Stormbound

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

Loren’s day starts badly with his missing the bus and his having to
walk to school. Mrs. Duncan, a stickler for punctuality, greets him with
an 11th-grade English test on a novel he forgot to read. As punishment
for having skipped the reading assignment, Loren is required to remain
after school.

Soon a forecast blizzard arrives and, ironically, Loren finds himself
snowbound in the school, after school, with Mrs. Duncan (dubbed Mrs.
Dung Can), while his friends ride out the storm at Matt’s house
partying. To further complicate matters, the car of a suspected armed
robber, on the run from the Edmonton police, breaks down, and the
suspect seeks shelter in the school. The intruder has a gun; he
discovers that Mrs. Duncan has a wad of cash in her purse and he wants
it. Loren, using his intelligence and ingenuity, saves himself and Mrs.
Duncan from the intruder’s determined pursuit. After a series of
complications and some major surprises, Loren emerges relatively
unscathed from his experience but with new insights about himself and
his companions.

Fairbridge has created a likable protagonist whose natural charm,
sensitivity, and intelligence compete with his rebelliousness,
toughness, and cynicism. And even if the dénouement appears a little
too contrived (the action is packed into a 24-hour time frame),
adolescent readers will find Loren and his predicament suspenseful,
engaging, and intriguing. Recommended.