books about challenge
Jungle Dogs
by Graham Salisbury
Sixth-grader "Boy" Regis may be afraid of the wild dogs that lurk along his
paper route, but he's no sissy. How can he prove that to his brother,
who uses his fists to settle scores? By facing one of his greatest fears on his own
terms, Boy learns that courage comes in many different shapes. Tightly-written,
fast-paced, thought-provoking... this story will appeal to a broad range of
readers but may be a special treat for the more reluctant. Boy's challenge to
himself will resonate deeply, with boys especially.
Cowboy Ghost
by Robert Newton Peck
Wow. This one may surprise those of you who thought Peck dallied a bit in his Amishly-slow A Day No Pigs Would Die and
A Sheltering Sky (both of which I thought were exquisit and rich because of Peck's command of
language, but I know that many people thought they were too slow...). His latest is a rip-roaring, action-packed
cattle drive into the dangerous Florida wilderness and into the heart of a boy's coming of age. Before
sixteen-year-old Tee MacRobertson can prove to his domineering father and the rest of the cowhands at the Spur Box
cattle ranch that he's ready to take on adult responsibilities, Tee has to convince himself that he's
ready. Is that mysterious cowboy ghost he meets in the barn haunting him or guiding him? Brilliant,
moving, intense, breath-taking. I hope this one wins an award or two.
Wrestling Sturbridge
by Rich Wallace
Ben has to win the state wrestling championship... even if it means going against his
best friend to do it. Ben has to get out of Sturbridge, PA. There is no way in hell he
is willing to spend the rest of his life there. He needs a college scholarship. The
pressure is on... if he doesn't win, he just might explode. Robert Cormier describes
the nuances here much better than I can: "In a beautifully understated first novel, Rich
Wallace brings the town and the teenager achingly alive as Ben wrestles not only his high
school opponents but with the big issues of life and love and the choices a teenager must make."
Reluctant readers, take note: you won't be able to stop turning the pages of this one!
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
by Jennifer Armstrong
Know anyone who yawns whenever the history lesson begins? You, perhaps? Well, prepare to be
blasted out of your boredom! Here is one chapter from history with more adventure and bravery
than a Steven Spielberg flick. This is the TRUE story of Ernest Shackleton and crew's ill-fated
journey to Antarctica in 1914. They were to be the first explorers ever to cross the Antarctic
continent. Unfortunately, just 100 miles from the Antarctic shores, their ship was trapped and
crushed by the frozen sea. And that's not all... The team suffered numerous other
challenges, too, but guess what?... every single crew-member -- from the banjo-playing meteorologist to the dare-devil
photographer to the young stow-away -- survived the ordeal. Thanks to Shackleton's brave leadership,
for sure. I know that I don't review nonfiction books here, but this one
is so captivating, so well-written that I think teens everywhere will devour it. Great photographs, too!
Reluctant readers, especially, need to set their eyes on this one.
Roughnecks
by Thomas Cochran
If you pay attention on the field, football can teach you a lot about life. At least,
that's what Travis Cody thinks. Lined up against his opponent, ready to smash in and
block... it all seems to be about survival, about finding out who the winners are and who
the losers are. One single moment on the field could determine the rest of his life... or
could it? On the eve of the most important game of his life, Travis Cody is about to
discover a whole new layer in the puzzle of life.
