Trouble
Trouble
Trouble
Gary D. Schmidt
“Henry Smith’s father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.”But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pickup truck that strikes Henry’s older brother, Franklin. In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin’s preparatory school, and the accident sparks racial tensions in the school—and in the well-established town where Henry’s family has lived for generations. Caught between anger and grief, Henry sets out to do the only thing he can think of: climb Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, which he and Franklin were going to climb together. Along with Black Dog, whom Henry has rescued from drowning, and a friend, Henry leaves without his parents’ knowledge. The journey, both exhilarating and dangerous, turns into an odyssey of discovery about himself, his older sister, Louisa, his ancestry, and why one can never escape from Trouble.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction
  • Juvenile Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 12 and up
Profile Picture

For as long as he can remember, Henry's life has been overshadowed by his seemingly flawless older brother, Franklin. That all changes when Trouble strikes, and Henry's family is stressed to the breaking point. So, Henry throws himself into an adventure, one that he had planned to take with Franklin long before the accident. The thing is, Franklin won't be coming with him on this adventure; Henry is determined to go alone. So with a pack of supplies, a ragged dog, and ambition to spare, Henry sets out to climb the notorious Mt.

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