Sled dog racing is as important to twelve-year-old Scott McClure as breathing. It’s also a way of keeping his dad’s memory alive. More than anything else, Scott wants to create a new team of three sled dogs so he can continue racing and become a champion as his dad once was. With his mother’s remarriage and their move to Montana, however, Scott encounters a new family and a series of difficult adjustments. His new school and new friends don’t upset Scott nearly so much as his new stepbrother, Brad, and stepfather, David Hartfield. Brad, with special problems of his own, resents Scott’s intrusion into his life. Bad feebngs between the boys quickly develop, while Scott struggles to train and race Kaylah, his beloved Malamute, and other members of the sled dog team. Scott is determined not to let his dream die, despite the obstacles set in his path.
Van Steenwyk weaves a dramatic tale set against an action-packed background as she unfolds the story of two families coming together as one.
Elizabeth Van Steenwyk is the author of over 35 books for young readers, including The Best Horse (pubbshed under the title Barrel Horse Racer by Walker and Company), which became an award-winning TV film. She grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, was graduated from Knox College there, and now bves in southern California. She and her husband are the parents of four grown children. Among Mrs. Van Steenwyk’s recent books are Ghost in the Gym, Secrets of the Spotted Horse, Lonely Rider, The Witness Tree, and Dwight David Eisenhower, President (a Walker and Company title.)
Jacket illustration by Coco Cummings
