Synopses & Reviews
In the winter, life in McKinley, Minnesota, revolves around the rinks, where kids play hockey and grown-ups skate to scratchy phonograph records. Then, the year Marsh and his best friend, Willy, are twelve, Carl appears at the rink, wearing a battered, old leather flight jacket and doing a strange dance that is both beautiful and disturbing to watch. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; It is Marsh and Willy who discover the terrible secret behind Carl's dance, a secret that threatens to destroy him. But a small miracle occurs, and Carl's dance becomes a fragile and tentative expression of hope and the healing power of love.
Review
"Filled with poetry and with life...an insightful beautifully written story." andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;iandgt;Horn Bookandlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
From three-time Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen comes a moving middle grade novel about four strangers fighting for the life they want. In the winter, life in McKinley, Minnesota, revolves around the rinks, where kids play hockey and grown-ups skate to scratchy phonograph records. Then, the year Marsh and his best friend, Willy, are twelve, Carl appears at the rink, wearing a battered, old leather flight jacket and doing a strange dance that is both beautiful and disturbing to watch.
It is Marsh and Willy who discover the terrible secret behind Carl's dance, a secret that threatens to destroy him. But a small miracle occurs, and Carl's dance becomes a fragile and tentative expression of hope and the healing power of love.
About the Author
Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young people. He has written more than two hundred books for adults and young people, and is the author of three Newbery Honor titles: andlt;iandgt;Dogsongandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Hatchetandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;The Winter Roomandlt;/iandgt;. He divides his time between New Mexico, Alaska, and on the Pacific.