Ask any mother of boys and she’ll likely tell you there are few books out there that will motivate boys to read. Books about horses and girl detectives and romance abound for girls, but relatively few have enough action and adventure to keep boys interested. So when I run across a novel that I think boys will like, especially junior high age boys, I want to promote it. And this novel by B.C. Tweedt is one of the best, in my opinion.
The fact that it takes place at a camp, albeit a sports camp on a college campus, immediately drew my attention. It’s always fun to see how other authors handle situations similar to what I’ve written about. And despite the difference in target age range being middle grade students while I am firmly in middle age, the book immediately drew me in and kept me engaged all the way through.
I enjoyed the way the individual campers were first introduced, each with their various idiosyncrasies. Of course, this makes for a few rocky moments until they learn to accept each other and begin working together as a team. The star of the book, Greyson Gray, is a 12-yr. old young man whose father has used dares to challenge him to accomplish difficult physical feats. That is, until his dad leaves for parts unknown for an undetermined length of time for an unknown reason. Greyson still can’t turn down a dare, which of course leads to trouble. But the trouble he finds is much more serious than breaking curfew. He discovers a terroristic plot being developed right there on campus in an old observatory that has its own ominous legend. Remembering his dad’s motto to “Do the good that must be done,” Greyson determines to stop the terrorists. Along the way, he enlists the help of his counselor and team, but their efforts go right down to the very last second.
Having raised two sons, I appreciated the “boy humor,” which never became crass but often made me laugh out loud. I truly had a hard time putting this book down, even on a weekend when my son was getting married! Although it’s not a “Christian” book, it’s a good clean read and you will fall in love with Greyson and the gang. I highly recommend it for fifth graders on up. And I can’t wait to start on the next book in the series.
You can order the book here.
And by the way, if you love the book like I did, please consider leaving a review. You only need to write a couple sentences telling what you liked best about the book. Those reviews are gold for an author. Thank you!
