This hard-hitting novel portrays the struggle of a smalltown 11-year-old to find self-respect and a sense of purpose after the recent death of his violent, alcoholic father. A sixth-grade bully’s taunt “My father said the best thing your father ever did for your family was running his truck off of Dead Man’s Curve” infuriates Ricky, all the more because he privately agrees, and the fight he starts lands him in the principal’s office. When the principal threatens to call in Ricky’s overburdened mother, Ricky promises to stay out of trouble, even though it will mean giving up recess and avoiding the school bus. Deans (Brick Walls) deftly builds Ricky’s attitude toward his three-and-a-half mile commute from a sacrifice to a personal challenge: he starts setting daily goals, first jogging and then running until he eventually vows to beat the bus home. Ricky’s race is echoed by his rejection of the town’s stereotypes of his family as thieves and deadbeats. As he says to his younger brother, Matt, “We’re done being this town’s white trash.” Strong subplots and a keen sense of family dynamics help propel the action. Matt, for example, won’t enter the house until Ricky checks every room, because he’s terrified that their father will somehow rise from the dead to continue his abuses. Deans’s persuasive and informed sympathy encourages readers to cheer Ricky for his perseverance and his triumphs. Ages 10-15.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Growing up poor in rural Maine, Ricky Gordon, 11, is dealing with the death of his abusive, alcoholic father and the still-fresh loss of a neighbor who was a surrogate grandmother to him. To top matters off, he is tormented by the local bully. These events have left Ricky confused and angry. In order to avoid trouble with Bugsie on the bus, he starts to walk back and forth to school. Over time, he begins to jog and ultimately picks up speed. Long-distance running proves to be what Ricky needs, as he finds in the physical exertion an escape from his problems and a boost to his confidence. At the novel’s end, Ricky has attracted the attention of the local track coach, stood up to Bugsie, and gained a greater understanding of himself. Not all of these disparate threads come together-understandable in a novel that is more of a character study than a tightly plotted story-and some readers may find the flashbacks confusing. Still, the author does a good job of capturing the often rough, cruel, and foul-mouthed world of early adolescents. Best of all is the portrait of Ricky-a boy who has been forced to face adult problems for years and who could easily slide toward the sad and wasted life exhibited by his father’s family, but who has enough courage and decency to keep himself afloat.

Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.