Road Trip
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3.9 • 28 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A summer adventure you'll never forget, from a beloved Newbery Honor winning author!
Dad and Ben haven't been getting along lately, and Dad hopes a road trip to rescue a border collie will help them reconnect. But Ben is on to Dad's scheme, and he's got ideas of his own. Like inviting his buddy, Theo, who's sure to get into fun (and trouble) along the way. And if Dad wants a family road trip, then the family dog, Atticus, should get to come, too. What could go wrong?
But when their truck breaks down, the family trip takes plenty of unexpected turns. Before they know it, they've commandeered an old school bus and joined forces with its cranky mechanic, Gus. Next, they pick up Mia, a waitress escaping a tense situation. Only sharp-eyed Atticus realizes that Theo is on the run from something bad—and someone is following them.
With alternating chapters from both Ben and his dog, Atticus, this fast-paced book takes readers on an unpredictable ride that's all about family, friendship, and surprises.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A devoted raconteur of dog stories, Gary Paulsen (Notes from the Dog) along with his sculptor son, Jim, pull from a family tradition of adopting shelter dogs for their absorbing first collaboration. When Ben's impulsive father recruits him to help rescue a border collie, the boy agrees reluctantly. Ben is disgruntled because his father has just quit his job to start flipping houses, leaving no money to send the 14-year-old to hockey camp; to jab at his father, Ben invites along Theo, a tattooed 18-year-old friend who's had brushes with the law. A gruff garage mechanic and a prescient waitress add color, as does family dog Atticus, who lends his amusing, perceptive voice in occasional interludes ("Getting a dog is a terrible idea," he grumbles early on. "Dogs are messy and needy"). The authors score on all fronts: they set an entertainingly frenzied pace, provide twists aplenty, create true dialogue that blends humor and pathos, and bring together a close-knit ensemble. Ben's testy yet loving relationship with his father is particularly well done, a testament to this father-son duo's ability to work together. Ages 10 up.
