The Dare
Linda Swink
language
(Feather Stone Press, Jan. 6, 2015)
It was supposed to be a joke–just a silly dare. But when eleven-year-old, Teddy, challenged his little sister to go into the graveyard at night and bring back a funeral flower, she took the dare. Now she is missing, and Teddy must find her before it's too late.ReviewsPig Poop, as Teddy might say. Billy bullies him, a beautiful young teacher, Miss Freeman, confuses him, his father expects high grades and now Teddy hears voices. Worst of all, his sister Sarah, six, has been missing for three months and people in town whisper that she is dead. The Dare is a funny, often touching story of an 11-year-old boy navigating the challenges in any ordinary boys’ life, of Max, the loyal dog, Teddy’s two friends, Randy and Clayton, and a secret Teddy fears to share. An excellent work for young readers: as a former teacher, I highly recommend it.American history teacher, Loveland City Schools, Ohio.This story has a fantastic appeal for young male readers who know instinctively that words have power and that safety, even on the quietest streets in the smallest of towns, is never a guarantee. Teddy and his band of friends are straight out of Encyclopedia Brown, mixed with a little bit of Our Gang just for fun.Brad ChamberlainPublic School Curriculum Supervisor