ONE WRONG STEP — Review

Thought for the Day:

“The difference between the ‘almost right’ word and the ‘right’ word is really a large matter … ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
~ Mark Twain ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I’m always interested when I see a post about villains. HERE Natalie Hart, writing for Writer Unboxed, has a post called Do You Really Want to Get to Know the Villain? It gave me a lot to think about.

A big question for those of us trying to get our work published is “Is it ready?”. HERE K. M. Allan has a good post with 5 Ways To Tell If Your Manuscript Is Ready.

When thinking about exposition, I always hear Desi Arnaz in my head saying, “Lucy, you got some ‘splaining to do!” Do we really need to explain so much? HERE is a Narrative Nugget by Janice Hardy about explaining in your stories.

I won’t be here next week. I will be going to Weston, Vermont to see my daughter Maggie in a show about John Denver called Almost Heaven at the Weston Theatre Company. If you click on the link, you will see a photo of the cast on stage. Maggie is just to the right of center with a guitar. If you are in the area, the show closes next Sunday afternoon. You still have time. We will go to Boston for a couple days, and if the weather holds, I will get to check one more ballpark off my list and see a game at Fenway Park (Rockies vs. Red Sox) then on to New York where we will see John Proctor is a Villain on Broadway. I’ve heard it’s great. Lots of fun things, and I get to spend some time with Maggie! It will also give me some solid reading time in airports and on planes. I’m going to actually read an adult book for my book club. I will pack a couple of middle-grade books for backup, just in case I have flight delays. Always a possibility.

I’m always on the lookout for survivor stories. We have so many natural disasters due to climate change that most of the MG survivor stories are contemporary. ONE WRONG STEP by Jennifer A. Nielsen is an exception to that. This book is a survivor story, an adventure story, and historical fiction all wrapped up in one book. I’ve talked before about the former category of Tween that I think disappeared for no good reason. I would put this book in the category of Tween. This will be a great book for upper-middle-graders who are fairly sophisticated readers. Here is my review.

It’s 1939 when Alex Wade’s father takes Alex on an expedition to summit Mt. Everest. Alex is 12 and has been hiking and climbing all his life. No one has successfully climbed Everest yet, and Alex’s father won’t let him go past base camp. (It’s just Alex and his dad since Alex’s mother died a few years ago. Still, she is a presence in the story as she had also been a climber and encouraged Alex to keep going.) Alex isn’t happy that there is a girl his age, Maddie, brought by her father on the expedition. Alex and Maddie are left behind with a sherpa, Chodak, when the rest of the team goes up to complete the climb, but there is an avalanche near the top, and the team may have been lost. But a radio signal sends Alex, Maddie, and Chodak on a rescue mission. Chodak is injured, and Alex and Maddie continue on their own. It is far from an easy journey for them.

Jennifer A. Nielsen has written an exciting story with plenty of problems and danger to keep the pages turning. The characters are all well-rounded and believable, and the setting becomes a major character in the story, challenging all the other characters in ways they often don’t see coming. The writing is excellent, and the story is most compelling. The book is marketed as being for 8-12 year olds, but 10-14 makes more sense. Older kids and adults will also enjoy it.

Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.