Crunch
Written by Leslie Connor
Recommended for ages 10 – 12
Harper Collins Canada $18.99

Dewey Mariss and his four siblings are in a pickle. Or make that a crunch. A gas crunch. The gas pumps have run dry and Dewey’s parents are stuck up north in a transport truck that will go no further. Ironically, this is the week that fourteen-year-old Dewey had offered to operate the Mariss Bike Barn for his parents. Read no gas; many bicycle repairs required!

At first, the glamour of running the business is exciting however as each day passes, Dewey and Lil, his seventeen-year-old sister, start to feel the pressure of keeping customers happy and maintaining their sanity. Then there is Vince, the introverted, expert mechanic who refuses to speak to customers but can fix any bike that is tossed his way. And of course, the five-year-old twins, Angus and Eva who really want nothing more than to have their Mom and Dad back on their home turf.

As the days turn to weeks, the Mariss family receives help from Robert, a cyclist who is looking for work and acts as a quasi-parent. Macey, the new policeman in town, comes to the Bike Barn for service but leaves with much more than that…

This new novel by award winning author, Leslie Connor, is a mix of mystery, family adventure and humour. Connor also wrote Waiting for Normal, a favourite of ours here at Benjamin’s Books.