Surfers of Snow

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

Tanner lives to snowboard, but an accident forces him off the slopes
temporarily. He and his three buddies, the SOS (surfers of snow), have
recently had their equipment vandalized. The situation escalates to
deathly seriousness when one of them, Jonas, dies in an avalanche
possibly caused by sabotage. Other mishaps threaten to jeopardize the
future of the Sighing Pass Resort. Tanner suspects a corporate giant,
Ski Northwest, of conspiring to take over the resort at a rock-bottom
price and of using members of the ski patrol to sabotage the slopes and
cause avalanches. He enlists the surviving SOS members to assist him in
his investigation. His Internet friend, Jenny, also helps him in his
ultimately successful campaign to thwart the saboteurs, prevent the
corporate takeover, avenge Jonas’s death, and save the day.

Television has made fast-paced action, snappy dialogue, and quick
solutions to problems commonplace. Like a television episode, Surfers of
Snow focuses on plot, setting, and action, with little attention paid to
character development or theme. Tanner’s narration incorporates the
jargon of snow-boarding and hip talk, which young readers will probably
apprehend. Recommended with reservations.