Bull Rider »

"No, Layne," Mom said in a tight voice. Her eyes met mine again. "Not the bull riding. You know how I feel about that." I knew all right. We'd been through this scene so many times it was like living in an instant replay. But this time I fought back. "Yeah, and you know how I feel about it too." "I don't care how you feel," Mom shot back. "All I know is that I watched a bull kill my husband and there's no way I'll risk watching one kill my son." Layne wants nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps and to be a bull rider. His dad was one ride away from a National Championship when he got trampled to death. Layne wants to be able to give his dad that championship - by winning it for him. What he doesn't want, though, is to end up like his father and die in the rodeo arena. When the chance comes, Layne realizes he must face up to his greatest fear. With the help of his friend Jana, and his bratty younger sister, Layne learns to reach deep inside and trust himself. Marilyn Halvorson has written a number of novels for teens.

Claire Rosser - KLIATT

This is a multi-book review. Orca Soundings novels are short and aimed at the reluctant teenage reader. Goobie's story will grab those YA readers who are moved by the dilemma of angry girls who have been victims of sexual abuse. Who owns you, Kelly? Your father who did this to you? Or do you own your own life? That's how her therapist talks to her. Kelly is a runaway, furious with the mother who allowed the abuse, a street person now incarcerated in a lockup for troubled adolescent girls. It isn't the first time. She knows who to trust and how to stay silent. Goobie is adept at handling this story. Bull Rider is also dramatic, but tells a completely different story. It is set in Calgary and centers on a family close to rodeo life. The father was killed while riding a bull, and so the mother is determined that her son Layne won't follow in his father's path. Layne has different ideas, of course, and he learns to ride bulls without his mother knowing what he is doing. The cover is also dramatic: a bull trampling a cowboy on the ground. A contemporary tale that offers an unusual setting, this will appeal to many YA readers. KLIATT Codes: JS Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2003, Orca Soundings, 92p.,