Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

From the Publisher

First hailed as a hero for his dramatic water rescue of a little boy, thirteen-year-old Brady Parks soon makes a discovery that puts him at the heart of an enormous tragedy. Alone with his dark secret, Brady is ultimately forced to choose between loyalty to his lifelong friends and doing what he knows in his heart is right. Priscilla Cummings weaves a suspenseful, multilayered tale of three teenage boys caught in a wicked web of their own making.

Mary E. Heslin - VOYA

Thirteen-year-old Brady lives an idyllic life near the Chesapeake Bay with good buddies and loving parents-his dad is a waterman. But the region's social fabric is fraying as watermen and environmentalists clash over use of the bay. Farmland is snapped up by outsiders for conversion into estates with splashy mansions. One such home has gone up next door to Brady, and his pals resent being booted off land where they have roamed freely until now. The boys talk revenge, and when they spot the new owner's kayak out on a dangerous day, they fail to call a warning. Tragedy results, heightened because it was not the owner in the kayak but his wife and child. Brady joins the rescue effort and performs heroically, but to no avail. A death occurs and further tragedy is revealed when Brady finds out just why the kayak sank. Should he tell? The truth will forever change the lives of those he loves. With this finely crafted novel, Cummings, author of A Face First (Dutton, 2001/VOYA February 2001) and Saving Grace (Dutton, 2003/VOYA October 2003), firmly establishes herself as an outstanding writer for early teens. The writing here is direct and clear; the setting, characterizations, and voices ring with authenticity; the situation is tense and the stakes high. Cummings handles Brady's decision making with realism made powerful by its lack of didacticism. Right to the end, the outcome is uncertain. This book is a gem. Buy it for both school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2004, Dutton, 224p., Ages 11 to 15.

Claire Rosser - KLIATT

Cummings has written for slightly younger readers in her previous books, Saving Grace, Autumn Journey, and A Face First. This is a solid YA novel, featuring a thoughtful 13-year-old narrator named Brady who must deal with some serious moral choices when a little neighbor boy dies. The setting is the Eastern Shore, Maryland, and Brady's father is a waterman, making a living catching crabs. One stress point is that the crab harvest is smaller every year and the family and the neighborhood are suffering financially because of this. Brady is a skilled waterman himself, which is why he is called out to help in the search for the red kayak when a storm comes up and a woman and her child are missing. He finds the little boy but even with CPR, the child dies. This is a terrible situation for Brady, but it becomes much worse when he suspects that his two best friends caused the kayak to sink. Indeed, eventually Brady decides to tell what he knows, which means his friends are accused of second-degree murder. This is a memorable story of a young person struggling with grief and guilt. Each character is believable, including the adults in the story. There is plenty of action to appeal to readers, and the angst will be something all YAs, especially those Brady's age, will be able to understand. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, Penguin, Dutton, 209p., Ages 12 to 15.

Joella Peterson - Children's Literature

Brady Parks thought he had a normal life: going to school, hanging out with friends, and working with his dad on the river. Then one day his dad asks for help searching for a missing neighbor and her son who were kayaking on the river. Brady finds Ben, the toddler who Brady had baby-sat earlier that year, unconscious in the cold water. Brady performs CPR until the paramedics can take over and take Ben to the hospital. Brady is declared a local hero. Unfortunately, Ben dies the following day due to complications from exposure. While grieving over Ben's death, Brady discovers that the kayak sinking was not an accident, it was sabotage. Brady has to decide if he should go to the police or protect his friends. This is a great book for kids who need to see that doing the right thing is not always easy, especially when it is going against friends or peer-pressure. With issues such as death and betrayal dominating the storyline, this is a perfect choice for pre-teens who have to deal with tough issues and harsh secrets. 2004, Dutton Children's Books, Ages 12 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Brady, J.T., and Digger are friends from working-class families who live along the Chesapeake Bay, where crabbing and oyster fishing are a way of life and an extra source of income. Their parents' resentment toward developers and rich summer families rubs off on J.T. and Digger but not Brady, who befriends the DiAngelos and their toddler, Ben. When Mrs. DiAngelo and Ben go out in their new kayak on a cold, foggy morning, it overturns. Brady joins the rescue team and finds Ben barely alive in the water but, despite his heroic efforts to save him, the two-year-old dies from hypothermia. Once it is apparent to Brady that J.T. and Digger may have sabotaged the kayak as a prank, he faces a gut-wrenching, moral decision to tell a truth that would betray his friends and reveal his own, indirect culpability. The first-person approach works well here, and Brady's 13-year-old voice is fresh and lighthearted at times and introspective and grief-stricken at others. Cummings has created a multifaceted story that is as much about the families and life in the Chesapeake as it is about a prank gone awry. Brady's bighearted cousin Carl, his supportive father, and the anguished Mrs. DiAngelo are particularly well-developed characters who are pivotal in Brady's understanding of the path he must choose. This well-crafted story will have broad appeal.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A courageous teen's moral dilemma-and how he comes to terms with it-underscores this well-written, sometimes gripping story. A young child, for whom 15-year-old Brady Parks once baby-sat, dies after his family's kayak sinks during an outing. Brady's valiant attempts to revive little Ben actually get him to breathe for a few minutes. Sadly, the tiny boy succumbs and Brady's plagued with guilt and grief. His sorrow is nothing, though, compared with the shock of discovering that the tragedy was the result of a malicious prank by his two best friends. Even worse is Brady's discovery that he himself unwittingly gave them the idea. This sickening fact, reluctance to rat on his pals, and the thought that he, too, could be criminally charged in the death keep Brady silent. In the end, though, Brady knows what he must do. The bland title and cover might keep kids away from this strong effort. Too bad: it deserves an audience. (Fiction. 11-14)

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