The Journey Back
Gr 7 Up-Michael "Digger" Griswald, from The Red Kayak (Dutton, 2004), takes center stage here. After his 14th birthday, he escapes from the Cliffside Youth Detention Center, where he has been incarcerated for his role in a young boy's death, and heads home to protect his mother and young siblings from his abusive father. After stealing a tractor trailer and driving to the C&O; Canal towpath, the angry teen takes a bike, food, and a canoe to continue his journey. However, his progress is hindered when he injures his ankle and gets a bad case of poison ivy. A stray dog becomes his companion and he happens upon third-grader Luke and teenager Nora. They take him to a campground home, where he hides out with Luke and his father. The incorporation of the poverty seen in the campground provides a glimpse into a life in America. Digger gets a job and grows closer to Luke and develops feelings for Nora. He also processes his anger issues and he gains a stronger sense of self and accountability for his actions. While the tied-up loose ends, didactic nature of the plot, and clean language might induce eye-rolling from discerning readers, the book's life lessons have merits. Cummings focuses on "if/then" and TOP (think of the other person) thinking. She incorporates these life skills into the story through memories, contemplation, and a white laminated card of Cliffside rules that Digger carries.-Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.