Hurricane Power.

David Calvin moves from Northern Ontario to Miami, Florida, with his family. On his second day in town he purchases a water pistol for his younger brother. Standing outside the store, a teenage boy, whom we later get to know as Carlos, sees the gun and believes David wants to rob him. Throwing his money down, Carlos runs, with David in hot pursuit trying to return the money and explain the misunderstanding. Events that follow lead David, along with Carlos, into a web of intrigue and entanglement involving a violent gang which preys on illegal immigrants. Compounding David’s difficulties is his participation on the school track team and the resultant relationships which develop.

While the ending is a little too pat, the dialogue is direct and Hurricane Power is an engrossing read. The book is narrated in the first person, and we relate to David’s need to fit in and his isolation from his Canadian friends and interests. The situation with the gangs and their hold over illegal immigrants provides realistic, suspenseful drama, and the underlying rivalry in the track events also provides tension. On top of it all David is a thoroughly nice boy trying to do the right thing.

Hurricane Power is one of the Orca Sports series, which are “short, high interest novels involving sports, action and suspense, aimed at those aged 10 and up.” This title certainly fulfils Orca’s claim of being “contemporary” and “compelling.” Sigmund Brouwer is a prolific author with a huge number of books to his credit. His use of humour, realistic dialogue, a fast-paced story with many twists and turns in the plot, an emphasis on sport, and a hero who is wise and courageous will make this book popular with older children and young teens reading around the Grade 3 level. Recommended.