Hold On, Geronimo

Lance and Red, the protagonists of Let It Go, are back; this time, Lance, 15, is narrating the action. He gets the cast off his hand, which was injured in the last book, and learns that he may never be able to use it again. All his hopes for the futurewhich included art school on scholarshipdim, and to add to his miseries, his step-cousin Kat comes for an extended visit. Lance and Kat are immediately at odds; worse, Red falls head over heels for her. Lance thinks his troubles are over when he, Red and Kat take off in Uncle Joe's plane for a wilderness trail ride. But the plane crashes, Uncle Joe is killed, Red is injured and grief-stricken Kat blames Lance for her father's death. Lost in the frosty woods of northern Alberta, Lance finds that his survival depends on his ``useless'' right hand. As with her last book, Halvorson creates distinctive, likable characters in an authentic setting and keeps the action moving swiftly. Readers will look forward to further developments in the Lance-Kate-Red triangle. Ages 12-up. (May)