Thad

Red Kayak

By: Priscilla Cummings

media type="youtube" key="aufROkOTEBk" height="344" width="425"

"I hesitated because I knew that one i said something, I could never take it back. And that everything-and everyone-would be changed by it." -Brady

"This story, although brutal and very sad, is a good reminder to teenagers of the dangers of pulling pranks. "Red kayak" would be a great read aloud for an intermediate class as it can leads to some very in-depth discussions. The criminal trial is very in depth and offers the reader a chance to be inside a court room through an entire trial." -Library Thing

"I did not think about anything else as I did this. All I was doing was counting and pushing and breathing and praying inside that Ben would start breathing again." -Brady

"Red Kayak is a powerful book about the choices we make and the consequences of them, about friendship, families and the power of sadness." -SAPL Teen Corner News

"When i turned and our eyes met, I could see the pain he had bottled up inside. Because of his dad? The sweat dripping off his face could have been tears for all i know." -Brady

"First hailed as a hero for his dramatic water rescue of a little boy, thirteen-year-old Brady Parks soon makes a discovery that puts him at the heart of an enormous tragedy. Alone with his dark secret, Brady is ultimately forced to choose between loyalty to his lifelong friends and doing what he knows in his heart is right. Priscilla Cummings weaves a suspenseful, multilayered tale of three teenage boys caught in a wicked web of their own making." -Fairfax County Public Library

I chose the video because it explains the book perfectly. It tells how he started out as a normal kid and then turns into a hero only to go right back to nothing. But then he finds out a secret that could send his bestfriends to jail for murder. He must decide whether or not to go to the police or to even tell his parents.

I chose the picture of the two boys holding hands bacause it shows the firendship that takes place in this book. Brady is faced with a very serious decision in whether to turn his friends in or not. He could end up going to jail with them but he know that it is the right thing to do.

I chose the picture of the gravestone because it represents the death that takes place in this book. When Ben dies in the kayak it really takes a toll on everyone and it leads up to the big decision that Brady has to make. Also one of Brady's sister died when she was only a few months so his mom helps Ben's mom out in coping with Ben's death.

The first quote is very important to the story. It shows that the secret that Brady knows could change EVERYTHING. It shows how hard of a decision it was for him to make and that he really didn't want to mess everything up or get anyone into trouble. He just knew that it was the right thing to do and that he had to do it otherwise he would never stop thinking about it.

This is a very intense part of the book. It shows how much Brady really cared for Ben, the kid that he hardly knew. It shows how hard he tried to help him survive. He did help him get to the hospital but he ended up dying laer the next day. Although Brady did all he could to help save him he still blames himslef.

This shows that Brady's bestfriend felt horrible about what Digger and him had done to the poor kid. It shows that he knew what they had done was wrong but he could not take it back. It also shows that J.T. had been going through a hard time with his dad being in the hospital.