Go Big or Go Home - Hardcover

Hobbs, Will

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060741414 ISBN 13: 9780060741419

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008

Synopsis

A meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. . . .

Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball comes crashing through the roof of his house. Brady immediately calls up his cousin, Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme thing ever!

Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Professor Rip Ripley from the museum in Hill City wants to study a sliver of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria. He's hoping to discover the first proof of life beyond Earth, a momentous breakthrough for the new science of astrobiology.

During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady and Quinn battle their rivals, the notorious Carver boys, for possession of the meteorite. With each new day, Brady is discovering he's able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn't be possible. At the same time, he's developing some frightening symptoms. Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is Fred a prize or a menace?

About this title

About the Author:

Will Hobbs is the award-winning author of seventeen novels for young readers, including FAR NORTH, JASON'S GOLD, and CROSSING THE WIRE. Seven of his books have been chosen by the American Library Association as Best Books for Young Adults. Although Will has never had a meteorite crash through his roof, he does have a long-time fascination with astronomy, extreme life-forms, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. A graduate of Stanford University, Will lives in Durango, Colorado, with his wife, Jean.

From Booklist:

When a meteorite crashes through the roof of Brady’s home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the young astrophile is excited beyond belief. He names it Fred (for “Far Roaming Earth Diver”) and calls his cousin Quinn over to check it out. The two are enamored of anything extreme or insane and deem this space rock “extremely insane” before setting out for a headlong series of bicycling, fishing, and caving adventures. When Brady starts to surpass his normal physical limitations, it becomes apparent that the meteorite might have brought along some hidden visitors with it from outer space. Hobbs captures young teen dialogue well, and the characters are all easy to like in this solid adventure. Reluctant readers who’d rather be airborne than chairbound will appreciate the two young boys’ penchant for pushing the envelope, and the postulations involving extremophile organisms is a neat twist with just a hint of science behind it, even if it leads to a few mildly preposterous situations by the end. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0060741414
• ISBN 13: 9780060741419
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192