illustrations and sidebars.

Race to Survival normally sells for $5.95, but Jacobson has a great deal exclusively for Scouts and Scouters. You can download it for free.

Here’s the book’s description:

Thirteen-year-old Justin Cody is failing two classes and is addicted to texting and playing videogames. Forced to take a wilderness canoe trip in Canada with his Grandpa Henry, Cody is thrust into a race for survival when the two discover a top-secret drone developed by the U.S. military. Grandpa Henry is kidnapped, and Justin — who knows nothing about canoeing and camping — must canoe alone to a distant lake that promises rescue.

Race to Survival is a high-adventure tale and a wilderness skills book. Young readers will be entertained while they learn practical outdoor skills. Some examples are: How to read a map and compass; make fire when the woods are wet with rain; rig a storm-proof camp; what to do when you’re caught in a lighting storm; tips to repel mosquitoes and black flies; important knots; essentials for a stay in the woods; emergency signals; wild foods that you can easily find and safely identify; what to do if you meet a bear or cow moose while you’re hiking — and much more! Essentially, this is a “canoeing/camping/survival” how-to book dressed in riveting fictional clothes.