The Drop

August 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-Alex, Bryce, Hope, and Dave are in training to be Backcountry Patrollers, snowboarders who rescue people lost in the mountains of British Columbia. One night, Bryce disappears. When the group's teacher, snowboarding legend Sam, won't help look for him, the teens are on their own to find out what happened to their friend. Setting and snowboarding are the stars in this novel: mountain conditions and scenery are vividly described, from dangerous weather to spectacular vistas. Readers need not be regular snowboarders to appreciate the extended descriptions of the sport: they will feel the exhilaration of every turn and jump. The writing is crisp, and the plot moves along quickly. The audience for this book will not likely mind that character descriptions and relationships take a backseat to the action. Give this one to reluctant readers who like sports adventure stories that move at a downhill pace.-M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Grades 4-7 Chock-full of snowboarding action, this slender title in the Orca Sports line takes teenage Alex and three other hopefuls trying out for British Columbia's elite Back Country Patrol down a mountain that not only features the aptly named Dead Man's Drop and other natural hazards, from storms to an avalanche, but kidnappers as well. When fellow student Bryce vanishes from their one-room cabin overnight and their suddenly passive instructor's phone stops working, Alex takes charge to organize a searchand then to brave the Drop along with timorous but ultimately steady Hope to follow a pair of ruffians down the slopes and set up an ambush. A snowboarder himself, Ross keeps characters and their interrelationships sketchy and simple, cranks up the pacing and suspense, and finishes off with confessions that neatly tie up all the loose ends. Except for references to half pipes, the jargon is nearly nonexistent, so even below-grade readers and those who are hazy on winter sports will slalom smoothly through the adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)