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Reckless
Josh knows he's riding recklessly when he knocks down the old man he suspects is the hermit of Loggerman Creek. But he is shocked when the hermit walks into the forest with his bike after the accident. Being without his beloved bike for a week motivates Josh to hike into the woods and confront the crazy old man. The hermit, Jonathan, has fixed Josh's bike, and Josh learns that he has more in common with the old man than he ever imagined. When Jonathan needs help, Josh has to respect the old man's choices in order to save his life.
- GenresFictionYoung Adult
112 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Choyce
131 books122 followersLesley Choyce is a novelist and poet living at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia. He is the author of more than 80 books for adults, teens and children. He teaches in the English Department and Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. He is a year-round surfer and founding member of the 1990s spoken word rock band, The SurfPoets. Choyce also runs Pottersfield Press, a small literary publishing house and hosted the national TV show, Off The Page, for many years. His books have been translated into Spanish, French, German and Danish and he has been awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.
Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.
His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.
Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.
His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 11, 2020
This book was very good! At first I believed that the old man was going to kill Josh, but then he ended up helping him fix his bike and they ended up as friends. I liked how even though Anton challenged him, Josh ended up landing that crazy jump. Then I got mad when Anton told everyone that Josh sabotaged his bike. Unfair. In the end, Josh ended up scaring his parents to death and helping his friend Jonathan after he hurt himself. I agree with the main character, Josh. I would love to live in a place in the woods like Jonathan. It would be very peaceful!
November 12, 2020
After reading this book it reminded me of my grandpa's house in the woods. Where we go every year to ride quads and motor bikes. Can't wait till I get my own dirt bike.
March 20, 2018
Very easy realistic fiction book. Took me about an hour total to read the book. This book is about a boy named Josh who takes his dirt bike out on old logging trails and befriends an old hermit living in the woods.
July 4, 2017
I thought the book was very good because I could easily relate to it since I have a dirt bike and just the way he talked and how his bike and the trails where his getaway place.
August 24, 2021
I loved this book so much that I have read it way more then once
September 12, 2025
Don't like reading at all, but this book got me hooked, and it is most definitely my favorite book
November 7, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Riding his dirt bike through the forest is Josh's way of clearing his mind. That's where he heads most days after school. Although he follows his parents' rules about leaving a note and wearing his helmet, he isn't always as careful as he should be.
One afternoon, the sound of his engine and the feel of the forest floor beneath his tires leads him to be a bit reckless. Before he realizes exactly what happened, he is steering wildly to avoid hitting a bearded man directly in his path. His attempt to miss the man fails. Josh is thrown from his bike, but he quickly scrambles to his feet and to the side of the fallen man. The guy is dressed in rags and smells awful. Josh considers his meager first aid training and decides not to move the man. He checks to see if he is breathing and attempts to communicate. As he watches the man slowly come around, Josh guesses that he has stumbled across the Loggerman Creek hermit.
Much to Josh's surprise, the man gradually gets to his feet. The man questions Josh about his reason for disrupting the quiet forest, states "You need to be taught a lesson," and then lifting Josh's broken bike, walks off with it into the trees.
Losing his bike in such an embarrassing encounter means Josh can't mention anything to his parents. He talks with his friend, Kyle, and together they decide the man must be the Vietnam vet rumored to have lived in the wild for some forty years. Josh finds out the man has a few friends in the community who deliver supplies from time to time. He decides he will make a visit to the man and try to retrieve his dirt bike.
What follows amazes Josh. He discovers the man's name is Jonathan. His experiences in the war turned him into a hermit - distrustful of everyone and terrified of helicopters. For some reason, Jonathan allows Josh to befriend him.
Many Vietnam vets have found it difficult to assimilate back into their old lives. Author Lesley Choyce gives readers a peek into Jonathan's tortured memories. Josh learns about respect and honor in his relationship with Jonathan.
RECKLESS combines the fast and furious world of recreational dirt biking with the emotions and life-changing effects of war.
Riding his dirt bike through the forest is Josh's way of clearing his mind. That's where he heads most days after school. Although he follows his parents' rules about leaving a note and wearing his helmet, he isn't always as careful as he should be.
One afternoon, the sound of his engine and the feel of the forest floor beneath his tires leads him to be a bit reckless. Before he realizes exactly what happened, he is steering wildly to avoid hitting a bearded man directly in his path. His attempt to miss the man fails. Josh is thrown from his bike, but he quickly scrambles to his feet and to the side of the fallen man. The guy is dressed in rags and smells awful. Josh considers his meager first aid training and decides not to move the man. He checks to see if he is breathing and attempts to communicate. As he watches the man slowly come around, Josh guesses that he has stumbled across the Loggerman Creek hermit.
Much to Josh's surprise, the man gradually gets to his feet. The man questions Josh about his reason for disrupting the quiet forest, states "You need to be taught a lesson," and then lifting Josh's broken bike, walks off with it into the trees.
Losing his bike in such an embarrassing encounter means Josh can't mention anything to his parents. He talks with his friend, Kyle, and together they decide the man must be the Vietnam vet rumored to have lived in the wild for some forty years. Josh finds out the man has a few friends in the community who deliver supplies from time to time. He decides he will make a visit to the man and try to retrieve his dirt bike.
What follows amazes Josh. He discovers the man's name is Jonathan. His experiences in the war turned him into a hermit - distrustful of everyone and terrified of helicopters. For some reason, Jonathan allows Josh to befriend him.
Many Vietnam vets have found it difficult to assimilate back into their old lives. Author Lesley Choyce gives readers a peek into Jonathan's tortured memories. Josh learns about respect and honor in his relationship with Jonathan.
RECKLESS combines the fast and furious world of recreational dirt biking with the emotions and life-changing effects of war.
March 14, 2010
What can a hermit and a teen possibly have in common? Most people, especially teens would answer, “nothing”. Joshua was about to find out just how much he had in common with the hermit who lived in the woods. His life changed the day he ran down the old hermit on an old logging trail, and then watched the man walk into the woods with his bike. Joshua lived for the days he could hop on his bike and tear into the woods. It wasn’t just the thrill of riding it was sitting in the quiet woods absorbing the peacefulness that surrounded him. Of course he would never tell that to anyone. After a week of no bike, Joshua decided to get his bike back. That is when he really met the hermit named Jonathon. Jonathon had fixed up Joshua’s bike like new. Over a period of time they find out just how much they are alike and what true friendship is.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the lifestyle the old hermit lived. I think this goes back to my fondness for the old pioneer days and my growing up in my great-grandmother’s farm house. A lot of people think these were simpler times because of no television, phones, etc. They were hard working times and most people got the satisfaction of communing with nature and working with their hands. I believe Joshua felt this way. He didn’t give up his technology but embraced the peacefulness that took him away from the crazy world if only for a few hours. I also think meeting Jonathon gave him a new outlook on how events shape our lives and how our mind must sometimes go into survival mode. I am hoping that my students will love this book as much as I did. It is appropriate for the very topics we have been covering in my reading class about survival. This is definitely an author I will look for in the future. A nice, clean simple read that lifted my spirits.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the lifestyle the old hermit lived. I think this goes back to my fondness for the old pioneer days and my growing up in my great-grandmother’s farm house. A lot of people think these were simpler times because of no television, phones, etc. They were hard working times and most people got the satisfaction of communing with nature and working with their hands. I believe Joshua felt this way. He didn’t give up his technology but embraced the peacefulness that took him away from the crazy world if only for a few hours. I also think meeting Jonathon gave him a new outlook on how events shape our lives and how our mind must sometimes go into survival mode. I am hoping that my students will love this book as much as I did. It is appropriate for the very topics we have been covering in my reading class about survival. This is definitely an author I will look for in the future. A nice, clean simple read that lifted my spirits.
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May 18, 2018the book reckless is a really cool and interesting book and it is really cool how the boy saves the guy at the end of the book and he stays overnight to help the man and scares his parents to death but he saves the man my favorite part in the book is when he goes with the mean kid and climbs up the dirt pits and he goes up the highest one that none has ever gone up and he makes it
June 26, 2014
Loved this...didn't expect the storyline to go the way it did- great themes..
March 28, 2016
This book was a good read it had dirt bikes and it was very interesting because this boy is ringing through the woods on his dirt bike and hits an old man.
July 7, 2013
Likeable, dynamic character and good, fast action
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews