Reckless

July 1, 2010
Gr 6–10—-his high-interest, low-reading-level book is a fast-paced read. Josh is incredibly passionate about his four-stroke Kawasaki dirt bike, so much so that it sometimes feels like his only friend. During a ride on a logging road, he accidentally slams into a crazy-looking old man who is standing in the middle of his path, and who then confiscates the bike. Returning to retrieve it, Josh befriends the hermit, a Vietnam vet who chooses to live outside the grid, and who later needs Josh's help. The book twists and turns like a tricky dirt-bike track and flows just as quickly. One doesn't need a special interest in the vehicles to get pulled in, but a passion for them will enhance the story. Teacher resources are included on the Orca website.—"Emily Chornomaz, West Orange Public Library, NJ"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2010
Grades 4-7 Riding his dirt bike down a forest road, young Joshua hits a reclusive Vietnam vetsparking a friendship that culminates in a heroic rescue. His battered old Kawasaki being the center of his own solitary existence, Josh is devastated when the old man known locally as the hermit of Loggerman Creek angrily gets to his feet and wheels the bike away, but deeply affected when he gets it back repaired and even retuned. On a subsequent visit to the hermits remote cabin, Josh finds his troubled friend semiconscious and bleeding from an axe wound. He rises to the occasion as heavy snows and the old mans own pleas keep him from leaving to find help until a long, anxious night has passed. In this entry in the Orca Currents series, Choyce crafts an unvarnished tale around two loners of different generations, featuring the requisite bully, plenty of dirt-bike action, a suspenseful climax, and a happy ending. The lack of complications will make this particularly appealing fare to offer younger or reluctant readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
A dirt-bike accident brings Josh into contact with a Vietnam veteran named Jonathan who has lived as a hermit in the woods for over forty years. Their friendship helps formerly selfish Josh figure out his priorities. The characters aren't particularly sympathetic or compelling, and Josh's redemption is only somewhat convincing.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)