The Car

by Gary Paulsen, Luke Daniels (Read by)

Overview

Fourteen-year-old Terry Anders has been abandoned by his parents. He has no choice but to go on, and he begins by assembling pieces of a kit car from his father's garage. When he finishes the car known as "the Cat," Terry sets out from Cleveland to Portland to search for an uncle he hardly knows. Along the way Terry picks up a wandering Vietnam vet who ultimately guides him on a journey of discovery and survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781531879754
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 6.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

GARY PAULSEN (1939 - 2021) wrote nearly two hundred books for young people, including the Newbery Honor Books Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room. 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This provocative novel introduces and explores some interesting philosophies of life while stressing the value of learning from experience."—Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

In a starred review, PW praised the Newbery Honor author for ``his ability to create flesh-and-blood characters'' in this story about a 14-year-old who sets out on a road trip and meets up with a Vietnam vet. Ages 12-up. Another Paulsen title, Dancing Carl, is being released simultaneously by Aladdin; $3.95 ISBN 0-689-80410-5. Ages 9-12. (Oct.) q

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

"This provocative novel introduces and explores some interesting philosophies of life while stressing the value of learning from experience."—Publishers Weekly
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From the Publisher

Gr 7–10—After Terry's parents desert him, he puts together a kit car, a Blakesley Bearcat, and heads west in Gary Paulsen's novel (Harcourt, 1994). Intending to travel from Cleveland, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon, to find his uncle, he meets up with Tom Wayland and Wayne, hitchhiking Vietnam veterans. The pair teaches Terry about "trucking" as they visit various places in the Midwest, and Terry finds himself learning more than he'd ever imagined. Ostensibly a road trip story, Paulsen deftly weaves in deeper themes of the consequences of war, the meaning of family, and finding oneself. Luke Daniels's narration brings Wayland's troubled gruffness and Wayne's laidback biker drawl to life, as well as Paulsen's vivid descriptions of Terry's stick-shift driving. Excellent for teens to listen to on long summer trips.—Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY

School Library Journal - Audio