Charlie's Run - Hardcover

Valerie Hobbs is the recipient of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein Award. Her previous books include Carolina Crow Girl. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Grade 4-7-In this coming-of-age story, Hobbs examines the deeper meanings of family, freedom, and responsibility. When 11-year-old Charlie Bascomb's parents announce that they are separating, he can't bear it. To keep them from making a big mistake, he decides he'll run away, just for a day or two, so that his mom and dad will realize what a broken family feels like. Leaving his home in the California countryside, Charlie catches a ride to the coast with another runaway, Doo, a 14-year-old driving a stolen yellow Volkswagen. Running from her alcoholic mother and drug-dealing, abusive stepfather, Doo seeks her father, only to find him in jail. Charlie realizes he's made a big mistake when they get involved with homeless teens, one of whom nearly dies from a drug overdose, and he sees that worse things can happen to a kid than a divorce. From his experience and his relationship with Doo, Charlie learns that he will have family, even if his parents split, and that their happiness is important. Charlie, who wears a red cowboy hat as he leaves home and uses the knowledge learned from Boy Scouts while on the road, is very young at the book's beginning, but he is forced to grow up quickly. A fast-moving plot, complex and appealing characters, and an engaging writing style make Charlie's Run a sure winner.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.