Runner
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Overview
But the weather-beaten sailboat Chance Taylor and his father call home is thirty years old and hasn’t sailed in years. One step from both homelessness and hunger, Chance worries about things other kids his age never give a thought: Where will the money come for the electricity bill, grocery bill, and moorage fees? So when a new job falls his way, he jumps at the opportunity. He knows how much he will earn; what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.
Synopsis
But the weather-beaten sailboat Chance Taylor and his father call home is thirty years old and hasn’t sailed in years. One step from both homelessness and hunger, Chance worries about things other kids his age never give a thought: Where will the money come for the electricity bill, grocery bill, and moorage fees? So when a new job falls his way, he jumps at the opportunity. He knows how much he will earn; what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.
Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT
Chance lives on a sailboat in Seattle's harbor, but it isn't exactly a "floating mansion." It's as beaten-up and beaten-down as his alcoholic father, who can't seem to hold a job. Chance's mother left long ago, and he worries each month about whether his father will manage to pay the bills. So when a man from the marina approaches Chance and offers him money to pick up and deliver mysterious packages on his daily run, Chance doesn't ask many questions, though he's pretty sure drugs are involved. At school, he's a "ghost-walker," just waiting to graduate and enlist in the army to get away, but a new friend named Melissa gets through to him. Her curiosity about his runs, however, nearly gets her in danger, and when Chance discovers that it's not just drugs he's helping to smuggle matters come to a head, with tragic consequences. Deuker, the author of Night Hoops and other YA novels, crafts a suspenseful and involving story that tackles timely issues of terrorism, patriotism, poverty, and privilege. Chance's dilemmas will quickly draw in readers and keep them turning the pages. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, 224p., Ages 12 to 18.
Editorials
Children's Literature
High-school student Chance Taylor lives with his father on a small boat in Puget Sound. His mom walked out years ago, and his dad cannot hold down a job and drinks excessively. To pay the bills, Chance picks up mysterious packages along the sound while he is out running and delivers them to unknown people. He does not know if he is smuggling drugs, jewels, or plastic explosives. At school, Chance is a below-average student with few friends and has no strong prospects of entering college. One girl, Melissa, befriends him, and in the end, saves his life as the packages turn out to be part of a plot to blow up the Sound. Chance's story is suspensefully told and easily engages the reader as the author creates a realistic and sympathetic character. Chance is forced to grow up at an early age and make tough decisions—decisions that cost the life of his father and the loss of a chance to be part of a family. Overall, the story presents a realistic view of a low-income teenager who falls out of the mainstream culture, and the overall plot reflects the tension of terrorism found in the post-9/11 world. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, Ages 15 to 18.—Patricia Silverberg
KLIATT
Chance lives on a sailboat in Seattle's harbor, but it isn't exactly a "floating mansion." It's as beaten-up and beaten-down as his alcoholic father, who can't seem to hold a job. Chance's mother left long ago, and he worries each month about whether his father will manage to pay the bills. So when a man from the marina approaches Chance and offers him money to pick up and deliver mysterious packages on his daily run, Chance doesn't ask many questions, though he's pretty sure drugs are involved. At school, he's a "ghost-walker," just waiting to graduate and enlist in the army to get away, but a new friend named Melissa gets through to him. Her curiosity about his runs, however, nearly gets her in danger, and when Chance discovers that it's not just drugs he's helping to smuggle matters come to a head, with tragic consequences. Deuker, the author of Night Hoops and other YA novels, crafts a suspenseful and involving story that tackles timely issues of terrorism, patriotism, poverty, and privilege. Chance's dilemmas will quickly draw in readers and keep them turning the pages. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, 224p., Ages 12 to 18.—Paula Rohrlick
VOYA
Readers will be hooked to this fast-paced book from the first sentence and quickly become eager to learn more about Chance's dangerous new job. Teens will relate to references about war, terrorism, and life in a post-September 11 world. Deuker uses the different characters to illustrate the many opinions and feelings that people have about war and patriotism. Although the plot is somewhat predictable, Deuker adds subtle twists and turns that keep the book interesting. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Houghton Mifflin, 224p., $16. Ages 11 to 15.—Kristen Moreland, Teen Reviewer