Customer Reviews

The Wild Kid

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this book, Sammy, a mentally handicapped kid runs off to find the stealer of his bike which he forgot to lock up when he comes across - or rather falls across - Kevin or "K-Man." At first Kevin is extremely nasty to Sammy, calling him dumb and treating him like rotten you-know-what but as the days go by, Kevin starts opening up and letting Sammy into his tight ring of friends consisting of himself. This is a great story about friendship, trust and understanding, a must read for anyone who wants to try something a little new.

The Wild Kid was something of a strange story for me to read. For starters I was slightly hesitant to read a story centered on a slightly "retarded" boy named Sammy. I have nothing against them but I assumed the storyline would make a big deal out of it and overdramatize the tweenager with Down's syndrome. To my elegant surprise the storyline doesn't even go out of its way to mention he has this "problem" save for maybe three times in the entire span of the book, which is something I was very thankful for.



That aside, I have to say I really enjoyed The Wild Kid; While the story itself is pretty straightforward -- almost to the point where it feels nothing really happens -- in what the side panel of the cover describes so adeptly. The way the author describes Sammy's escapades through the forest in search of his bike only to end up hostage of "feral" young man named Kevin is truly something that makes the wheels of the imagination turn.



At first, you want Sammy to run away because you really don't trust Kevin (especially with the way he treats the boy at first). However, as the story progresses you find yourself growing used to the harshness of Kevin's character and his strange interaction with the overly trusting Sammy. The only problem I think I have with The Wild Kid is the paragraphs are constructed in a sort of elementary way, for a younger audience to be honest. But all in all, I enjoyed reading this. A highly recommended story. ---- [a 4 out of 5]

Harry Mazer tackles a topic rarely covered by children's authors - - Down's Syndrome. Our youth need to better understand and respect special needs children, and this book helps that process. Sammy, the main character with Down's, portrays the struggles of his disability while also showing his strengths and sameness with other children his age. While I believe this novel has merit, I also have two complaints. One, the plot is not believable - - possibly probable, but not believable. For example, Sammy climbs a cliff only a professional rock climber could tackle. I realize authors may do this to create suspense, but Mazer carried it a little far in my opinion. Secondly, this novel also touches on the idea of abuse, a worthy topic for children. However, this conflict is not resolved. The abused boy, Kevin, had run away from home and he is still a runaway when the book ends. That is a serious issue to leave unresolved for children. Overall, this book is worth your time and your children's time to read. The plot is suspenseful, touching, and educational - - just not particularly believable.

I found this story exciting to read. At all times I worried about what would happen to Sammy and also to Kevin. We learn what happens to Sammy, but not to Kevin. I think readers will feel great empathy toward both characters and both situations.

This book
is so cool,the book has so many exciting events. This book has so much excitement in it. In this book a kid runs away from home because of his new father.While running away on his bike he got his bike stolen.While he is trying to get his bike back he gets lost in a forest when he meets THE WILD KID. Read this book and see what happens and all the exciting events that happend.

This is, hands down, one of the worst books I've ever read! It's poorly written, even downright stupid. There are some bits that are quite gory--much gorier than a children's book should be. However, the way the book is written, you'd expect it to be intended for 3rd-through-5th graders.

If I could give this book 0 stars, I would.

--Anna N., a 12-year-old who found this book to be utterly awful

Sammy, who is slightly retarded, ran away from home into the woods and became friends with a wild kid named Kevin. Both survived in the woods and had an adventure they will never forget. When Sammy asked to go home, Kevin would not allow him. Will Sammy have to live in the woods forever?

This book isn't really exciting because I couldn't relate to the characters. It was easy to read with good descriptive language. But, I still give it a two stars because it wasn't so boring, but not so great.

The Wild Kid is a book about a boy named Sammy who gets lost in the woods and tries to find his way back home. On his jouney a boy named keven finds him and kind of holds him in his cave in the woods, till one night Sammy got enough courage to find his own way back.