Stars

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Following an accident in a stolen auto, mobster wannabe Joseph Peterson,
14, is ordered into the STARS program (Strength Through Adventure to
develop Responsibility and Success) pending his trial. Along with seven
inmates from juvenile detention centres, Joseph is sent to the bush
hundreds of kilometres away from Toronto’s comforts. Under the
direction of two social workers, the teens are to spend six weeks
learning how to work in a group. Having resolved to escape while on the
group’s month-long canoe trip, Joseph finds himself torn between his
own self-centred desires and the welfare of the others.

This engaging, fast-paced story combines believable, well-developed
characters with enticing outdoor adventures. Fine reading for the
middle-school/junior-high crowd. Highly recommended.