The Trouble with Jeremy Chance

By George Harrar

Book Overview

The award-winning author of Parents Wanted returns with a historical adventure -- a story of heroism in unlikely places. In a small New England town at the close of World War I, Jeremy Chance eagerly awaits the return of his brother, Davey, who has been fighting overseas. He keeps himself busy by exploring the woods near his home and building the courage to leap from his bedroom window into a huge snowdrift below -- a rite of passage for boys his age. But when Jeremy declares his father wrong in a dispute with their neighbor, the real trouble begins. Jeremy's father is furious, and the rift between them gives Jeremy the excuse he needs to run away. He hooks up with a "traveling man," who gives him some tips on the hobo lifestyle, and catches a freight train to Boston, where he wants to meet his brother's ship. After arriving, Jeremy is wowed by the crowds, the tall buildings, and the El. But when a big explosion rocks Boston, Jeremy's quick-witted resourcefulness becomes crucial to saving a firefighter's life. George Harrar's tale of a disagreement that grows into an all-out battle between father and son highlights the courage it takes to question a parent and the strength that is necessary to know when to forgive. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571316477
• ISBN13: 9781571316479
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 8

Customer Reviews

Wonderful historical fiction - brings 1919 alive through a boy's eyes

I just finished reading The Trouble with Jeremy Chance and I think it's a great read, and it really brings the past alive. Jeremy is 12 years old and lives in New Hampshire - his brother is away fighting WW1, and his mother recently died of Spanish Influenza. Other historical events - the Molasses Flood in Boston (wow!), meeting hobos riding the rails, seeing new-fangled cars and airplanes. Jeremy is a wonderfully developed character, as is his father, and their developing relationship - Jeremy developing some independence, and his father realizing how he's growing up - make this is warm and fulfilling read.

Really good book!!!!!

I recommend this book because it is good. It has a lot of detail but not too much and it didn't get boring. I think Jeremy was a mix between brave (because he went to Boston all by himself), sad (because his Mom died by influenza), and happy (because his brother was coming home from the war in a few weeks). The story was set in the early 1900's and that was very interesting because life was very different than it is today. For example, I did not know there was a disease called influenza. The most interesting part of the book was when Jeremy got caught in a molasses flood. Other people got burned, or stuck to the pavement, or died. And horses got stuck in the barns and people had to shoot them. This all happened in Boston and that's where I live. It says in the back of the book that the molasses flood really happened. I think this author is a really good writer and I want to read more of his books.