Wildfire Run

August 15, 2010
A breakneck adventure in the unusual setting of Camp David features the president's son Luke and his two pals, Theo and Callie. Theo is a geeky guy who likes to build robots and is new to the Secret Service protocols that are normal for Luke. Callie is the daughter of a chef who's worked at another presidential home and is not particularly happy about his being transferred to Camp David. When a horrid and utterly unbelievable set of coincidences finds them trapped on the compound without any adult help, they must outwit the many security measures in place to thwart criminals and terrorists that now keep these kids from escaping a wildfire resulting from carelessness in the aftermath of a major earthquake. It's all plot, and unlikely at that, but it's fairly tightly written to focus on the spontaneous inventions and ingenuity that are required of these uncannily capable 12-year-olds. Mostly harmless MacGyver-esque foolishness, this gadget-filled thriller is expressly calculated to hit the sweet spot for middle-grade readers who like their survival literature laced with technology. (Adventure. 9-12)

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September 1, 2010

Gr 3-7-Luke, son of the president, worries deeply about terrorists and crazy people. While he is on vacation at Camp David with best friend and fellow robotics nut Theo, he feels safer than he has in a long time. Just after Callie, the assistant chef's daughter and Luke's longtime enemy, arrives, a disastrous earthquake strikes. When a wildfire surrounds the camp, injuring and possibly killing several adults during evacuation, Luke and his friends are left on their own and must use their wits to overcome nature's worst. Kids will enjoy the adventure and realistic characters. Luke and friends may be part of the country's elite, but they bicker and problem-solve just like regular kids. As Luke develops into a more confident boy, readers will cheer for his progress. Most interesting are the contraptions and gadgets built by the children in order to overcome obstacles and up their chances of survival. Recommend this to fans of T. S. Fields's Danger in the Desert (Rising Moon, 1997) and Gary Paulsen's Hatchet (Bradbury, 1987). An accessible story with lots of action.-Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2010
Grades 4-7 Long on action and brief of chapter, this suspenseful survival tale debuts the Dangers Edge series, which promises to make riveting fare for middle-graders. Luke is initially pleased to stay behind at Camp David when his father, the president, is called away to deal with a massive earthquake that has struck the Midwest. Then a sudden wildfire sweeps out of the neighboring park and an auto accident at the entrance gate during the hasty evacuation triggers the camps electronic protective systems while disabling or killing his entire security detail. Locked inside an electrified fence, without means of communication with the outside and in danger of being fried in any number of ways, Luke and two friends face the double challenge of breaking through multiple rings of automated security (all invented, claims the author) and escaping a fast-moving, windblown fire. Along with a breathlessly paced plot, Garretson crafts a preteen protagonist who grows out of being a whiny, moody sort and, with his companions, displays generous measures of courage and ingenuity in rising to the occasion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)