The Falls

Target age 9 to 13 and readers over 50. It wasn't her choice to go. But from the moment the bush plane splashed down on the Alaskan lake, there was no turning back for 11-year-old Monty. Her widowed father's job brought them to the edge of wilderness. Her journey that summer of 1953 would take her through rugged terrain, dangerous wildlife and unlikely friendships to the wonder and mystery beyond the Falls. Life at the camp at Brooks River comes with constant contradiction. The more beautiful and interesting something is, the more likely it is to be dangerous. Nothing embodies that more than the Falls. As the only child at the fishing camp, Monty endeavors to make friends, both human and wild animal, while fending off bullies. She learns from her new friend, Mrs. Devon, that even though the plants in the fields are beautiful, some of them are poisonous. Mr. Charles teachers her to appreciate the animals who live at camp but also to respect their power to put her in peril at any moment. But not all the adults at the camp at Brooks River are eager to warn Monty of potential dangers. One fishing guide named Doyle does not think children belong at a fishing camp and is determined to prove it. Through her own loss, Monty is familiar with the harshness of life. She witnesses the fish struggle to survive the bears as they, in turn, struggle to survive the coming winter. Monty and her father come to grips with risk, loss, and life on their Alaskan adventure.