The Adventures of Caraway Kim ... Southpaw is a classic adventure story for boys. Set in a small Alberta town during a freer more adventurous time, this novel avoids the sentimental perspectives and the clichés of the genre by realistically capturing the quirks and inherent behaviours that make boys the amazing creatures they are. During a carefree summer, Kim discovers that he must clear his name after being blamed for starting a riot that caused the destruction of a historical (haunted) house. From baseball games, to scout camp, to the annual fair, Kim and his friends are never far from adventure and excitement, and the reader is always held close to the action and the mystery that revs the story. Truckey_s sense of place, his catch-phrases, the boys_ games, their quirky teases all ring with authenticity. So, too, do the mishaps that humorously torment kids on the cusp of adolescence. With honest and direct dialogue and skilful visual descriptions, Truckey reminds us that he is a screenwriter who knows how to engage an audience.
