Take Me to the River

by Will Hobbs

Overview

Acclaimed author Will Hobbs has won numerous awards for his fiction, and seven of his novels have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Inspired by Hobbs¿ own journey through the Rio Grande¿s canyons near the border with Mexico, Take Me to the River is a thrilling tale. Fourteen-year-old Dylan and his cousin are paddling the Rio Grande when they see six Black Hawk helicopters fly into Mexico. The army won¿t say what¿s happening, but they do tell the boys a hurricane is approaching. Undeterred, the boys continue their journey, unaware of what lies ahead.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—Dylan, 14, arrives in the Terlingua Ghost Town of West Texas, looking forward to paddling the Rio Grande with an uncle and a cousin he has never met. However, he quickly discovers that his uncle has taken a temporary job in Alaska and his 15-year-old cousin, Rio, is home alone. The boys decide that they can run the river on their own and are soon on their way. They run into a hurricane named Dolly, a murderous gangster, and a young boy in jeopardy. Will Hobbs's fast-paced adventure story (HarperCollins. 2011) will hold the attention of listeners. Detailed descriptions help ground the tale and give it a sense of place. Steven Boyer gives each character a distinct voice. Dylan, who narrates the tale, comes across as matter of fact, fitting the character well. Boyer does a nice job of pacing so that the tension builds and listeners are in a state of constant anticipation. For action-adventure fans looking for a unique setting.—Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library, UT

Children's Literature - Janis Flint-Ferguson

When fifteen-year-old Dylan Sands arrives in Texas to take a whitewater river trip on the Rio Grande, he expects to see his uncle and cousin waiting for him. The fact that they are not at the bus stop is only the first indication that this is not going to be just a river trip. Dylan finds his cousin Rio, and the pair embark on the trip without adult supervision and straight into the remnants of a hurricane. Together they need to use their wits and their previous water experience to maneuver the raft and the canoe through the politically and physically dangerous waters along the Texas and Mexico border. Their trip is both astounding adventure and questionable decision making. When they meet up with Carlos and Diego, a pair attempting to cross the border and enter the United States illegally, everything changes and they soon find themselves paddling for their lives and the lives of their newfound passengers. The Texas border is not a safe place and their decision to travel in the face of National Guard presence does ask the reader to suspend disbelief. At the end, the boys face the consequences of their recklessness. In fact, given all that the boys go through, the ending is just too simplistic, but that does not discount the fast-paced action and the detailed descriptions of the canyons and bluffs along the river. Fans of Hobbs will welcome the wild water experience that he crafts, and reluctant readers will be hooked from the first tarantula. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170788385
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/15/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Related Subjects

• Kids
• Fiction & Literature - Kids
• Adventure, Adventurers & Heroes - Kids Fiction