Mark has just moved to rural New Hampshire from New York. He has half a year at the public school, and then he will be shipped off to a boarding school the next school year. He is angry about moving and about the business interests that keep his parents travelling instead of home with him. He is also terribly bored at school and doesn't see any point in participating.

After a couple of weeks he decides to try to fit in better. He makes progress with the other students, but the teachers are irritated with him and are not so willing to forgive.

The whole sixth grade is preparing for the traditional camping trip, and Mark is excited because he has been exploring on his own and wants to learn more. He wants to prove himself to his science teacher who is the director of the camping trip and resident expert. An unfortunate incident will make that impossible. Or will it? The event changes the whole atmosphere from a school conflict to survival and eventually cooperation.

This is one of my favorite Andrew Clements books because it has so much packed into it. One of the things I like about Clements's books is that they show teachers as people with their own problems. There is usually a gap in communication, misunderstandings, and a process working towards cooperation from which we can all learn.
related-schools, teacher-student relationships, survival, camping, adventure, exploring, communication, cooperation, high interest
RL=5th-8th