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Daredevil Club by Pam Withers β€” book cover

Daredevil Club

by Pam Withers
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Overview

Kip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right.

Synopsis

Kip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right. Pam Withers is the best-selling author of several sports adventure novels for kids including Camp Wild and Breathless. Pam lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Children's Literature

Kip and three of his friends form a high adventure club called the Daredevils. They have accomplished three out of seven dangerous stunts when the reader is introduced to the group. Kip is now at a disadvantage, however, as during the most recent stunt—a jump off the cliffs at a nearby lake—he hit an underwater boulder and severely damaged his leg. Using a cane and going to physiotherapy sessions may have slowed his body down but he feels the need to prove to himself, his friends, and their rival club the Wildmen, that he is still a leader and the same old Kip. Valuing friendships, learning to love yourself no matter what emotional or physical state you are in, and reaching out to the world rather than wallowing in one's own self pity, are all themes presented in this slim book written in a larger than usual typeset. The interest of younger readers will be kept by the fast pace of the sequence of events. The impetus for this book was the author's back injury, which found her wondering what would happen if a person continued taking excessive risks after a serious injury, in order to keep up with their unbroken self. Recommended.

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Editorials

Canadian Book Review Annual

"This is a riveting story that will appeal to reluctant middle-school male readers. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"A novel with considerable appeal to reluctant male readers. Recommended."

TeensReadToo.com

"Reluctant readers will be motivated by the fast-paced action scenes."

VOYA - Susan Allen

The fourth stunt of the seven that the Daredevil Club has planned causes problems. While jumping off a cliff into the lake, club leader Kip shatters his leg. After spending months in physiotherapy, he is back with the group and they are completing their dares before the copycat group, the Wildmen, beat them to it. Meanwhile Kip's physiotherapist is running out of money to keep his center open and is going to have to close. Elyse, a volunteer at the physiotherapy center and goody-two-shoe classmate, asks Kip to help put together a town carnival to raise money for the physiotherapy center. What to do? The competition between the groups of boys is realistic, as is their determination to do riskier and riskier stunts. There is a tension in the book that will hold any reader's interest. The vocabulary, sentence structure, and length, make this high-interest novel in the Orca Currents series an easy read.

KLIATT - Deanne Lautenbach

Four teenage boys living in a small town create a club focusing on dangerous stunts. Kip Fox, a newcomer and the leader of the Daredevil Club, is seriously injured while performing one of the stunts. Fearing he will lose the respect of his friends and his position as leader of this group, Kip continues participating in the stunts to prove that he is still physically able. When his friends betray him by attempting a last stunt without him, he becomes angry. However, he soon realizes that there is real danger in what they are doing and his friends' safety is more important than any stunt. Kip focuses his energy on setting up a street festival in hopes of saving the town's physical-therapy clinic. With the support of his friends, he brings the townspeople together, raises enough money, and keeps the clinic open. By the end of the book, Kip has learned many lessons about being a good leader and a true friend. This is an easy book to read and a good choice for students who are not interested in reading. Readers will be caught up in the fast-paced action and the adventurous nature of the stunts. This novel for junior high school readers is a good addition to a library's general collection.

Children's Literature - Cindy L. Carolan

Kip and three of his friends form a high adventure club called the Daredevils. They have accomplished three out of seven dangerous stunts when the reader is introduced to the group. Kip is now at a disadvantage, however, as during the most recent stuntβ€”a jump off the cliffs at a nearby lakeβ€”he hit an underwater boulder and severely damaged his leg. Using a cane and going to physiotherapy sessions may have slowed his body down but he feels the need to prove to himself, his friends, and their rival club the Wildmen, that he is still a leader and the same old Kip. Valuing friendships, learning to love yourself no matter what emotional or physical state you are in, and reaching out to the world rather than wallowing in one's own self pity, are all themes presented in this slim book written in a larger than usual typeset. The interest of younger readers will be kept by the fast pace of the sequence of events. The impetus for this book was the author's back injury, which found her wondering what would happen if a person continued taking excessive risks after a serious injury, in order to keep up with their unbroken self. Recommended.

Book Details

Published
September 1, 2006
Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Pages
112
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781551436142

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