RUN FOR IT! [Kindle Edition]

Tom Bender (Author)

Book Description

Set in 1939 as the world goes to war RUN FOR IT! follows the cross-country path of two teenage American boys who witness a murder and run for their lives.

To the killers who are after them, Robert Bell and Merwyn Peterson look like easy prey. And they are -- a couple of yearlings separated by wolves from the herd.

Afraid to confide in their parents or go to the police, the boys try to escape their pursuers by staying close behind them - tailing them from Chicago to New York City and up the Atlantic coast to Eastport, Maine.

There, finally, in the Bay of Fundy, off Campobello Island, where the Roosevelts have their "little cottage," (twenty rooms!) the boys are caught.

They face a fate worse than death.

What they need, besides ingenuity and courage, is a miracle.

RUN FOR IT! is a coming of age story that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages from teens to senior adults.

Product Details

• File Size: 392 KB
• Print Length: 310 pages
• Publisher: SPS Publications; 1 edition (November 1, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004Z7SBY6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,912 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Run for It by Tom Bender May 25, 2011

By Ann Perdew

Format:Kindle Edition

We have a run across country by a couple of young boys who crash into 1939 history along with growing through a right of passage. You can hear the rumblings of WWII, the rapid gunfire of the mobs, along with the voice of reason in Eleanor Roosevelt. Just telling you this much makes me want to reread the adventures of the teenage heroes and their antagonists. As a teacher I highly recommend this as reading in English/social studies classes. In fact, I've donated a copy to my school for that very reason. Don't let this book escape your reading. It is pure pleasure with the added bonus of historical accuracy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Run For It October 3, 2012

By red pen

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. All the characters were believable and well drawn. I found the boys' luck, good fortune, and their responses to everything to be on the mark. I know that teens when presented with a difficult situation do rather well for themselves. Just consider the teens who escaped from Europe during WWII and walked all the way to Israel. I know of one who did this at 14. He arrived safely and lives to this day. I know of one teen who had herself declared an adult and took care of herself and her sibs. Teens are smart and resourceful. I know this and that is why I enjoyed the book so much. It is very possible for the characters to have had this interesting puzzle to solve.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Plot September 6, 2012

By Dave in Dearborn

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book was a good read even though the the action was a bit unrealistic to belive that 16 year olds would do what they did in this plot. However, the bottomline is that this might be a better book for adolescents than adults. The story bogged down in several parts in the last half of the book, but overall it was entertaining. It was a nice departure from other type of books I have been reading lately.

More About the Author

My interest in a writing career was sparked in college, where I happened to meet and interview James Jones, the author of the novel FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, for our university daily.

After college I served in the Army before taking a job as a newspaper editor. As a journalist I reported the first draft card burning in America for The New York Times.

After 10 years in the newspaper business I turned to speech writing. While pursuing that career for 25 years, I received a PhD in communication, and began teaching writing and public speaking to MBA candidates at the University of Cincinnati.

Eight years later, upon retiring from college teaching, I wrote my first novel, RUN FOR IT!

Set in 1939, the story tells of two boys who witness a murder and run for their lives. Prevailing against the bad guys in a cross-country adventure, they win the applause of Eleanor Roosevelt and the hearts of a couple of very independent girls.

Readers of all ages tell me they love RUN FOR IT! One reviewer called it "THE HARDY BOYS on Speed." A 13-year-old girl wrote me a note saying, "My new Number 1 favorite mystery book! It's better than Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon put together. Full of action and adventure, it's easy to see how it beats these classics."

My wife Beth and I live in The Villages. We have seven children, 16 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.