The Wild Kid

by Harry Mazer

Book Overview

"Can I go home now?"
After his bike gets stolen, twelve-year-old Sammy gets lost in the woods near his home. He stumbles upon the makeshift hideaway of the "wild kid" named Kevin, who has run away from reform school. Will this strongly independent tough let Sammy get home to his family? Can they both survive in the unforgiving wilderness?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689822898
• ISBN13: 9780689822896
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Makes For a Good Afternoon Read . . .

The Wild Kid was something of a strange story for me to read. For starters I was slightly hesitant to read a story centered on a slightly "retarded" boy named Sammy. I have nothing against them but I assumed the storyline would make a big deal out of it and overdramatize the tweenager with Down's syndrome. To my elegant surprise the storyline doesn't even go out of its way to mention he has this "problem" save for maybe three times in the entire span of the book, which is something I was very thankful for. That aside, I have to say I really enjoyed The Wild Kid; While the story itself is pretty straightforward -- almost to the point where it feels nothing really happens -- in what the side panel of the cover describes so adeptly. The way the author describes Sammy's escapades through the forest in search of his bike only to end up hostage of "feral" young man named Kevin is truly something that makes the wheels of the imagination turn. At first, you want Sammy to run away because you really don't trust Kevin (especially with the way he treats the boy at first). However, as the story progresses you find yourself growing used to the harshness of Kevin's character and his strange interaction with the overly trusting Sammy. The only problem I think I have with The Wild Kid is the paragraphs are constructed in a sort of elementary way, for a younger audience to be honest. But all in all, I enjoyed reading this. A highly recommended story. ---- [a 4 out of 5]

Daniels choice

This book is so cool,the book has so many exciting events. This book has so much excitement in it. In this book a kid runs away from home because of his new father.While running away on his bike he got his bike stolen.While he is trying to get his bike back he gets lost in a forest when he meets THE WILD KID. Read this book and see what happens and all the exciting events that happend.

I think this book has a lot of action.

The Wild Kid is a book about a boy named Sammy who gets lost in the woods and tries to find his way back home. On his jouney a boy named keven finds him and kind of holds him in his cave in the woods, till one night Sammy got enough courage to find his own way back.

different. . . new.

I loved this book, Sammy, a mentally handicapped kid runs off to find the stealer of his bike which he forgot to lock up when he comes across - or rather falls across - Kevin or "K-Man." At first Kevin is extremely nasty to Sammy, calling him dumb and treating him like rotten you-know-what but as the days go by, Kevin starts opening up and letting Sammy into his tight ring of friends consisting of himself. This is a great story about friendship, trust and understanding, a must read for anyone who wants to try something a little new.