Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compelling, exciting, educational story of 2018 cave rescue.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
ALL THIRTEEN begins as boys of the Wild Boars soccer team finish practice and decide to bike up to the Tham Luamg Cave system for an afternoon of exploring. They enter a cave and it begins to rain, hard, and water floods the passages the boys had entered through, blocking their way back out. The story is told in the present tense, in 31 short chapters, several of which cover each day of the 17-day rescue effort. The book alternates between, how they boys and their coach survived the ordeal in the tiny chamber in which they were trapped, and the massive rescue effort involving thousands of volunteers, military personnel, and expert cave divers from around the world that took shape in the days after the boys were stranded. An author's note, source notes, and bibliography at the end support extended learning.
Is It Any Good?
This gripping, instructive book more than achieves its goal of telling the story of the 2018 cave rescue from the Thai perspective. All Thirteen does this, with the main focus on the boys of the soccer team and the enormous outpouring of support from Thai volunteers, the military, and the government for bringing the young soccer players out of the flooded cave alive. The White, international volunteers get fair treatment for their critical contributions, but the Thai heroes of the rescue effort finally get their due here.
The book is an all-around fantastic read. Present-tense narration brings the reader into the suspenseful urgency of the moment. Soontornvat digs deep to unravel details of the rescue many never learned, like the fact that the boys were sedated for their dive rescue, and all the innovative things Thai and international volunteers did to, together, create a rescue operation that had any chance of working. The inclusion of full-color photos, maps, diagrams, and text boxes help the reader to further understand the cultural context and science of caves and diving. This is a great pick for adventure lovers, fans of true survival stories, and any kid looking for an absorbing, suspenseful read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the character strengths of the young soccer players and their coach featured in All Thirteen. How did they persevere? How did they show courage? What about gratitude or humility?
What surprised or impressed you the most about this story? Which people involved in the rescue effort are most memorable? Why?
At times during the two-week rescue effort, the non-Thai, international volunteers had trouble communicating with the Thai leaders of the rescue effort. How did they work through their differences? What can we learn about working with people who have different ways of communicating?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , STEM
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick
- Publication date : October 13, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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