“Wildfire”
by Rodman Philbrick,
Scholastic Inc., New York, 2019, 202 pages, Grades 4-7
Adventure stories captivate readers. There is always some danger and it usually includes sinister characters and events that can harm the main protagonists. In their struggle, these leading characters must make choices that can have beneficial or fatal outcomes. In some stories, such as “Wildfire” by Rodman Philbrick, these decisions can be a matter of life or death.
In this story, 12-year-old Sam Castine and 14-year-old Delphy Pappas find themselves in a raging inferno in the forests of Maine.
The day starts simply. Camp Wabanaski, deep in the woods, is filled with summer campers. But a severe drought leaves the forest dry and the underbrush parched. A forest fire breaks out several miles from camp and the counselors wisely decide to evacuate the campers.
As the buses are being loaded, Sam Castine, realizes his phone is still in the cabin. He needs his phone to call his sick mother. Rushing back, he finds his phone but returns to discover the buses have left because the fire is next to the camp. Looking at the nearby forest, he sees trees exploding with flames. He must leave fast or be burned to death. But how do you get out of a vaguely marked forest?
Sam tries to develop a plan as the fire spreads. After running from the flames for hours, he collapses. But he is determined not to die.
Staggering to his feet, he continues down the poorly marked trail. A faint cry comes from the brush. Stopping, Sam sees a tall girl limp out of the woods. Her name is Delphy Pappas and her ankle is injured, causing her to need a crutch. They look back and the fire, gaining increased fury, is about to encircle them. They decide to team up and help save each other.
By accident, they find an old camp. In one building, they discover an ancient Jeep. Neither has ever driven, but Sam starts the Jeep and finally grinds it into first gear. They bounce through the ruts in the old logging trail, just ahead of the deadly flames. The children continue to help each other as they try to escape. Suddenly, they see two skin-headed arsonists setting fire to a series of nearby cabins. The arsonists see them and speed up to attack the children. As Sam drives madly to get away from the arsonists, Delphy stands up in the bouncing Jeep and swings her crutch at the bikers. There is a solid whack. What happens?
Do Sam and Delphy escape the raging forest fire? What happens to the biker arsonists? How do the courageous decisions made by the children show their true characters? Why do they understand their need for each other? How can strength be gained through choosing bravery over fear? To find out, go to the library and check out “Wildfire” by Rodman Philbrick.
This is a thrilling book filled with many adventures. Philbrick develops the characters of Sam and Delphy. Both children show courage and decision making under trying situations. Strong male characters are not common today, and I found Sam to be refreshing. This was done without diminishing the bravery of Delphy. Philbrick is to be complimented on creating such balanced characters.
Because of this and the many other fine qualities of the book, I think both boys and girls will find this story compelling. If your children are looking for an exciting, swashbuckling novel, this is it. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I have.
