Double Challenge

by Jim Kjelgaard

Though Ted’s father, Al Harkness, would rather his son went on to college, Ted is determined to stay and develop the family’s two hundred acres of land in the heart of the Mahela wilderness. His dream is to provide accommodation and services for the growing number of fishermen and hunters being drawn to the region. To that end, he is willing to take a low-paying job at the only real resort in the area—both to gain experience and to stay in the Mahela. Al is a life-long and proficient hunter and trapper. He has learned to value the need for conservation laws after seeing the early settlers—only seven families—completely wipe out the native deer population through year-round hunting. More than ten years later, through careful management, the deer are back, but among the locals, he and Ted are still almost unique in their strict observance of hunting regulations. It is this very integrity that causes Ted to lose his job; a loss which unexpectedly opens the way for father and son to take the first step toward making Ted’s dream a reality. All goes well until Al is wrongfully accused of shooting the area’s most notorious poacher. Evading arrest, Al hides out in the Mahela, leaving Ted to find a way to clear him. Twin prize bucks of massive size and grandeur, a faithful collie named Tammie and the wild, beautiful country, all play key parts in this warmhearted tale of fidelity and hard work that seek to prevail against the power of greed and treachery.

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

an American author of young adult literature.

Born in New York City, New York, Jim Kjelgaard is the author of more than forty novels, the most famous of which is 1945's "Big Red." It sold 225,000 copies by 1956 and was made into a 1962 Walt Disney film with the same title, Big Red. His books were primarily about dogs and wild animals, often with animal protagonists and told from the animal's point of view.

Jim Kjelgaard committed suicide in 1959, after suffering for several years from chronic pain and depression.
- Wikipedia -

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. It's a story about a boy living near a small backwoods town somewhere in America. It had a decent story that combined a love of the outdoors with a love and respect for hunting as well as respect for the wildlife around them. It doesn't go to the extreme of "never harm those poor animals!" but it also doesn't condone reckless and irresponsible management. Responsibly managing the resources we have been given is not the main theme of the book, but it is strongly interwoven into it.

It shows some examples of reckless and irresponsible hunters (and poachers) as well as examples of those who are real sportsmen who respect the area and leave it in as good shape as they found it.

The story is basically about a boy who wants to start a hunter's resort. His father is a trapper and people like to come to the area to hunt. His father and he buy some land and build a cabin. His father is (falsely) accused of trying to kill a man and goes into hiding. The boy corresponds with and lodges some hunters, including one elderly gentleman who wants to get one of the most wily and biggest bucks in the area. In the meantime, he clears his father of the crime and finds out what has been really going on. Fun story.

[Michael McCue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Kjelgaard wrote young adult fiction, mostly directed for boys, until his death in 1960. As a boy he was one of my favorite authors. He wrote about nature and outdoor activities and captivated boys like me. Double Challenge was new to me though it was published in 1957, the year I was eight. It follows that same pattern of most of Kjelbaard's books, a young man with a dog overcome obstacles in the woods. In this one it reads as a mystery where Ted, the main character, tries to find who committed the attempted murder his father has been accused of. I am not a boy anymore but I still love Kjelgaard's books.

[Michael Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing brings me back to the familiarity of my teenage years more than when I re-read a Jim Kjelgaard book. The author who knows the outdoors like the back of his hand, but also knows about the relationship that humans have with their dogs. And can write about them better than anyone.

All of his books were written in the 1950's and before and I love how he didn't dumb down his writing even though it was going to be read by middle school and high school kids. I remember having a dictionary by my side to look up the words I wasn't familiar with.

If you love dogs and the outdoors and you haven't read one of his books, you need to pick up one soon and rectify that situation in your life!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great plot line.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, believable story. Definitely need to find myself a copy.