Wildfire Run

by Dee Garretson

A Junior Library Guild selection - Just once Luke Brockett would like to do something slightly dangerous, but when your father is the President of the United States, that is not an option. Always surrounded by Secret Service agents and kept in a bubble of safety, Luke sees Camp David, the presidential retreat in the woods of Maryland, as the only place where he can almost normal. For one week in August, Luke's mother has arranged for Luke to have a 'summer camp' experience, if summer camp had only three kids and the counselors carried automatic weapons. The experience comes to a quick end when a forest fire surrounds Camp David. Luke and his friends are trapped inside, left on their own, the Secret Service agents incapacitated, forcing the three to outwit security systems designed to be unbeatable before the fire gets to them.

Genres: Adventure, Survival, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2010

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story requires a heavy suspension of disbelief. The herd of deer running straight into the cars just as they're leaving Camp David. A little unusual, but okay..the deer were running from a fire. The group of motorcycle bikers showing up right after, yes, maybe they were lost...but kinda of pushing it. The dog causing the car to swerve into the guard house and (b/c the car is armor plated) totally destroy it, a little much. The two rescue helicopters crashing into each other as they attempt to touch down, too much.

some things were believable: I could definitely believe thirteen years olds thinking that trusting the kid with the concussion (!) to remember the code to unlock the back gate.

Okay as an action story (lots of crashes, explosions etc).

[Marty Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yield not to misfortunes, but rather go more boldly to meet them."

This is the guiding principle that motivates Luke and his friends to face the adversity of nature on a rampage.

An innocent moment triggers a life-threatening disaster that forces Luke and his friends (Callie and Theo), along with the secret service agent assigned to protect him, to use all their wits and intelligence to save themselves from one of nature's most destructive forces.

Luke and his companions use all their ingenuity to devise ways to out-maneuver an out of control fire that threatens them at every turn.
........................................................................

The characters are written in a very believable style and the story itself is grounded in the ordinary world, where the simplest action can have powerful consequences.

The survival adventure genre lives up to its name with Danger's Edge, making it a definite 'must read'.

[Andrew]

My most favorite book i have ever read it is full of action and it can be very suspenseful.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written book for middle-grade readers. The pace was lively and I think kids would enjoy the story.

[Jennifer Wardrip]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Luke's dad is the President of the United States. They awake one morning at Camp David to an earthquake ripple. Immediately, the President heads to Washington to uncover more details about the destruction and to figure out how to best help the people.

Luke remains at Camp David with his friend, Theodore. They plan to build a robot with the help of his dog. They're in the middle of working on the project when Luke's used-to-be friend, Callie, appears. She's carrying a kitten. When the canine frightens the feline, both animals take off into the woods.

Luke and Callie run to catch them, but they're not allowed into the woods. Meanwhile, the Secret Service agents get word of a fast-moving forest fire. They must evacuate the camp immediately. They wait for a few minutes to see if Luke can call back his dog. When he doesn't appear, they jump into SUVs and head for the main gate.

As they try to exit, catastrophe ensues. Following a car crash that leaves the extraction team separated and hurt, the three tweens need to figure out how to get away from Camp David. Unfortunately, the security measures used in keeping out terrorists are also keeping them from escaping.

WILDFIRE RUN is a fast-paced read bursting with action and danger. Luke, Callie, and Theo must learn to put their differences aside and work together as a team. They come up with crazy ideas to outsmart the system, which creates a great novel for tweens and reluctant readers.

[Lori Calabrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if you were the president's son and you were constantly surrounded by Secret Service agents?

In Wildfire Run, Luke Brockett, the president's son is vacationing with his friend Theo at Camp David--one of the safest places in the United States. But when you're constantly watched, how much fun can you have? Luke really wants Theo to like Camp David so he'll want to come back, but when a major earthquake hits Missouri, Theo and his dad will have to get back to the White House immediately. Luke begs his dad to stay at Camp David and the president agrees, not knowing that a fire is making its way directly toward the presidential retreat.

As the raging wildfire gets closer, the Secret Service is forced to shut down the camp until the fire is under control. Although there's an evacuation plan they've all practiced, things go awry and it's up to Luke to get everyone out alive, but that means overriding the security systems, getting through an impassable gate, and saving those who were supposed to save him.

Debut author Dee Garretson delivers an adventure you won't want to put down. Page turn after page turn will leave you wondering if Luke can find the strength to overcome the power of nature and deliver his friends to safety. Who ever said being the president's son was all pomp and circumstance?

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dee Garretson show a fine feel for thrilling action as she shows three kids--including the president's somewhat spoiled son, Luke--using all their wits to escape the high security at Camp David before they are trapped in by a wildfire.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preposterous, action movie schlock, that still kept my attention and would do the same for students... Is it art, no... Is it entertaining, yes! Did I understand the defense systems, not at all? Did it make a difference! Not at all!

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dee Garretson has written an great fast-paced drama for young adults. "Wildfire Run" is exciting and suspenseful. Although written for a younger audience, I think a lot of adults would also enjoy reading this one.

[Melissa Killian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action-packed middle grade adventure featuring kids caught in a natural disaster. If you like Storm Blown or Snow Struck by Nick Courage, you'll like this, too.

The added element to Wildfire Run is that Luke, the main character, is the son of the President. Luke and his two friends, Theo and Callie, get trapped inside the security fence of Camp David during a wildfire that starts after an earthquake. They have to find a way out before the fire consumes everything.

Some of the scenarios may have seemed a little far-fetched or exaggerated, but I honestly don't know how things work at Camp David, so it's fun to imagine that these things could happen. It's established early on that Luke and Theo are smart kids who build robots so when they come up with some elaborate solutions to problems they encounter while trying to escape, it's somewhat believable that they could both think of these things and pull them off. (Although, I had to google what a block and tackle was because, even though it's described as using pulleys, I couldn't picture it.) But for the most part, the characters seemed age-appropriate and the pets (a dog and a cat) made sense for the kids this age to bring along on the adventure. (Don't worry, the pets survive!)

[JenBsBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - gave up at chapter 18. It was just too "young" for me, even to attempt to get through to see if my boys might like it. This is aimed at a younger audience. The story, the kid characters. As an adult I still often enjoy books for the younger set ... but not this one. Listening in audiobook format probably didn't help. The narrator, in voicing the three young kids, made them sound very young (as they are ... but Theo, very nasally, SO annoying). I totally understand that it is difficult to make voices sound distinct, but I hate when a narrator goes with a nasally option.

It really jumped around in the beginning, setting up the situation ... third person, with shifting POVs from many characters ... and animals (we know what the dog was thinking, the deer, the bear). Just seemed a little silly to me. The earthquake, the fire ... and then this was all happening to the President's son. Too much?

[Asterope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. I thought this was a good story. I wanted to know what happened next.

My only issues were -

1. Too many things happened one after another, in that the whole plot seemed like unlikely dominoes falling. It seemed too movie like and not realistic. But the plot was interesting enough, so I'm not too hung up on this issue.
2. Also too movie like, the thing that characters do in movies where they have seconds or minutes until their peril and they're chatting, doing something else and time is ticking and that thing they are worried about (fire, killer, aliens, etc) hasn't progressed like it should and would have in RL. The fire is right there, and they have time to gather things, get stuff, make plans and move around. Again, seemed unrealistic.
3. And lastly, I think they'd have more breathing issues - coughing, wheezing, out of breath - than was depicted. Sam, who was left outside and unconscious, should have had some smoke inhalation.

[Lindie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 12-year-old son and I began reading this book as a read aloud during the summer. It's saying something that I'm just now finishing it (by myself) in November. Although this book started off really strong and I was hooked after just the first few chapters, it really took a nose dive in the middle and my son decided to abandon the book. The writing got too detailed in parts and tried to specifically tell the reader what was happening. Usually that's a good thing but it's like the author had a picture of how things were working and moving in her head but failed to help the reader fully understand it all.

[Kristen Muldoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up because I'm not the target 8-12yo audience. listened to this and the narrator changed voices for each character, but Theo and Luke's voices were SO annoying and sounded like 4yos, not 12yos.

I tend to think straight action books are pretty boring bc there is zero character development of any kind and that was the case here. I also found it very implausible and that was hard to get around.... but I think the intended audience would be able to follow and find it intriguing enough. I read this bc my 4th grader is reading it for Battle of the Books. (the action doesn't start until about 40% in so she agreed that it was a really slow start )

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Presiden's son Luke Brockett, his friend Theo, childhood friend Callie who he had a falling out with, along with Luke's dog Comet and Callie's kitten Tocho are visiting Camp David when a wildfire starts.  The President and staff are evacuated but Luke and his friends are not able to escape in time. The trio of kids prove resourceful using a home made robot and overall thinking on their feet.  Growing up as the President's son always kept him guarded and unable to make decisions on his own, but when the situation became difficult, Luke steps up to save his friends and the agents charged with protecting him. A great adventure story for middle-grade readers.

[P.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think children would enjoy this seat-of-your-pants adventure. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief about all the things that happened. I also did not like any of the characters except Theo. I hope the real Secret Service is more efficient. It also annoyed me that the female agent was the only one who did not survive.

[P.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think children would enjoy this seat-of-your-pants adventure. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief about all the things that happened. I also did not like any of the characters except Theo. I hope the real Secret Service is more efficient. It also annoyed me that the female agent was the only one who did not survive.

[Jill Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many parts were confusing and their escapes were a bit unbelievable. I learned a lot about Camp David and checked the facts. Much was accurate about Camp David from readily accessed sources.

[Wisterious Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exciting fast paced read for the tween. It is just a tall tale so you don't have to worry that the situation is impossible. Lots of action that will interest both boys and girls.

[Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine for elementary school age kids but I had a hard time with it... Like A Series of Unfortunate Events where one thing after another goes wrong.

[WKPL Children's/YA Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Lori read this book. Great story about the Presidency, the Secret Service, and growing up as a child of the 1st family. Suspenseful, too. Good for middle school readers.

[Ashley Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son really enjoyed this book.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I was bored.

[Nyki Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting from beginning to end.
Action packed

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia read on her own and rated it 4 stars. She said it was thrilling and intense.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago but loved it. Was only now able to find the book again.

[Florence Witt · Rating 1 out of 5]

The narrator was whiny. A narrator can genuinely make or break a book.

Bo-ring BUT clean.

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is entertaining and fast-paced. I want to strangle the little dog. Some of the situations that the protagonist, Luke, gets into are his own fault and make you want to strangle him as well. :) But the kids think up some good stuff to save themselves and others, even if it is a tad implausible.

[Beth Maline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildfire Run is exactly what it says it is...a run for three children trapped inside Camp David (yes, one of the children - Luke - is the President's son!) in the midst of a wildfire. His guards are all dead (yes, there was an accident...earthquake, wildfire...the electrified gate is down...and now the children are trapped and in danger, and no one knows they are there.)

Your heart races with the children while they screw up their courage and engage Mother Nature and battle their own wits to figure out how to get out of danger. This was a quick read, and really current in its theme. Robotics is a national push this year, and that plays into this story well. Boys especially will love this book, and find the danger realistic.

The best part of this book is that Camp David is an unknown, as the author explains in her end notes, so while she explains she made most of this up, it is logical and believable, and if the reader is interested in any type of gadgetry or machine making, they will love this.

For 3rd-7th graders, this book might be the impetus to get them started on the trail to a new national pastime (Robotics) and peak their interest. And of course, since my son is a teacher who has brought four middle school teams to the World Robotics Championships in the last two years (last year, he had a national championship team in Nebraska) mom was trying to bone up by reading this Golden Sower nominee...

I have to add this after our discussion last night of 'deer crossings' because the book starts with mention of deer, and deer are mentioned again going forward...when I thought of this today, I had to laugh --- I don't think I ever heard a funnier story, and I had tears rolling down my face. Told the ladies in my office today, we all laughed again. So if you read this book, you will relive the smiles!!!

Interesting, and worth putting a senior and a youngster together - they will both love the drama, the interaction of the kids (realistic, particularly if you have raised boys) and will learn something at the same time.

Garretson, D. (2010). Wildfire run. New York: Harper.