The Hideout
Grade 4-6-A lot happens to Jeremy Holland, 13, in this fast-paced  novel. First, his parents are gunned down in a random act of  violence. Then, he survives a grisly train wreck on his way out  of his home city of Seattle to live with his rich uncle in  Chicago. Shocked and frightened, Jeremy flees the accident scene  and finds himself alone in the forest. A gift from a fellow  passenger enables him to buy food, and an empty cabin in the  woods provides shelter. The boy considers this lifestyle as a  way to escape life with his uncle, but soon encounters far more  dangerous creatures than he bargained for. When he hears a shot  and discovers the mutilated body of a bear, his life is at  stake. Kehret's novel will certainly keep young readers turning  the pages; it is easy to read and suspenseful. The background  information in the first few pages lacks the action and dialogue  needed to plunge readers into Jeremy's situation, but the scenes  later on will grab even reluctant readers' attention. The  antihunting message creates some preachy dialogue from a girl  who befriends Jeremy, but much of the research the two  characters do helps readers learn more, too. More sophisticated  readers may be disappointed that Jeremy's grief and healing  aren't developed more, and may find the conclusion a little  facile. As a suspenseful and quick-reading adventure story,  though, the book succeeds.Toni D. Moore, Simon Kenton High  School, Independence, KYCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.