Celebrate Lit / October 21, 2026

Off The Rails

About the Book Off The Rails

Book: Off The Rails – A Wilderness Survival Adventure

Author: Susan Count

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Just because your cousin jumps from a train in the wilderness doesn’t mean you should too.

After planning a fun experience for a year, two Texas cousins make their first trip to Montana. When their train stalls, the boys leap from it into the white wilderness, beginning a perilous run for their lives.

As a blizzard hits, the boys spend a miserable night trying not to freeze. They struggle along the tracks to find shelter, but a disaster leaves them exposed to the elements and every famished wild creature.

Frustrated by their too-real situation, Davy and Anderson struggle to endure. Instead of vacationers at a wolf sanctuary, they become players in an unplanned survival experience.

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My Thoughts on Off The Rails

Off The Rails is a fun middle-grade novel for girls and boys that contains adventure without being scary and is strong in the Christian faith.

If you have boys, you know how hard it is to find books that they want to read that are age-appropriate. When my older three boys were learning to read, they didn’t want to read the books the girls were reading. They wanted something with action and adventure. But everything I could find with action and adventure also had questionable language and content.

But now, as my next boy is coming up and reading, I did another dive into looking for books for him. There are a few more, but still not a lot. So I was very excited to get this one to review. Now my son is on the lower end of middle grade, as he is 10 years old. So, he’s about fourth-grade level. My next up from him is a thirteen-year-old girl.

They both loved and approved of this book. In fact, I’m not ordering the other book in this series because they loved it so much!

The characters are great. The story reads easily. You won’t find questionable content. There are no words that shouldn’t be in there. And there is plenty of action and adventure as two cousins are trying to stay alive in a blizzard on their own!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Off The Rails

Susan Count writes for the joy and entertainment of young readers. She is an Amazon best-selling, award-winning author of the Dream Horse Adventures Series, Dream Pony Riders Series, and Texas Boys Adventures.

She prefers to create stories in a quiet zone. Out her window, her mind wanders through the forest and keeps her in a grateful, contented state of being. Susan writes at a fabulous antique desk that has secret compartments filled with memories, mysteries, and story ideas. As a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and American Christian Fiction Writers, she takes studying the craft of writing seriously.

Susan confesses to being overly fond of brownies and horseback riding on forest trails. She is a lifelong equestrian and is owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse.

Her newest release, Off The Rails – A Wilderness Survival Adventure, was written for her four grandboys who wanted an adventure of their own. What’s a fairy grandmother to do but wave her magic pen and create?

More from Susan

Ten of my novels are horse books for girls. On the rare occasions that I do a book sales table, I’m inevitably asked if I’ve written any books for boys. So, I wrote this two-book series (Texas Boys Adventures) because you asked and kept asking. You and my four grandsons. Finding wholesome books that will engage 8- to 12-year-old boys is a parental challenge.

I’m so old school.

Let the kids keep their childhood for as long as possible. I believe in protecting their young hearts and minds. Give them adventures where they learn to build friendships and be the hero of their own stories. Capture their interest and then encourage and strengthen them to grow into the arrows they are destined to be.

No pictures— have a couple of images if you want them…