Kidnapping Kevin Kowalski [Library Binding]

Mary Jane Auch (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

When a terrible accident partially disables Kevin and makes his mother overprotective of him, his best friends Ryan and Mooch decide that the only way to liberate him is to kidnap him.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-- Two months after a near-fatal bicycle accident, Kevin returns home from a rehabilitation center to find his friends, Ryan and Mooch, uneasily waiting to see if he can still lead them in the dubiously innocent activities that normally engage 12 year olds. Kevin has a steel plate in his head, some loss of memory, and other potential physical difficulties. His most pressing handicap, however, is his mother, who is smothering her son with overprotectiveness. Ryan and Mooch assume the roles of liberators and kidnap Kevin, taking him to a familiar but well-concealed campsite near their homes. There they prod him into some initial steps toward self-sufficiency. When they goad each other into a swim in an abandoned ore bed pit, Kevin's innate prowess leads him too far out and into trouble, but in the end, he saves his friends. Thus, he gains the inspiration he needs to believe in himself again. Through Ryan's clear narrative, Auch defines three totally genuine and likable boys, deftly revealing their hopes, hurts, and fears. Character development runs hand in glove with the boys' understanding of the importance of one's own actions and reactions. Ryan's healthy family, Kevin's concerned one, and Mooch's nonfamily are all believable. Through this book, readers will gain a new sense of the reciprocity inherent in lasting friendship. --Katharine Bruner, Brown Middle School, Harrison, TN
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 124 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823408159
• ISBN-13: 978-0823408153
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,684,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I read while growing up..., June 23, 2011

By 

andrewkwil - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kidnapping Kevin Kowalski (Paperback)

I wasn't much of a reader in school but I read this book in 5th or 6th grade and I recall thoroughly enjoying this book. To this day I believe it is the most intrigued I have ever been while reading a novel.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A deservinng winner of the caldicot award., June 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kidnapping Kevin Kowalski (Library Binding)

I read this book in my sixth grade year, this was one of the first books that I ever read, this book was the reason I like reading today.