Danny had always been the odd one out; the practical one in his creative family. When his parents announce a big move AND they give away his dog without any warning, Danny has had enough. He decides to run away. He wasn't planning to go for too long, but when he accidentally falls into a huge construction pit, things suddenly become very strange. He now must survive in the hole, using only the contents of his backpack, until someone can rescue him.
AGE RANGE KIDS
Suggested for ages 8+
THEMES
Resourcefulness
Moving
Animals
Feeling left out
OVERALL RATING 7/10
This short chapter book is pretty great! The way Cary Fagan brings real life struggles into a comedic plot is wonderful to read. The story stays relatively lighthearted, while still dealing with the thoughts of a child going through traumatic events (moving, losing a pet, feeling left out, and getting lost). The conclusion is quite sweet, and shows the family reaching a better place than they were at the beginning. The rating is a little low just because I feel that the book did not have good representation of female characters. The only real female character was Danny's Mom, and she is hardly in the story. Other females are mentioned, but only as crushes or romantic interests for the male characters. Overall, I think it was a good book, especially because it's unusual to find a book about a boy dealing with real emotions!
PROS Deals with difficult feelings in a lighthearted way Engaging story | Violence and Scariness 3/5 Story told with zombies eating pet dog, friend almost killed by snake, falling in a hole, trapped in a hole. Sex and Romance 3/5 Mole talks about nursing on his mother's teat, boy pees in a hole, mole has a crush. |
CONS Lack of good female representation | Emotional Intensity 3/5 Dog given away without warning, parents suddenly moving to two different towns, boy doesn't fit in with family, boy thinks he might die in the hole. Drinking and Drugs 0/5 Not present. |