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Into the Ravine
In the tar-melting heat of a suburban summer, everyboy Jules, athletic and handsome Chris, and oddball Corey (he laughs at gravel and anticipates zombie attacks) have lived side by side for most of their lives. Behind their backyards is a ravine through which flows a modest river. This familiar territory is by turns comforting and terrifying.
When a tornado brings down a big maple tree, the boys make a raft of the branches and set off downstream. After all, at thirteen they are old enough to take a day trip by themselves. On their way, the boys meet with a series of adventures that are funny at first glance but resonate deeply. They rescue a diabolical dog, confront a hydrophobic gang, and survive a waterfall. They are bombarded by bicycles, hoodwinked by hobos, and bewitched by bikinis. By accident, they crash a funeral, and, by design, they crash a pool party — with tragic results.
Urban blight and rural beauty, Into the Ravine is a journey where the geography mirrors the contradictions of the human heart. Renowned author Richard Scrimger draws on his powerful ability to tell a story that can truly make you laugh until you cry.
When a tornado brings down a big maple tree, the boys make a raft of the branches and set off downstream. After all, at thirteen they are old enough to take a day trip by themselves. On their way, the boys meet with a series of adventures that are funny at first glance but resonate deeply. They rescue a diabolical dog, confront a hydrophobic gang, and survive a waterfall. They are bombarded by bicycles, hoodwinked by hobos, and bewitched by bikinis. By accident, they crash a funeral, and, by design, they crash a pool party — with tragic results.
Urban blight and rural beauty, Into the Ravine is a journey where the geography mirrors the contradictions of the human heart. Renowned author Richard Scrimger draws on his powerful ability to tell a story that can truly make you laugh until you cry.
260 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Richard Scrimger
35 books29 followersI was born with very little hair and very little feet and hands. They all grew together and I still have them, together with all my organs except tonsils. I do not have four children -- they have me and we all know it. I write and teach and talk about writing and other things. Actually, I talk a lot. I’m right handed, my car has a dent in the passenger side door, and my blood type is A-. The motto of South Carolina is Dum spiro spero.— success comes by breathing. I like black licorice and rice pudding and ratatouille and coffee. Lots of coffee. My hair usually needs cutting. How much more do you need to know about anybody?
I have been writing since 1996. No, that's not true. I wrote for years before that, but no one cared. Since 1996 I've published fifteen books for adults and children. You can read more about them somewhere else on this site. A few of the books did very well. Some came close. A couple didn't do well at all. My most recent offering is Ink Me, a tragicomedy about a tattoo gone wrong, told in supercool phonetic speak by our learning-disabled hero. Zomboy – an undead story – is due out next year. (My editor and I are arguing about certain scenes right now.) And I am writing a semi-graphic novel about kids who fall into a comic book.
Do you want more details? Really? Okay, then.
In 1996 I published my first novel, Crosstown (Toronto: The Riverbank Press), which was short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award.
Humorous short pieces about my life as an at-home dad with four small children used to appear regularly in the Globe & Mail and Chatelaine, and can still be found fairly regularly on the back page of Today's Parent. I reworked some of this material into a full-length chunk of not-quite-non-fiction, which was published by HarperCollins as Still Life With Children.
I started writing children's fiction in 1998. Two middle-school novels, The Nose From Jupiter and The Way To Schenectady did well enough to require sequels. There are four Norbert books so far, and two Peelers.
My work has received a lot of attention in Canada and The United States. The Nose From Jupiter is a Canadian bestseller. It won a Mr Christie Book Award, was on most of the top ten lists and has been translated into a Scottish dozen languages (that’s less than 12). Bun Bun’s Birthday, From Charlie’s Point of View, Mystical Rose, and Into the Ravine made a variety of short lists and books of the year – Quill and Quire, Canadian Library Association, Globe and Mail, Chicago Public Library, Time Out NY (kids), blah blah. Ink Me is part of the “7” series – linked novels featuring seven grandsons with quests from their common grandfather. Pretty cool, eh? As my most recent book, it is my current favorite. But watch out for Zomboy next year. It’s a killer!
I have been writing since 1996. No, that's not true. I wrote for years before that, but no one cared. Since 1996 I've published fifteen books for adults and children. You can read more about them somewhere else on this site. A few of the books did very well. Some came close. A couple didn't do well at all. My most recent offering is Ink Me, a tragicomedy about a tattoo gone wrong, told in supercool phonetic speak by our learning-disabled hero. Zomboy – an undead story – is due out next year. (My editor and I are arguing about certain scenes right now.) And I am writing a semi-graphic novel about kids who fall into a comic book.
Do you want more details? Really? Okay, then.
In 1996 I published my first novel, Crosstown (Toronto: The Riverbank Press), which was short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award.
Humorous short pieces about my life as an at-home dad with four small children used to appear regularly in the Globe & Mail and Chatelaine, and can still be found fairly regularly on the back page of Today's Parent. I reworked some of this material into a full-length chunk of not-quite-non-fiction, which was published by HarperCollins as Still Life With Children.
I started writing children's fiction in 1998. Two middle-school novels, The Nose From Jupiter and The Way To Schenectady did well enough to require sequels. There are four Norbert books so far, and two Peelers.
My work has received a lot of attention in Canada and The United States. The Nose From Jupiter is a Canadian bestseller. It won a Mr Christie Book Award, was on most of the top ten lists and has been translated into a Scottish dozen languages (that’s less than 12). Bun Bun’s Birthday, From Charlie’s Point of View, Mystical Rose, and Into the Ravine made a variety of short lists and books of the year – Quill and Quire, Canadian Library Association, Globe and Mail, Chicago Public Library, Time Out NY (kids), blah blah. Ink Me is part of the “7” series – linked novels featuring seven grandsons with quests from their common grandfather. Pretty cool, eh? As my most recent book, it is my current favorite. But watch out for Zomboy next year. It’s a killer!
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 2, 2012
This was just an okay book. I'm not sure I would recommend it to too many young people. I felt it enforced gender roles pretty strongly and it played off of a few old stereotypes (particularly the homeless person)that I would argue are not worth exposing young people to.
What really works in this book is the humour. There are some genuinely hilarious moments because of the character dynamics between the three boys and the survival situations they are placed in. The coping mechanisms of thirteen-year-olds can be comedic orchards for harvest, no?
As a teaching tool, this book can be useful as well. It includes several socially relevant issues that, I would expect, could lead to good discussions in the classroom, bullying being the most predominant issue. Also, this book is written to mirror Homer's "Odyssey", so a rich literary comparison can be drawn between the two works, and the opportunity to discuss a great classic is just sitting there, waiting.
While I am not overly enthusiast about this book, I think it is useful and it may attract a specific type of reader, namely, that boy who doesn't like to read and who you would like to see read more. 3/5
What really works in this book is the humour. There are some genuinely hilarious moments because of the character dynamics between the three boys and the survival situations they are placed in. The coping mechanisms of thirteen-year-olds can be comedic orchards for harvest, no?
As a teaching tool, this book can be useful as well. It includes several socially relevant issues that, I would expect, could lead to good discussions in the classroom, bullying being the most predominant issue. Also, this book is written to mirror Homer's "Odyssey", so a rich literary comparison can be drawn between the two works, and the opportunity to discuss a great classic is just sitting there, waiting.
While I am not overly enthusiast about this book, I think it is useful and it may attract a specific type of reader, namely, that boy who doesn't like to read and who you would like to see read more. 3/5
April 13, 2020
If the definition of a good book is that yo start reading more slowly towards the end so it will last longer, then this is a good book!! I really didn't want it to be over. I was so shocked to love this book, and I only read it because it was nominated for a CLA award (those people know their stuff!). It's the junior version of "Deathwatch" for me now, in that it's perfect for reluctant (especially boy) readers, and I will booktalk it every time I get a chance.
Our boy, Jules, almost 14, and his best-friends-for-life Chris - greatest at everything-, and Cory - more than a little odd, but very lovable- make a raft and head off for an adventure down the creek in the ravine behind their houses in Scarborough. Their adventure includes beautiful babes swinging from ropes in bikinis, mantraps, human cannonballs, ritzy pool parties, kidnapping, huge snakes, jewel smuggling and working on a "chain gang"...and I didn't even include everything! Excellent!!
Our boy, Jules, almost 14, and his best-friends-for-life Chris - greatest at everything-, and Cory - more than a little odd, but very lovable- make a raft and head off for an adventure down the creek in the ravine behind their houses in Scarborough. Their adventure includes beautiful babes swinging from ropes in bikinis, mantraps, human cannonballs, ritzy pool parties, kidnapping, huge snakes, jewel smuggling and working on a "chain gang"...and I didn't even include everything! Excellent!!
June 11, 2020
goog book
July 22, 2009
Wow. Seriously, jules talks waay too much. but i guess that's why he narrated the book. still. it seems strange to me that they wld make a trio. cory probably isnt really that good of a friend. and interruption #3 really surpised me. i think thats the reason scrimger wrote the book. i really did assume that he was white. it makes you think twice about the world. and the part about the snake really surpised me too. i thought this was supposed to be this rambling "last journey of childhood" but then they end up setting fire to a building full of reptiles and climbing on the roof and blah blah blah. I was like "what? how did they get from rafting trip to screaming on a roof?" serious double take. well anyway, to wrap this up, i gave it 4 stars because it was extremely funny but it didnt seem lik there was a point in reading it. except for interruption #3. :)
October 15, 2008
Three boys: one athletic, one chatty, one clueless. Chris, Jules and Cory set off on a rafting adventure down the ravine behind their neighborhood. They encounter some uppity private school kids, some downity (I just made that word up) homeless hobos, and they run into some trouble that Jules has a hard time talking them out of. In Richard Scrimger's Into the Ravine, you’ll spend a good portion of this book wondering, as do the guys, just who or what is Bonesaw? Whatever, it’s just as scary as it sounds.
January 5, 2017
This is probably enjoyable for young readers, but I had a hard time. I kind of got into some parts, while other parts seemed out of place. Young adult fiction is one of my favorite genres, but this one might have been just a little too young for me.
February 10, 2008
Not great but okay. It took awhile to become at all interesting so I think it may not appeal to many kids.
August 24, 2008
One of the shortlisted titles for the CLA Young Adult Book Award in 2008.
March 6, 2011
Jules is chatty. Chris is the best of the three. Cory is a bit slow. On their last journey of childhood, they come across amazing people and Jules gets his first kiss.
July 22, 2011
rlly good book
May 28, 2014
Got this book in a Little Free library in Minneapolis and while, I thought it might be a YA book, was not sure until I got into it more. Was Ok for a quick read.
January 24, 2018
Yes yes and yes. I was hoping this book would be fun, but it was actually exactly that with a side order of adventure and growing up. What could be better? I especially liked reading through all of Jules's blibber blabber and the stories he'd tell about Corey. Oh man, they were good.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews