A young boy named Billy loves to fish. His father doesn’t have time to fish with him, so Billy rides his bike into
town whenever he can to fish the local reservoir. In the course of this short little book, a
dream comes true, he reconnects with his father, and gains a mentor.
Hawgeye was written by Michigan author Chris W. Weston. It is a delightful tale of childhood and
adventure, and the simple pleasures of growing up in a rural small town. While written primarily for kids 8-12, it
struck a chord with me for it mirrored so much of my own childhood- a busy
father who rarely took me fishing, riding my bike to town with my rod across my
handlebars after I had finished my chores, standing at the local sporting goods
shop lusting after gear and lures I couldn’t afford. My first walleye was about the same size as
Billy’s in the story. Billy finds a
fishing mentor in the end (I think that’s safe to say this without giving away
too much) and I too had a few older friends who took an interest in me and took
me fishing, showing me the ropes, and introducing me to new and exciting
angling adventures.
Parents- if your kids are interested in the outdoors, or
even just a summer adventure, this is an excellent book. In a world in which our kids are growing up
way too fast and spend too much time surrounded by electronica (if you can't peel them away to read, each book includes a code for a free download of the e-version), Hawgeye
captures that childhood sense of adventure and wonder in a simpler setting and
time- the summertime joys of a bicycle, a worm on a hook, and the freedom to be
a child.
Go to Chris' website for a biography, links to buy Hawgeye, read more reviews, or keep up with his latest: http://chriswweston.com/
Jason,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I remember riding my bike down to the lake with my rod across the handle bars or in a backpack. Fishing those days when every trip was something new and learning the whole time. Gills, bass, rockbass, crappie, maybe a walley or a Pike. It was great!