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Wilderness Peril
On a canoe trip through the northeastern Minnesota wilderness, Todd Barkley and Mike Roper chance upon hidden ransom money and try to reach the police before the hijacker who hid it catches them.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Thomas J. Dygard
23 books11 followersIn His Own Words...
"I can't remember when I first started writing fiction. it was shortly after I began reading fiction, I'm sure.
"I've been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I read a lot of the same kinds of books I'm writing-the John R. Tunis sports stories, for example. I also read a lot of history when I was young-and I still do now. It's always fascinated me.
"When I was a high school senior, I was offered two jobs, both of the apprentice sort. One was in a commercial artist's studio, on a recommendation from my art teacher. The other was in the sports department of the local newspaper, following work on the school paper. I took the sportswriting job.
"For four years I worked for the Arkansas Gazette while attending the University of Arkansas, first at Little Rock and then at Fayetteville, covering football, baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, tennis-everything that made up the sports page. After graduation, I joined the Associated Press as a newsman at Little Rock and later worked in AP bureaus in Detroit, Birmingham, and New Orleans. Eventually, I was Chief of Bureau in Little Rock, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Tokyo, Japan. I retired from the Associated Press in 1993 and now live in Evansville, Indiana.
"For me, writing fiction is fun, relaxing, and satisfying-an enjoyable change of pace, a recharging of the batteries.
"My first young adult novel, Running Scared, got started one night in a motel room in Champaign, Illinois, when I had nothing else to do. Before long, the story had me in its grip. The creation of the thing was a fascinating experience. I liked the characters. I liked leading them through their problems to their triumphs. I kept going until one day it was finished.
"I did not set out to write for young people. Looking back, I think it was something of a blessing that 1 did not. As I wrote Running Scared, I imagined the reader as an adult, but after it was finished, it seemed more appropriate for young readers. The result, I think, was that the story did not talk down to teenagers. In every book I've written since, I've tried to keep the same approach."
"I can't remember when I first started writing fiction. it was shortly after I began reading fiction, I'm sure.
"I've been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I read a lot of the same kinds of books I'm writing-the John R. Tunis sports stories, for example. I also read a lot of history when I was young-and I still do now. It's always fascinated me.
"When I was a high school senior, I was offered two jobs, both of the apprentice sort. One was in a commercial artist's studio, on a recommendation from my art teacher. The other was in the sports department of the local newspaper, following work on the school paper. I took the sportswriting job.
"For four years I worked for the Arkansas Gazette while attending the University of Arkansas, first at Little Rock and then at Fayetteville, covering football, baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, tennis-everything that made up the sports page. After graduation, I joined the Associated Press as a newsman at Little Rock and later worked in AP bureaus in Detroit, Birmingham, and New Orleans. Eventually, I was Chief of Bureau in Little Rock, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Tokyo, Japan. I retired from the Associated Press in 1993 and now live in Evansville, Indiana.
"For me, writing fiction is fun, relaxing, and satisfying-an enjoyable change of pace, a recharging of the batteries.
"My first young adult novel, Running Scared, got started one night in a motel room in Champaign, Illinois, when I had nothing else to do. Before long, the story had me in its grip. The creation of the thing was a fascinating experience. I liked the characters. I liked leading them through their problems to their triumphs. I kept going until one day it was finished.
"I did not set out to write for young people. Looking back, I think it was something of a blessing that 1 did not. As I wrote Running Scared, I imagined the reader as an adult, but after it was finished, it seemed more appropriate for young readers. The result, I think, was that the story did not talk down to teenagers. In every book I've written since, I've tried to keep the same approach."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 17, 2018
A rollicking good adventure that, while aimed at juvenile readers/teens, splits time evenly between the two recent high school grads trying to enjoy their annual BWCA camping trip, the 28-year-old plane hijacker following an escape plan to get out with his ill-gotten cash, and the law enforcement officials trying to catch him. It's short but tightly plotted as far as action goes, while still allowing time to enjoy the beauty of the vast wilderness.
July 30, 2019
The adventure bits are fun but the writing is cumbersome.
August 8, 2023
C+. fiction, adventure, middle grade; young men on canoeing trip cross paths with hijacker; from stash; keep
November 22, 2013
summary- Todd and Mike go on a canoeing trip to the BWCA but find out its not so peaceful after all. A hijacker has escaped to the BWCA with a quarter of a million dollars. Tod and Mike find the money and the hijacker wants it back bad. They all get into a race to the cops and the hijacker gets caught and Todd and Mike get a huge cash price.
Main Characters- Todd- smart, not athletic, loves school.
Mike- high school football player, not so smart.
hijacker- unknown person, lives in Texas.
Setting- the setting of this book is the BWCA. the setting important to the book the3 book because it makes it harder to find the hijacker and its Todd and Mikes vacation place.
conflict- the conflict is Todd and Mike have found the hijackers money and the hijacker wants it back. the conflict is important to this book because it makes it more interesting.
resolution of conflict- the resolution was Todd and Mike ran from the hijacker and the hijacker got caught by the cops. Todd and Mike also got a huge cash price, so the resolution wasn't good for the hijacker but great for Todd and Mike.
main idea- the main idea of this book is getting away and having fun.
recommendation- i would recommend this book to anybody that like a good mystery. I would also recommend this to someone that likes a book that keeps you hanging.
Main Characters- Todd- smart, not athletic, loves school.
Mike- high school football player, not so smart.
hijacker- unknown person, lives in Texas.
Setting- the setting of this book is the BWCA. the setting important to the book the3 book because it makes it harder to find the hijacker and its Todd and Mikes vacation place.
conflict- the conflict is Todd and Mike have found the hijackers money and the hijacker wants it back. the conflict is important to this book because it makes it more interesting.
resolution of conflict- the resolution was Todd and Mike ran from the hijacker and the hijacker got caught by the cops. Todd and Mike also got a huge cash price, so the resolution wasn't good for the hijacker but great for Todd and Mike.
main idea- the main idea of this book is getting away and having fun.
recommendation- i would recommend this book to anybody that like a good mystery. I would also recommend this to someone that likes a book that keeps you hanging.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews