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Jack's Run

Name: Jack's Run
Author: Roland Smith
ISBN: 9781423104070

by Roland Smith, Tk

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Overview

When Jack Osborne's father was arrested for drug trafficking, he agreed to tell the authorities everything he knew about his ex-boss, the ruthless drug czar Alonzo Asnar. But betraying a man as powerful as Alonzo has consequences. The Osbornes have spent the last year in hiding, forced to take on new identities and live under the close surveillance of the Witness Security Program.

Now, with his trial date fast approaching, Alonzo's hunt for Jack's family intensifies. One slip up, and Alonzo will find them, making sure no Osborne survives to testify against him. Jack has messed up once before, and he won't do it again. Unfortunately, someone else in the family hasn't been as careful .

Kidnapped by drug czar Alonzo Asnar and held hostage in Argentina, Jack and his sister Joanne attempt a daring escape while their parents, aided by some old friends, set out to rescue them.

Synopsis

When Jack Osborne’s father was arrested for drug trafficking, he agreed to tell the authorities everything he knew about his ex-boss, the ruthless drug czar Alonzo Asnar. But betraying a man as powerful as Alonzo has consequences. The Osbornes have spent the last year in hiding, forced to take on new identities and live under the close surveillance of the Witness Security Program.

Now, with his trial date fast approaching, Alonzo’s hunt for Jack’s family intensifies. One slip up, and Alonzo will find them, making sure no Osborne survives to testify against him. Jack has messed up once before, and he won’t do it again. Unfortunately, someone else in the family hasn’t been as careful….

Publishers Weekly

In Zach's Lie (which PW called, "a suspenseful adventure"), readers learned that Zach Granger is really Jack Osborne, living under a pseudonym because his father was put in prison for transporting drugs for a ruthless cartel. In Jack's Run by Roland Smith, Jack and his sister are kidnapped by drug lord Alonzo Aznar's thugs. Can they escape before they are killed? Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, Roland Smith

Roland Smith is the author of Zach's Lie, an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; Cryptid Hunters; Thunder Cave; Jaguar; The Last Lobo; and Sasquatch. He lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with his wife Marie, who also writes children's books.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature

Changing your name and living a different life is not the normal existence of a teenager. In the exhilarating sequel to Zach's Lie, that is exactly what the Osborne children, Joanne and Jack, have to do in order to survive. They have to be very careful in order to hide from Alonzo, the drug ring leader, and his posse. After moving to California and Argentina, Jack and his family find out that running may not keep them alive. When Joanne messes up big time, the family is found. Jack and Joanne are kidnapped and try to escape. This story has an action-packed plot that will hook any reluctant reader. The characters are believable, but the story will be read for the suspense and action of the plot. 2005, Hyperion Books, Ages 10 up.
—Kelly Grebinoski

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-In Zach's Lie (Hyperion, 2001), Jack Osborne's father agreed to testify against drug czar Alonzo Aznar. Although the family joined the Witness Security Program, Aznar eventually found them and notified his minions, and Jack narrowly escaped death at their hands. In this thrilling sequel, Smith provides enough background to understand Jack's past and the pressures that he now faces. His older sister, Joanne, has moved to L.A., where she plans to attend college and pursue a musical career. His father, under close watch by the U.S. Marshal Service, is scheduled to testify at the trial. For his own safety, Jack is sent to live with Joanne. When he arrives, he discovers that she has been selected for an American Idol-type show, and that her image has been splashed all over the news media. Aznar's men find and kidnap the siblings and move them to a vineyard in South America. From that point, the author tells the story from dual perspectives: that of Jack and Joanne as they try to escape and that of their parents and their struggle to find their children. The two story lines collide when the Osbornes arrive at the vineyard, posing as dealers. The action is nonstop and the characters are compelling. The fast pace will keep even reluctant readers interested. A highly entertaining read.-Emily Garrett, Naaman Forest High School, Garland, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

After a narrow escape from the drug dealers in whose trial Jack's father will testify (Zach's Lie, 2001), Jack and his family have returned to the dubious safety of the Witness Security Program. They seem safe enough until Jack's painfully stupid sister, Joanne, successfully auditions for the reality television show American SuperStar. When she appears on national television-under a false name, but giving the genuine location of their hidden parents-the gig is up. Agents of drug kingpin Alonzo Aznar promptly kidnap Jack and Joanne and hustle them off to a ranch, an Argentinean hideaway that's a complete reproduction of an Old West town. Jack and Joanne, held to ensure that their father doesn't testify, escape in the muddle of a drug syndicate hootenanny in full Old West style. Meanwhile, their parents rush to the rescue with the help of former janitor and KGB agent Sam. Despite tense, action-packed escapes, the conclusion strains the bounds of credulity. (Fiction. 9-12)