The Wild Kid - Hardcover

Mazer, Harry

3.59

59 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689807511 ISBN 13: 9780689807510

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1998

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In the latest story by the award-winning author of Snow Bound, twelve-year-old Sammy, who is mildly retarded, runs away from home and becomes a prisoner of Kevin, a wild kid living in the woods.

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About the Author:

Harry Mazer is the author of many books for young readers, including Please, Somebody Tell Me Who I Am; My Brother Abe; the Boy at War trilogy; The Wild Kid; The Dog in the Freezer; The Island Keeper; and Snow Bound. His books have won numerous honors, including a Horn Book honor and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults citation. Along with his wife, Norma Fox Mazer, Harry received an ALAN award in 2003 for outstanding contribution to adolescent literature. He lives in Montpelier, Vermont.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-8-Sammy's troubles keep escalating. First he is punished for being fresh to Mom's friend Carl. Then he goes off to the store by himself, which is forbidden, and his new bike is stolen when he fails to chain it. Chasing the thief, Sammy becomes lost. Mazer brings the boy to life without revealing to readers anything that Sammy wouldn't tell, until Kevin, a wild kid who holds him captive in the woods, asks him if he's dumb. He says, "No, I'm Down's. I'm young for my age. I'm a special person." Vividly and with a fast pace, Mazer describes Sammy's world, his awful predicament, his magnificent spirit, and his incredible determination. The wild kid gradually changes from a vicious monster into a friend. As Sammy says, "Just because you're not always good doesn't make you bad." During their time together, Kevin and Sammy learn some important lessons from one another. The sentences are short, the descriptions simple, and the interaction between the characters complex and intriguing. Readers need to piece together Kevin's history and decipher the sometimes conflicting statements that Sammy makes. Phrases often used with persons with disabilities echo throughout the narrative. Yet this is not a "special" book for "special" readers, as sometimes books are termed that are too difficult or too limited in appeal. It's for anyone looking for an adventure, a survival story on many levels, or a compelling read.
Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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