The Car

by Gary Paulsen

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Fourteen-year-old Terry Anders is a 1990s Huck Finn, with parents as neglectful as ``Pap.' Like Huck he escapes, not on a raft but by constructing a kit car. He takes his red Blakely Bearcat out to the highway and points it west, intending to leave his home in Cleveland for Oregon, where he hopes to find the uncle he only vaguely remembers. Long before he reaches his destination, Terry meets up with a middle-aged wanderer named Waylon, who introduces him to his old friend, the free-living Wayne. The pair, Vietnam vets, lead the young protagonist on a string of impromptu adventures and eventually become his mentors, introducing him to the history, hypocrisy and beauty of his country. Besides evoking a type of independence and tough-mindedness that will appeal to teens, this provocative novel introduces and explores some interesting philosophies of life while stressing the value of learning from experience. Once again the Newbery Honor author demonstrates his abilities to create flesh-and-blood characters and to relate a message without preaching a moral. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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School Library Journal :
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Gr 6-9-Used to being ignored, Terry, 14, is now alone. His parents have abandoned their marriage, not realizing that they each made the decision at the same time. Armed with a great set of tools, some experience with engines, and a detailed set of instructions, he works night and day on a kit car that his father had begun to assemble in the garage. When the little convertible is complete, he decides to drive from Cleveland to Oregon, where an uncle lives. On the outskirts of town, heavy rain forces him to the roadside. There he is joined by the Shakespeare-quoting Waylon, who is seeking shelter from the storm. The Vietnam vet convinces Terry to let him ride along, and later they are joined by Waylon's army buddy, who rides a Harley Davidson. This curious trio tours the West, encountering hostile rednecks, residents of a religious commune, and a history-teaching hermit, among others. This novel features a simple plot and an easy-to-read text; an intense young boy on his own; and the unmistakable message that one must always continue to learn if one is going to survive. The characters are familiar, and to a degree predictable, but they will be interesting to YAs. Excluding several segments on engines, the action is brisk. Paulsen fans will enjoy the book; those with an interest in cars will love it.-Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT
Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Review
: Booklist :
From Booklist, Apr. 1994, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Gr. 6-9. Abandoned by both his parents, 14-year-old Terry Anders decides to assemble the pieces of a car kit--a Blakely Bearcat--and take off on his own. Then he meets Waylon Jackson, a 45-year-old Vietnam veteran who has spent most of the past 20 years trucking around the U.S., and the two decide to join forces. Their cross-country odyssey has great impact on Terry: They visit an old man who recites history as if he were a participant, dine at a religious commune, and tour the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn. Waylon is a well-developed, if somewhat enigmatic, character, given to violent and sometimes unpredictable outbreaks of temper. Flashback memories interspersed between early chapters reveal that a traumatic incident in Vietnam has left him mentally unstable, and references to government checks suggest some kind of permanent disability. Although the trip works well as a metaphor for Terry's journey toward maturity, not all the story's elements are as well developed. Terry's parents seem to exist mostly as a convenient plot device rather than a source of real conflict, and Waylon's homosexuality is mentioned but never explored. Despite these flaws, The Car is a well-written, thoughtful coming-of-age novel. (Reviewed Apr. 1, 1994)¾: Kay Weisman.
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