After winning a tough tryout against other young dirt-track racers, Trace Bonham scores an amazing ride. A corporate sponsor chooses him to drive its brand new Super Stock. And what a great car it is! Along with a professional crew, a top-of-the line car hauler, not to mention money and fame—it all feels too good to be true…. And there’s a price to pay. Trace has to leave behind his girl, his high school, and his hometown speedway. His life is shifting into high gear, and he has the driving skills to make it big—maybe all the way to NASCAR. But does he have what it takes to handle road life and the speed of his success?
Excerpt from SSR: It took him a few minutes with the kids, signing autographs, and when he was finally done he turned to go back to the pits. For some reason he looked into the shadows, alongside the bleachers. Leaning against the metal wall was April, smiling at him. She worked at the concessions stands, and was a college girl.
“Hey,” he said, and walked over.
“Some driving tonight!” she said.
“Thanks,” he said.
She stepped very close. He could smell food on her: sweet corn, butter, taco sauce, cotton candy. She touched his face. “I could punch out any time,” she murmured.
Trace swallowed. “Gee, um. That would be great–except that I’ve got a bunch of people here–sponsors and. . . .”
“And?” April asked. She let hand track slowly down over his chest.
Trace started to laugh. “And my mother.”
“Just my luck!” April said.
“Hey, you don’t look like the kind of girl who needs any luck,” Trace answered. He glanced around, then pulled her sharply forward and kissed her….
Author Commentary: SSR, the second Motor Novel, follows Trace’s rapid arc upward in dirt track racing. The matter of success—how he handles it—is a central theme. We’ve all read about people who have crashed and burned because of too much success. For Trace, it’s the best car, the best team, and hot girls (“fence bunnies”) everywhere–a life of the pro racer on the road. But there’s a girl back home, and serious questions his about sponsor and crew. Is he a winning driver or a cheater—in every way?
It's a sizzling summer Saturday night, and Headwaters Speedway is the place to be. Thanks to rainouts across the state, this small-town dirt track is drawing big-time stock car teams and lots of local drivers. Trace Bonham's Street Stock Chevy is acting up in a big way. Beau Kim's "stone soup" Modified has been patched together from whatever parts he could scrape up. Amber Jenkins, a strawberry blonde who drives a Mod-Four, has what it takes to drive rings around everyone. And keeping everyone on track is Melody Walters, who knows that the impending rain might be exactly what's needed to keep her father's speedway afloat—or sink it for good. Thunders booms on and off the track in this first novel in the MOTOR Series from FSG, New York. "Thoroughly enjoyable...this book presents a fascinating look at small-time racing where the love of it gives the glitz of NASCAR its roots."—School Library Journal. "Compelling...It is the atmosphere of the track that is the real star here. Young racing fans, particularly those familiar with the small tracks that dot rural parts of the country, will find much that rings true."—Booklist. "Librarians need to steer boys who tinker with internal combustion engines to Weaver's latest work. Short chapters and a brisk pace...may attract those reluctant readers who can recite the firing order of a V-8 and know how to tighten down a valve cover."—Kirkus Reviews. (Super Stock Rookie follows in spring of '09.)
Author Commentary: SND was written for two groups: all the motorheads out there who love cars and are not wild about English classes; and all the teachers and librarians who continually have to find good books for teens–ones kids will actually read. Writing SND was a lot of fun, too, as it allowed me to get my own motorhead back on. As a teenager I was all about drag racing, smoking tires and hot summer nights. However, then came college where my life took a turn for the literary. A career of teaching kept me away from cars, speedways, and high rpm, but now it feels good to reclaim that important part of my life.
Maybe it was bad karma. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, fifteen-year-old David was born defective. His bug eyes, pinched face, and hearing aids are obvious, but there is a secret David keeps from everyone, even his foster parents. Because of a thin layer of skin hidden under each arm, David can fly–well, glide is more like it. Terrified of doctors, wary of letting down his guard, David is determined to hide his secret at any cost. But then David meets Cheetah, a girl whose own defect doesn't diminish her spirit, and suddenly his life begins to take wing. In this arresting new novel, Weaver creates an unforgettable character on the path to discovering that some blessings can be a curse–and some curses a blessing. "[E]erie cover and enticing premise will draw readers in for a big payoff."—Booklist. "[P]rovocative novel."—VOYA(Voice of Youth Advocates). "This story is incredibly touching and powerful, and honest. . . ."—TeensReadtoo.com. "[A]touching story that has a lot to say about whether we wear our bodies or they wear us."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
Author Commentary: This novel has much to do with some time I spent at the Mayo Clinic as a thirteen year old. I had a facial injury (my nose) which took some fixing, and that feeling of being disfigured (temporarily) stayed with me. Defect also has to do with the literary issue of the young adult "problem novel." Nowadays, fictional realism has hit a wall in terms of problems to explore; that is, the problem under investigation had better be really interesting!
P.S. Visit my publisher's website and Authors 4 Teens for more great Young Adult selections.
The summer of '65 is a hot one for high school sophomore-to-be Paul and his rural Minnesota family. They are members of a nondenominational Christian sect that practices communal farm work and fellowship. At his mother's urging, Paul lands a job in town at the Shell station where he "meets the public"–and begins to see the real nature of adults. From his vantage point of the town's main intersection, Paul is privy to everything that goes on in their small town. His beliefs are tested in serious ways (girls, honesty, beer, cigarettes), and by summer's end, he has grown and changed in dramatic ways. "Weaver is a wonderful stylist …a deeply felt story."—Booklist. "Pitch perfect."(starred review)—Kirkus.
Author Commentary: FS is my "baby." It was the novel–adult, young adult–I didn't care, that I had been trying to write for many years. I wanted to focus on one summer when, for me, everything changed. I also had the idea that most of us have had such a summer, and it didn't matter if it was 1965 or 2005. I also like that this novel deals in good part with matters of religious faith and doubt. That's something you don't find much of in young adult fiction.
"I always thought detention was for other people," says Jed Berg, a sixteen year old "golden boy" who lives in Duluth, Minnesota. For Jed, life couldn't be sweeter. In the space of six months he got his driver's license, landed a major girlfriend and made number-one singles in varsity tennis. But here he is in after-school detention. "Preppies in a downward spiral are fun to watch," says a pierced, tattooed girl–who is more insightful than she knows. Claws is set in northeastern Minnesota, including Duluth and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. But rather than wild animals, the "claws" in question refer to a line by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. "For every happy man, life sooner or later will show its claws," he wrote. How Jed deals with life's adversity, including bad decisions and downright bad luck, reveals unpleasant truths about himself. "[G]ood choice for fans of more serious realistic fiction."—School Library Journal.
Author Commentary: Confession: I set out to write an unremittingly sad novel, and may have succeeded. I'm a big fan of Chekhov, particularly his short stories, and was always struck by his "claws" quote. I essentially wrote the novel around that idea (of life tipping upside-down). I like the close-to-present feel of Claws, and I've gotten a lot of great letters and emails about it from kids in charter and alternative schools. This novel seems to speak to kids "on the fringe."
The post-apocalyptic future has never been so close or real. It is July 2008, and the Newell family–consisting of jazz drummer father, feisty mother, and teens Miles and Sarah–leave suburban Minneapolis to escape to the safety and isolation of their summer cabin. Two years earlier, Mount Rainier exploded, causing global warming and the continual spread of ash. Crops are affected and food is beginning to run short; looting, rioting, and increased violence lead many to leave the cities. Miles cannibalizes the family's boat and bikes, cleverly producing a pedal and wind-powered vehicle which gets them to their cabin now occupied by two other families who refuse to leave. A poignant subplot involving Miles' oral history project provides the key to the family's survival. "Riveting and all too believable."—VOYA. "Thrilling story…"—ALA Booklist.
Author Commentary: MB was my break-out from the "Billy Baggs" series. I wanted to write something very different, very "high concept," but still focused on family. In some ways, MB feels like my truest young adult novel in terms of its voice, tone and style. MB has also been my most popular YA novel to date. A sequel is underway.
Third in a linked series of novels, beginning with Striking Out and Farm Team, Hard Ball carries a tight focus on the "bad blood" between Billy and his rival, Archer "King" Kenwood, the star pitcher on the town team. The coach comes up with a particularly ingenious solution to solve their conflict. In Hard Ball (as in the series). baseball is the hook, but its themes transcend sports. Hard Ball takes a close look at issues of conflict resolution, class, rural life versus urban, and the nature of family. A particularly important message in Hard Ball is that it's possible to find solutions to problems without resorting to violence. "An offbeat, exciting narrative with a credible and thoroughly human hero."—Kirkus Reviews.
Author Commentary: I struggled with Hard Ball–I think I needed a break from the farm, small town life, and baseball. As well, a series is tougher to write than you might imagine. But I particularly liked the matter of conflict resolution in HB. Overall, the three "Billy Baggs" books work well in grades 6-10, and particularly for young males who "never read" or don't like to read. I think there's one or maybe two more "Billy Baggs" inside my head–to be written someday.
The second "Billy Baggs" novel, Farm Team, showcases Billy's heavy burdens. His father is in jail, and Billy must run the farm plus deal with a prying social worker. The barriers seem impassable, but Billy's growing love of baseball–a passport out of isolation and guilt–carries the day. Billy and his rural friends put together a team of their own–girls, boys, a couple of city kids, two brothers who are migrant workers in the area–it doesn't matter. They just want to play baseball, and Billy's team turns out to be surprisingly competitive. Farm Team climaxes when Billy's team of misfits takes on the town team–but, as always in Weaver's novels, the final score is less important than the human drama. "[I]nfused with joyous optimism." (Starred review)—Publishers Weekly.
Author Commentary: Striking Out was a bit dark in spots, and Farm Team lifts the series upward and outward into sunnier territory. It has some good humor in spots, and I love the natural diversity of the "farm team." Ending a novel is always tricky, but Farm Team has one of my best.
Up until now, Billy Baggs' life has been full of nevers. Never been to a movie. Never played baseball with a real team. Never got over feeling guilty for the loss of his brother, which forever shattered his Minnesota farm family. Urged on by the town's baseball coach, Billy discovers he has talent–both on the field of his family's farm and on the baseball field. This novel has hard-hitting realism and strong writing. The prologue, focused on a wrenching farm accident, has been used in high school speech contests. Striking Out includes a couple of unfinished plot lines that Weaver finishes in two sequels. Among many awards, this novel was chosen as a 1993 American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and a 1994 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. "[C]omplex characters grow and change in profoundly real ways."—Kirkus Reviews.
Author Commentary: This was my first young adult novel. If read closely you can see me struggling a bit to find the "right" style and tone for young readers. But it's a serious look at one family struggling with a deep wound. Baseball is the hook, but the novel is really about how families work (or sometimes don't).
On the Fringe (pictured), is one of several young adult, theme-based anthologies that contain shorter works by Weaver. In list form, here are some:
"Training the Bear." Guys Write for Guys Read. Viking Juvenile. New York (April 2005)
"Marked for Death." Unexpected: 11 Mysterious Stories. Ed. By Laura E. Williams (Scholastic Books 2005)
"Bad Blood." Destination Unexpected. Ed. By Don Gallo (Candlewick Press 2003).
"WWJD." On The Fringe: Short Stories about Conflict and Alienation. Ed by Don Gallo (Dial Press 2001)
"Bootleg Summer." Time Capsule: Short Stories about Teenagers Throughout the 20th Century. Ed. By Don Gallo (Delacorte Press 1999)
"The Photograph." No Easy Answers: Short Stories about Teenagers Making Tough Choices. Ed by Don Gallo (Bantam Doubleday 1997)
"Stealing for Girls." Ultimate Sports: Short Stories for Young Adults. Ed. By Don Gallo. (Delacorte Press 1995)
WW: Sometimes it's good to have an "assignment." An editor will get in touch, for example, after the Columbine High School shootings, with a goal of getting several authors together to address an issue such as school violence through the lens of fiction. Of my individual stories, I think "The Photograph" and "WWJD" are strongest.
© 2009 Will Weaver. Will Weaver Books. All Rights Reserved.
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