VVMBookBlog

Dirtbike Daredevils by Pam Withers

Jake and Peter have the ideal job for 15 year olds who love dirtbikes. They are guides for a dirtbike trail outfitter. Not only do they get to ride dirtbikes and hang out, they also have a boss who used to be a motocross champion. He gives them extra time to ride their bikes and gives them rides to competitions. Although Jake and Peter work together as a team they each have their strengths. Peter loves to do freestyle yet doesn’t do the best job taking care of his bike. Maintenace is Jake’s strength, but he doesn’t ride the best. Both learn the importance of all aspects of dirtbikes. Another twist to the story has to do with Dana (a female ranch hand). She is a master of freestyle and even practices with old mattresses in an empty swimming pool. Her problem seems to be with drugs as the boys watch her put a needle into her arm. Both boys decide to keep it quiet until it affects her biking or her work with the animals. This is a great book for adventure lovers and fans of the XGames.

Have you seen those daytime TV shows where the “bad” kids are sent off to behavior “boot camps?” If you ever wondered what happens to kids when they get there, you’ll want to read this book.

Garrett is 15 and has just been kidnapped by “transporters” who are driving him to Lake Harmony, someplace in New York.  When he gets there, after he goes through the first of what becomes continuous mental and physical abuse, he meets the group of boys assigned to his “family” called Dignity.  They are mostly a group of bullies with drug and other behavior problems, who have learned to exist in Lake Harmony by following the often corrupt orders of the adult leaders, and beating up on the newer, weaker members of their group.

Garrett believes from the start, realizing that there is no way out and no way to contact anyone including his parents, that he doesn’t belong in this place.  While his “crime” is hard to defend–dating his former math teacher, other conditions in his life give him reason to question his parents’ rules and their efforts to control his life.  But then he manages to meet two other inmates, Sarah and Pauly, who also don’t belong there and need to find a way out…soon.

Lots of scenes of violence and abuse that just make you angry as you read.  The story is based on a series of actual stories that are included in the bibliography at the end of the book.  This would be a great topic to research for the 8th grade persuasive essay project.  Some things just don’t seem right!

By the author of “Give a Boy a Gun.”

To everyone’s surprise, suddenly formerly-very-popular Sophie Stein and forever-very-loser Robin Murphy are an item.  In fact, Robin is such a loser that his last name–Murphy–is just another name for “loser” in their 9th grade class.  Both are very artistic and understand there are more important things in life than popularity.  Robin is invited to audit a Harvard college art class and for the first time experiences acceptance among his fellow students for who he is, his sense of humor, and his talent. (Although his age is still a secret!)  Robin also, however, sees how hard it is on Sophie to have her friends turn on her, and decides he has to do something to make it right.

This is a sequel to What My Mother Doesn’t Know where Sophie was trying to find her “Mr. Right.” This time we see the story from the boy’s point-of-view and hear his thoughts on “the beautiful Sophie.” Written in short free-verse form, it’s a fast, satisfying read.

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Ned Begay is a Navajo Indian who leaves his home to go to school because his family thinks he should learn English. At school he and the other boys are not allowed to speak in their native tounge (Navajo). This is only interesting since the United States Marine Corps is looking for people who speak Navajo to help in WWII. Ned is only sixteen, but he really wants to join. Although his parents probably don’t think it’s the best idea, they let him sign up.

Ned joins the Marines and WWII. He is a “code talker.” The Japanese are not able to break the code (basically Navajo language), so the Navajo soldiers are important to the US. His story is told as he goes to different locations in the war such as Hawaii, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. This story gives a brief history of the war from the voice of a soldier experiencing the different conflicts. More importantly, it tells of the Navajo Code Breakers a part of history that isn’t necessarily always taught.

The title of this book refers to a scar two twin brothers, Will and Denny, have on their fingers where they have sworn their loyalty to each other as brothers. But they are twins in name only as Denny is disabled in his mental and some physical abilities, and his appearance is different from Will’s.

After the accidental death of their mother seven years ago, Will has been forced to take on the responsibility of caring for his brother so their father can run their ranch in 1940’s Colorado. But Will has trained himself in all the rodeo skills and only wants to leave the ranch to be a rodeo star and lead the life of a cowboy. When his father says he can’t leave for the upcoming rodeo he’s been practicing for, Will decides to take off on his horse and go anyway. He hadn’t gone far when he looked back and there was Denny following him. Then bad things start happening, beginning with a rattle snake biting Denny.

Characters in books usually have some kind of effect on me, depending on how it relates to my life experience. (Remember I’m old and have 2 grown daughters.) If the main character is a kid and adults around him/her are doing something stupid or mean, I become very protective of the kid. But sometimes the kid as the main character just does stupid things, and all I can think is, “What are you thinking?!” That was the case for this book. While I understood why Will needed to do something to declare his independence from caring for his brother his whole life, it was his attitude and the things he continued to do that just made me angry. “Don’t do this to your brother!”

I listened to this book on CD so maybe it was the rather whiny way it was read that affected my opinion. It actually annoyed me so much, I almost didn’t finish it. But I pressed on to get to the pretty satisfying ending with lessons learned all around.