Trapped

by Sigmund Brouwer

Overview

Matt is counting down the days until he turns sixteen.

He's been living with his foster parents in Yukon River valley in their isolated cabin. His plan is to leave and never come back. He is done with the harsh lifestyle and helping his abusive foster dad, Dan, run the traplines so he can make money selling animal furs. He can't wait to start a new life on his own in the city. But when Matt discovers a big and valuable gold nugget, everything changes. What seems like a dream come true and an easy way out quickly turns into a nightmare that will test Matt's wilderness survival skills to the fullest.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459828612
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Series:	Orca Anchor
Edition description:	High readability edition
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Lexile:	HL560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, with close to 4 million books in print. He has won the Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, as well as being nominated for two TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and the Red Maple Award. For years, Sigmund has captivated students with his Rock & Roll Literacy Show and Story Ninja program during his school visits, reaching up to 80,000 students per year. His many books in the Orca Sports and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.

Editorial Reviews

A thrilling hi-lo adventure story for teens...The beauty of Trapped is in its no-holds-barred narrative that keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next…A valuable hi-lo addition to any library. Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

01/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—Fifteen-year-old homeschooler Matt does not enjoy trapping beavers in the Yukon backcountry. He spends his days walking the wilderness and loading his backpack with bloody furs to satisfy Dan, his filthy and brutal foster father. When he stumbles on a baseball-sized nugget of gold, Matt starts to fantasize about cashing in and taking off for a new life in Vancouver, away from abusive Dan and his drunken wife, Jill. Matt believes they take in foster kids only for the money; a previous kid disappeared a decade before and was never found. After Matt inquires about the value of a nugget during a visit to nearby Dawson City, he discovers a hidden camera in Dan's trapline cabin and realizes his secret is out. He will have to outsmart Dan and go on the run immediately. A scene where Dan ties Matt up and threatens to torture him with a blowtorch may be too much for sensitive readers, but mostly the action moves briskly, twisting and turning as Dan tries to force Matt to give up his secret. The title is part of a new series from Orca with low reading levels, in this case first to second grade, combined with high-interest plots and text features such as a dyslexia-friendly font, to accommodate readers with disabilities or other literacy challenges. Sentences are short and the vocabulary is not complex. VERDICT An excellent choice to hand to middle and high school reluctant readers, especially where outdoor adventures are popular.—Bob Hassett

School Library Journal

2021-11-16
Matt counts the days until he turns 16 and can escape his abusive foster parents.

The gold nugget Matt finds in the Yukon River valley could be his ticket to independence—if he can just keep it hidden. For years, brutal Dan Cork and his indifferent, alcoholic wife have fostered boys and worked them hard. One boy disappeared and was never found. (Matt has his suspicions as to why). Forced to do the Corks’ housework and more, Matt especially hates being made to trap, shoot, and skin animals for their pelts. When fellow feeling prevents him from killing a beaver with a broken leg that’s caught in a trap, Matt frees it instead, pretty sure it will survive. Watching the beaver slide into the river, he spots a baseball-sized chunk of gold. Experience has taught him that if Dan, who keeps close tabs on him, knows Matt has something he wants, he’ll take it. Matt doesn’t have much time to hide the gold; he’s supposed to meet Dan soon. Vicious but clever, Dan has trained Matt to think like a trapped animal: to anticipate what he will do and craft a strategy to defeat him. Now Matt has just moments to carry out a plan. The taut and gripping plot more than compensates for occasionally repetitive syntax. Characters present White by default.

From the first sentence, this compact, suspenseful title pulls reluctant readers in and never lets go. (author's note) (Thriller. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews