Winter Rescue (signed)

While helping his grandfather, who is an ice fisherman on Lake Winnipeg, Thor spots a man who has driven his snowmobile through a weak patch of ice, and the boy makes a dramatic attempt to rescue the drowning man.

Grade 1-4-While visiting his grandparents during Christmas vacation, Thor must help his grandfather set fishing nets on Lake Winnipeg. The boy reluctantly leaves the warmth and luxury of Saturday morning cartoons to learn about and help with the Bombardier, auger, and jigger. When a snowmobile cracks the ice and the driver falls into the water, real-life superhero Thor performs the rescue, braver than any cartoon character. Amazing, but possible, this edifying first book depicts the hard life of Icelandic-Canadian fishermen. The informative story includes realistic conversation and interesting description. The text drags a bit, though, and may not hold readers' attention until the dramatic climax. Zhang has captured well the cold, crisp scenes and the implementation of the fishing equipment. Thor's thoughts of himself as an aquaman and the cross-section views above and below the ice lend an understanding of the text. A gripping story of an unlikely, somewhat unwilling hero.
Marsha McGrath, Clearwater Public Library, FL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.