River Danger [Hardcover]

Thomas J. Dygard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 1998

Eric expects fresh air and campfires when he and his little brother, Robbie, head down the Buffalo River in their canoe. But their wilderness trek turns deadly when they stumble upon a car-theft ring operating out of an isol ated old barn. '

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9ARobbie Douglas, 11, is scheduled to take a canoe trip with his father down the Buffalo River in Arkansas. When his father is injured, the boy's brother, Eric, who just graduated from high school, is asked to substitute, which he does with much reluctance. On the second day into their trip, they discover an old barn that is being used by a car-theft ring. When Eric is captured by the criminals, Robbie's courage is challenged as he must plan a rescue. After finding his way through the wilderness, he locates the main road and flags down a car, which happens to be occupied by an off-duty policeman. When the authorities are called in to capture the thieves, Eric is briefly held hostage, but manages to escape. After the incident, the boys, fresh with a new appreciation for one another, are allowed to resume their trip. This is standard Dygard fare, with fast-paced action, excitement, and danger. While the characters are predictable, especially the bad guys, the story is appealing, the brotherly conflict is realistically portrayed, and the river scenes are convincing. Undemanding readers, especially those with outdoor interests, will enjoy this book.ATim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-12. An accidental encounter with a group of car thieves spells trouble for two brothers as they begin a canoe trip down Arkansas' Buffalo River. Wandering through the woods, 11-year-old Robbie gets lost, but it's older brother Eric whose life is threatened when his search for Robbie leads him to an isolated barn serving as some criminals' chop shop. While Eric is held captive, Robbie must devise a plan to free his brother and secure their safety. From the first page, tension mounts as the brothers question the antagonists' suspicious behavior. Several unexpected plot twists keep the reader engaged, and although the suspense in the latter part of the adventure is not as strong as the set-up, the resolution is both plausible and satisfying. Departing from his usual sports-theme novels, which have won him acclaim, Dygard proves once again that appealing, believable characters in any context are the strength of good fiction. Roger Leslie

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688148522
• ISBN-13: 978-0688148522
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,216,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who finds who?, December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: River Danger (Hardcover)

This was an interesting book, but it started out slow. I had trouble at first knowing what was going on since it jumped around a lot. I liked the idea of the code that Robbie used. he went out into the wood a lot by himself, so it was important. When there was an emergency the code did work well. The author did a good job of describing the scenes so that I could picture the places in my mind. This is a good book for people who like adventure and the outdoors.

Seth Hahlen

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is fantastic, February 5, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: River Danger (Hardcover)

This book is fantastic. It is about a boy named Robbie and his older brother Eric, who go on a canoe trip. When they are camping they see some men bring a rowboat into a river and a couple minutes later the people back into their truck and drive off. In the morning Eric and his brother Robbie paddle out on their canoe. After a long day of paddling, they decided to make camp. Robbie asks Eric if he can go into the woods and get some leaves and other things. While Robbie is in the woods he sees a deer, and he decides to follows it. Unfortunately, he can't find the deer and he gets lost. Trying to find the way back, he sees a barn. Once he reaches it, he sees the two men who owned the rowboat and who looked scary, so he decides to stand still so they can't see him. Eric was making a campfire when he realized that Robbie had been gone for hours. While Eric is trying to find Robbie, he saw a light and a barn. Once he reaches the barn he runs in and he sees to men staring at him with angry faces.
What do you think will happen next? Read the book to find out more.
I would give this book five stars for of its pretty funny scenes. One is when they were afraid of a cow. Another reason I gave this book five stars is because of its heart pounding scenes.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is fantastic, February 5, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: River Danger (Hardcover)

This book is fantastic. It is about a boy named Robbie and his older brother Eric, who go on a canoe trip. When they are camping they see some men bring a rowboat into a river and a couple minutes later the people back into their truck and drive off. In the morning Eric and his brother Robbie paddle out on their canoe. After a long day of paddling, they decided to make camp. Robbie asks Eric if he can go into the woods and get some leaves and other things. While Robbie is in the woods he sees a deer, and he decides to follows it. Unfortunately, he cant find the deer and he gets lost. Trying to find the way back, he sees a barn. Once he reaches it, he sees the two men who owned the rowboat and who looked scary, so he decides to stand still so they cant see him. Eric was making a campfire when he realized that Robbie had been gone for hours. While Eric is trying to find Robbie, he saw a light and a barn. Once he reaches the barn he runs in and he sees to men staring at him with angry faces.
What do you think will happen next? Read the book to find out more.
I would give this book five stars for of its pretty funny scenes. One is when they were afraid of a cow. Another reason I gave this book five stars is because of its heart pounding scenes.