Written by Marion Dane Bauer
Tricknor and Fields: A Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Grades: 5-8
This novel was about two friends, Joel and Tony, who went on a lot of adventures together. Joel liked to play it safe, while Tony was a complete dare-devil. One day, Tony wanted to go on a dangerous expedition to climb rocks at Starved Rock. Joel was not fond of the idea and would rather go swimming in the pool with the other kids. Hoping his father would object, Joel asked if he and Tony could make the dangerous trip. Joel's father put him "On his honor" that he would not do anything dangerous. On their trip, Joel and Tony stop at a dirty river. Tony dares Joel to swim. Getting annoyed with Tony, Joel challenges Tony to swim to a sandbar in the middle of the river. As Joel reaches the sandbar he notices that Tony is no where to be found. As Tony came up missing, Joel had to reveal the truth the Tony's mother. Joel was not punished by his parents, however, the death of his friend is something he will have to live with forever.
This book was definitely meant for an older group of students. There were several intense scenes that made me never want to put down the book. I think that upper to middle grade students would be able to identify with either of the characters in the book. Joel is very passive and agreeable, while Tony is very aggressive and authoritative. I also think that students could learn a great lesson by reading this book. They could learn the importance of listening to rules and instructions. Danger is usually the result of bad listeners and constant rule-breaking. I think students would really enjoy this fictional book because it is something that could actually happen in real life. It would be a great introductory chapter book that would make students love reading!
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