picked up this book at the recommendation of a 12 year old who said I had to read it because it was the best book. He told me a bit about the story and I was intrigued so I headed to my local Barnes and Noble and grabbed a copy.
Looking at the cover, I was immediately intrigued by a question at the bottom of the cover, "Who says a ten year old can't survive on his own?" Apparently no one who reads about Moon Blake, the ten year old in this debut novel by writer Watt Key.
Moon and his father have been living in the woods in a shelter his dad built for as long as he can remember because he does not trust the government. His mother died when he was very young and Moon has been taught by his dad how to live off the land and are doing quite well until his dad dies. Before doing so, his dad tells him to take the money he has hidden and go to Alaska to find people like them. The only problem is Moon really has no idea what the real world is like and no idea how to get to Alaska. When a local store owner who knows Moon finds out what has happens, he believes he is doing what is best for Moon by tipping off authorities and having Moon taken off to a juvenile home. His stay is short lived though and he soon breaks out with other kids in tow, determined to set out for Alaska.
Moon's survival skills keep him and his accomplice (The others turn around fairly quickly to return to the juvenile home) a step ahead of the police trying to track him. At the same time, Moon is realizing that he likes to have the company of others around him at times and wonders if perhaps his dad was wrong to distrust the government so much.
As I read this (which I did in just a few hours), I found myself silently rooting for Moon to succeed and laughing at the ingenious things he did to keep ahead of the police chasing him.
This book is very well written and it left me wanting more. I really hope this author decides to write a sequel. This is a fantastic book for pre-teen boys, ages 10-14. Fans of Gary Paulsen'sHatchet series will especially enjoy it. It would make a great gift for a young teen boy in your life and it's a great read-aloud for teachers in grades 4-8 who want to share it with their class.
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