Flash Point - Hardcover

Collard, Sneed B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1561453854 ISBN 13: 9781561453856

Publisher: Peachtree Pub Co Inc, 2006

Synopsis

As wildfires threaten his home, his stepfather’s livelihood, and the raptors he has come to love, Luther struggles to resolve the conflicts in his community and the ones inside himself.
The town of Heartwood, Montana is burning out of control. Stoked by nearby wildfires, long-standing disputes over forestry policies have been reignited, pitting out-of-work local residents against environmentalists and state wildlife managers. At the center of the heated dispute is high school sophomore Luther Wright.
Luther used to be just like all his friends, playing football and partying every chance he got. But now he spends his time helping the local veterinarian Kay rehabilitate injured raptors. Against the backdrop of Montana’s worst wildfire season in years, Luther begins questioning many of the community’s basic precepts, and in doing so faces alienation. But when someone starts shooting Kay’s birds and suspicious fires start breaking out, Luther is drawn into a situation far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.
Award-winning author Sneed B. Collard III offers readers an affecting, realistic portrait of a teenage boy who learns to navigate a difficult course between standing up for what he believes and maintaining loyalty to his family and friends. Collard also provides a balanced look at the difficulties of balancing competing environmental and economic interests.

About this title

About the Author

SNEED B. COLLARD III is a biologist, world traveler, speaker, and author of more than forty books for young people, including Dog Sense, Leaving Home, The Forest In The Clouds, Animal Dads, and Our Wet World. Collard graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in marine biology and also a holds a master's degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. A native Californian, Collard now resides in Missoula, Montana. Visit Sneed Collard's website at www.sneedbcollardiii.com.

Reviews

Grade 7-10–High school sophomore Luther, an ex-football player, finds himself at odds with his logger stepfather and his peers as forest fires blaze near Heartwood, MT. A hinted-at incident at last season's play-off celebration soured Luther on sports and the party scene and turned former teammate Warren Juddson into an enemy. Now, Luther works for Kay, a vet who rehabilitates raptors, and his interest in the birds has caused his priorities to change. While many residents blame the fires on government policies restricting logging in national forests, Luther believes the issue is more complex. He and new friend–and crush–Alex, daughter of a Fish and Wildlife officer, create the Student Forest Society, and the teens are soon ostracized for their views. Tensions grow when Luther takes Kay's prized falcon out to fly and the bird is shot and killed. Believing Warren is to blame, Luther starts a fight that ends in suspension for both boys. When fire comes to Heartwood, he heroically saves the birds and Kay's house. While he recovers from his injuries, he comes to terms with his guilt over the party incident (vandalism). Luther is a sympathetic, believable character. Information about logging, forest fires, and birds of prey is skillfully integrated. Environmentally minded teens will appreciate this look at current issues within a coming-of-age story.–Laurie Slagenwhite, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI
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Edition details

• Publisher: Peachtree Pub Co Inc
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1561453854
• ISBN 13: 9781561453856
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 214