Bodett, Tom. Norman Tuttle on the last frontier; a novel in stories.BODETT,Tom. Norman Tuttle on the last frontier; a novel in stories. Random House, Knopf. 192p. c2004. 0-679-89031-9. $15.95. (Lib. bdg.: 0-679-99031-3. $1799.) J* Bodett, a storyteller and author of Williwaw wil·li·waw n. 1. A violent gust of cold wind blowing seaward from a mountainous coast, especially in the Straits of Magellan. 2. A sudden gust of wind; a squall. [Origin unknown.] ! for YAs, took a character from one of his books for adults and in 15 linked tales writes movingly and amusingly about the trials and tribulations of his adolescence. Norman is 13 when we first meet him, growing up in small-town Alaska and falling into misadventures of all kinds: he falls off his father's fishing boat into icy waters; he punches out a bully; he falls in love and gets his heart broken and his home trashed trashed adj. Slang Drunk or intoxicated. Our Living Language Expressions for intoxication are among those that best showcase the creativity of slang. ; and he lands in trouble. Despite supportive parents, he feels "dangerously overexposed o·ver·ex·pose tr.v. o·ver·ex·posed, o·ver·ex·pos·ing, o·ver·ex·pos·es 1. To expose too long or too much: Don't overexpose the children to television. 2. to his own family," and a summer spent farming in Oregon is just what he needs to help him with his growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. . Older men serve as mentors in Norman's life, helping him to understand himself and others, and in the end, at 15 going on 16, he emerges with newfound new·found adj. Recently discovered: a newfound pastime. Adj. 1. newfound - newly discovered; "his newfound aggressiveness"; "Hudson pointed his ship down the coast of the newfound sea" confidence. Bodett portrays Norman affectionately, despite all his foibles, and readers will find it easy to relate to his good intentions and unlucky breaks. Like Gary Paulsen, Bodett describes outdoor adventures succinctly and memorably, and he has a knack for warm but unsentimental portraits that ring true. Readers will suffer along with Norman and cheer his successes in this funny and beautifully written novel. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT |
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