No Child’s Game Reality TV 2083 (Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083) by Andrea White Date of Publication: 2005 ISBN: 0060851007 Number of Pages: 336

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: High Intermediate: Average
GENRES: Science Fiction/Adventure
THEMES : Good versus Evil - Life versus Death - Sacrifice and Redemption - Appearance versus Reality - Coming of Age - Survival

SUMMARY:
In the year 2083, the government uses TV to distract the nation from crime, and as a cheaper way to educate society. Part of the EduTV program is a series called the Survivor series, where the contestants reenact famous events in history like the Bubonic Plague and the Civil War. The Secretary of Entertainment is concerned about her declining popularity in the polls, so she decides to create the first ever Survivor Series using 14-year-old children. Andrew, Polly, Robert, Billy, and Grace are chosen from a pool of thousands to reenact Robert F. Scott's fatal 1910-13 expedition to the South Pole in Antarctic Historical Survivor. There is, however, a catch. The Secretary implants small cameras in the children’s eyes so that they can be TOTALLY alone on their voyage. The children will have to survive all of the calamities that Scott endured...and the odds are purposely stacked against them. The children begin to suspect their situation is more reality than television, and as they are trapped in Antarctica, they resolve to succeed despite the odds. Their one hope for survival rests on a motley group working on the production back home. These behind-the-scenes saviours are determined to help the children, but what can they really do...and can they do it in time?

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- loves Survivor
- likes reality television
- thinks it would be great to never have to go to school
- enjoys books that challenge you to think about what is right and wrong
- likes history and "real life" adventure
- enjoys books about the future

WHAT ELSE?
The book has been nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award and was awarded the Golden Spur Award as well.

RELATED LINKS:
This book has a fabulous website, http://www.survivingantarctica.com/index_aw.html and there are other great resources available as well, including: http://suzyred.com/2006surviving.html.