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kawarwick's review
4.0
A quick read. Father and son trip where they trace the route of Lewis & Clark.
dogtrax's review
4.0
Good, solid story with some insightful points -- a father-son journey into the heart of America and its history ...
suzannedix's review
3.0
An interesting coming-of-age/how to get along with your estranged father type of story. It features a lot of history about the Lewis and Clark Expedition which I enjoyed. Overall, the story was good though it felt as if the dialogue between son and father was contrived.
Grades 6 and up.
Grades 6 and up.
rachelmackie's review
5.0
A very engaging read aloud for middle grades! There are some parts that may need a little teacher-censorship on the fly (depending on the age/maturity level of your students) but no more than other books at this reading level.
allerkins's review against another edition
2.0
A father takes his son on a road trip following the Lewis and Clark trail. The voice of Will our narrator sometimes sounded contrived. There was a lot of heavy handed foreshadowing and I really, really didn't like the addition of Maria Rosa as a character. The author seems to treat her as a Sacagawea parallel and it just doesn't work.
then there is the fact that there were a ton of things Will 'just knew' for example the first time he saw Maria Rosa he knew he would be seeing her again and then they happened to run into her later in a completely different city. Most mind baffling of all when they are looking for her cousin Alejandro they stop at a gas station and this happens: "I notice a young man, dark like Maria Rosa, leaning against the building. He wears a blue button-down shirt and jeans. A red rag hangs from his pocket. A mechanic, probably. And I know in that instant: It’s him. Alejandro. I can’t explain how I know this is true, but the jolt is like lightning." Implausible much? Also I didn't like the way the father referred to her as 'an illegal.'
The treatment of Native Americans in the story could also be problematic. The author makes sure to point out the historical injustices against native people but then does appropriative things like give Will a spirit animal.
then there is the fact that there were a ton of things Will 'just knew' for example the first time he saw Maria Rosa he knew he would be seeing her again and then they happened to run into her later in a completely different city. Most mind baffling of all when they are looking for her cousin Alejandro they stop at a gas station and this happens: "I notice a young man, dark like Maria Rosa, leaning against the building. He wears a blue button-down shirt and jeans. A red rag hangs from his pocket. A mechanic, probably. And I know in that instant: It’s him. Alejandro. I can’t explain how I know this is true, but the jolt is like lightning." Implausible much? Also I didn't like the way the father referred to her as 'an illegal.'
The treatment of Native Americans in the story could also be problematic. The author makes sure to point out the historical injustices against native people but then does appropriative things like give Will a spirit animal.
hrmason's review against another edition
4.0
Solid middle grades book built upon a father/son road trip.
library_brandy's review
4.0
Will is stuck on a two week trek with his dad, exploring the Lewis & Clark trail. Will is missing his at the All-Star baseball team for this trip that he doesn't even want to go on. But slowly, the trip wins him over--his *dad* wins him over.
Light adventure, family dynamics, and a peppering of historical fact and allegory. Include in upper elementary and middle school libraries, but expect to do some hand-selling.
Light adventure, family dynamics, and a peppering of historical fact and allegory. Include in upper elementary and middle school libraries, but expect to do some hand-selling.
mrskatiefitz's review
4.0
Will is not exactly thrilled when his historian father brings him along on a road trip following in the footsteps of explorers Lewis and Clark. He and his dad aren't close to begin with, and there might be bears out there in the woods! Still, long days on the road together combined with encounters with various people along the way, help bring Will and his dad to an understanding - at least until the true reason for their adventure is revealed. The Courage Test is the type of father-son story I was hoping to find in Avi's The Most Important Thing. Will and his dad are both sympathetic characters even as they struggle to find common ground with one another, and their journey, though occasionally marked by far-fetched occurrences, is believable and appealing. I loved learning about The Louisiana Purchase in middle school (and watching The Far Horizons in class), so this book appeals to me on a personal level, but I also see its wider appeal, not just to kids who know the history behind Lewis and Clark, but to any kid who loves wilderness adventure stories. The book is also occasionally very funny - such as when Will says his dad is "a mild G-rated version of the honey badger" - which should make it an easy sell for boys ages 10-14.
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