Go Big or Go Home [Hardcover]

Will Hobbs (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. . . .

Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball comes crashing through the roof of his house. Brady immediately calls up his cousin, Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme thing ever!

Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Professor Rip Ripley from the museum in Hill City wants to study a sliver of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria. He's hoping to discover the first proof of life beyond Earth, a momentous breakthrough for the new science of astrobiology.

During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady and Quinn battle their rivals, the notorious Carver boys, for possession of the meteorite. With each new day, Brady is discovering he's able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn't be possible. At the same time, he's developing some frightening symptoms. Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is Fred a prize or a menace?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When a meteorite crashes through the roof of Brady’s home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the young astrophile is excited beyond belief. He names it Fred (for “Far Roaming Earth Diver”) and calls his cousin Quinn over to check it out. The two are enamored of anything extreme or insane and deem this space rock “extremely insane” before setting out for a headlong series of bicycling, fishing, and caving adventures. When Brady starts to surpass his normal physical limitations, it becomes apparent that the meteorite might have brought along some hidden visitors with it from outer space. Hobbs captures young teen dialogue well, and the characters are all easy to like in this solid adventure. Reluctant readers who’d rather be airborne than chairbound will appreciate the two young boys’ penchant for pushing the envelope, and the postulations involving extremophile organisms is a neat twist with just a hint of science behind it, even if it leads to a few mildly preposterous situations by the end. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

Review

“This fast-moving tale by an author known for exciting survival stories...is full of sports action...intriguing.” (KLIATT )

“Hobbs is in great form here...mysterious and compelling-the pace moves along swiftly...powerful.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

“With convincing, first-person narration, a fast pace and plenty of suspense, this is a welcome addition to Hobbs’s extremely reader-pleasing work.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“Offering something to tantalize nearly every boyish taste, this title is a great choice for reluctant readers.” (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060741414
• ISBN-13: 978-0060741419
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

WILL HOBBS is the author of eighteen exciting outdoor adventure novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels have been named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and Ghost Canoe, Will's first mystery, won the Edgar Allan Poe national award for Best Young Adult Mystery. The ALA's list of the "100 Best Young Adult Books of the 20th Century" includes two of Will's titles: Far North and Downriver.

A graduate of Stanford University and a former reading and language arts teacher, Will lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado. Visit Will's website at www.willhobbsauthor.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars go big or go home, April 28, 2008

By 

Belinda Strebel "Streebs Class" (IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Go Big or Go Home (Hardcover)

Go Big Or Go Home
In the Black Hills of South Dakota one dark summer night, a meteor shower started. Little balls of fire crashed down to earth with super sonic speed. Brady heard a big boom coming from the house and he ran back to find a hole in his roof. He finds a meteorite on the floor of his bedroom. While days go by, strange and weird thing start happening to Brady. He gets amazing amounts of energy, strength and courage to do extreme things like going real fast on a dirt bike or doing a slam-dunk in basketball.
I love this book because it is grabbing and funny. It contains adventure and extreme sports. I recommend this book to any one that likes an adventure or a little bit of mystery. It was hard to put this book down because every page is like a new chapter in Brady's life. I didn't want to put this book down; it was that great.








Teddy R

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Read: Go Big or Go Home, October 13, 2008

By 

Jane Healy (South Dakota USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Go Big or Go Home (Hardcover)

Popular author for young adults, Will Hobbs, has written another great adventure story for upper elementary/middle school kids. This one, set in South Dakota's Black Hills, includes astrobiology, biology, geology, fishing, caving, biking, friends and family--to the extreme. It's a fun, captivating read with some amazing lessons sneaked in.

3.0 out of 5 stars Go home, November 11, 2011

By 

T. Misbach (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Go Big or Go Home (Hardcover)

Obviously, a main factor here is my age. It's not on my level, but I heard talk about the book and decided to check it out. I really wish that I hadn't. It was an alright book, but if I had known before I wouldn't have started it.

The book starts out with a young boy who loves sports and the outdoors. He's particularly gifted in the aspect of sports. Life is normal and happy for him, until the day that a meteor shower takes place. Usually this would be nothing, he knows meteor showers occur all the time. However, what he didn't know was that danger could result from one. When a meteor lands in his room, barely missing him, things change. He studies it and shows it his friends and all are excited. As a young boy, he believes that he can fetch a price with the meteor. But this meteor may not be what it seems. After finding the meteor, all kinds of things are happening to him, not all of them good. Is it because of the meteor?

It was the way the characters were portrayed, that bugged me the most. For the level that this book was written on, I believe the characters should have been in better taste. They were somewhat unrealistic and contradictory to society. However, the plot idea was original and superb and I really liked the entire concept. It is simply one of the books that one reads and it eventually fades into the back round.