RUNNER
Carl Deuker
Houghton Mifflin
Thriller/Action & Adventure
ISBN: 0618542981
224 pages

The boat Chance Taylor and his father live on is no yacht. It's not a houseboat or anything like the luxury liners most people think of when they hear, "I live on a boat." The boat, the Tiny Dancer, is shelter and not a whole lot else, and it's so small that Chance and his father can barely turn around without bumping into each other. But the biggest problem with the Tiny Dancer isn't its size, but the costs that come with having a boat. Chance's father, an alcoholic, can barely pay the moorage fees to keep the boat docked. That, plus electric, food, and all the other costs of living, means that Chance and his dad don't have a spare cent.

When Chance is offered $200 a week to pick up packages from a tree on his usual running route, he isn't sure what to do. He knows the money could help save his father's boat, but he's also very suspicious of his duties. He doesn't know what's in the packages or who puts them there, and he's not allowed to ask questions. With his dad going day after day without work, Chance knows he has to make a decision, and fast.

In this heart-pounding thriller, Carl Deuker combines global concerns and the threat of terrorism with the everyday worries of a teen who only wants to keep his life together until graduation. Supported by a smart, politically aware girl in his history class, Chance learns there's a lot more to patriotism than just waving a flag, and a lot more to courage than just following rules he knows may be wrong. This timely, complex story will make you think twice about what it means to be brave.

   --- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

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