Newton Starker is a student at a Saskatchewan boarding school dedicated to survival skills. As part of the broader experience at school, he learns that getting along with others is as much a part of surviving as avoiding the light ning that seeks out his family members. Canadian author Arthur Slade uses an unusual and humorous premise to deliver a strong message. 2010 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, 2008 Saskatoon Book of the Year Saskatch ewan Book Award, 2008 Fiction Book of the Year Saskatchewan Book Award, 2008 Children’s Book of the Year Saskatchewan Book Award. nlh

The Starker family appears to be cursed: every person of Starker blood has died from being struck by lightning. Fourteen-year-old Newton Starker is the last of his line—except for his great-grandmother, Enid, a woman as friendly as a pickled wolverine— and he’s determined to survive.
Newton has spent all of his life following a list of rules for self-preservation, guidelines passed down through generations of Starkers. But Newton wants to try something new. He has enrolled at Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw with the hope that he’ll be able to beat the odds. But if he wants to go beyond just getting by, Newton is going to need more than rules. He’s going to need friends.