Wild River
Grade 4–7—Twelve-year-old Ryan goes kayaking and fishing on a California river with his older brother, Tanner, and his gripping adventures will pull even reluctant readers into his first-person narrative. As the boys shoot down rocky rapids, a jagged log in the chute slices into their kayak, toppling them into freezing water, injuring Tanner and leaving him unconscious. Using what he learned from his video games, Ryan is able to stay calm and survive some harrowing situations, and ultimately save both of their lives. Foreshadowing keeps the suspense rolling for careful readers. Safe back home, Ryan refuses to tell anyone except Tanner about his heroic deeds and flips on his favorite video game for solace instead of sharing his feelings with his family. The relationship between the brothers is refreshing; they clearly like each other, and Tanner is in touch with Ryan's needs and accepts him unconditionally. Some readers might wish to see some growth in Ryan as a result of his experiences, but it's more likely that he is having difficulty dealing with what happened and opening up about the events will come later. In theme, this is reminiscent of Gary Paulsen'sHatchet(1987) and Will Hobbs'sDownriver(1991, both S & S).—James K. Irwin, Sandy Library, UTEND