From Publishers Weekly
Set in 1962, this good-natured chronicle of a boy's summer-long search for his uncle is jam-packed with action and a heap of fortunate coincidences. After driving around the Southwest with his older brother Mike, Clay, 14, finds himself a job at a Monument Valley trading post. When a colorful prospector makes off with Mike's truck, leaving in exchange his trusty burro, Pal, Mike hightails it home. Clay, however, remains, and is duly rewarded with a snippet of news about his uncle. Encouraged, Clay packs up Pal and heads out; he happens upon the very family of Navajos that had befriended his uncle. The next stop is Utah, where Clay plunges headlong into his first romance, a jailbreak,stet comma and a noble scheme to liberate a herd of mustangs destined for the slaughterhouse. Hobbs's evident desire to educate his readers often leads to didactic dialogue: "You know, there's only about twenty thousand mustangs left in the whole country. The lead mare's drinking now, then the next in rank and so on. If the stallion tries to drink before all the rest are finished, the mares will run him off." Despite a few ungainly moments, this novel has the kind of charm that just seems to come naturally when a likable kid is put into some gorgeous countryside with a bunch of wild horses. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-- Clay Lancaster, 14, has dreamed of adventures on what he calls the Big Wander (his name for a journey without planned destinations), and finds them aplenty in this coming-of-age saga. He ends up on his own in the Southwest of 1962, without parent or older brother to rule him. Clay searches for his cowboy uncle (located in a Utah jail); befriends Navajos; and acquires a mustang, a dog, and a burro. Hobbs skillfully blends action scenes (flash flood, quicksand, and wild chases) with moments of humor and insight. Clay copes admirably with a series of incidents, although coincidence and friends' actions resolve some of his problems. He shows his stuff in tracking his way through the desert and rescuing a band of wild horses; while starry-eyed about the Wild West of John Wayne, he experiences real life pleasures and relationships, including an episode of unrequited love. Hobbs makes Clay a believable character, and creates a memorable supporting cast--even a villain with a heart of gold. Frequent references to classic Westerns, J. F. K., the Bomb, and Navajo traditions could lead readers to further investigations of these topics. --Charlene Strickland, formerly at Albuquerque Public Library , NM
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
