Tricked on the Tracks

Title: Tricked on the Tracks
Author: Katrina Hoover Lee
Series: The Brady Street Boys, book 4
Major Themes: Trains
Synopsis: Terry, Gary, and Larry are still searching for the doctor who cut off Gary’s leg—this time, their search leads them into a hobo jungle and a train yard!

Finally! I was delighted to receive a copy of the fourth book in the Brady Street Boys series. Tricked on the Tracks is every bit as absorbing as any of the previous books in this series. Once again, the three boys find themselves in a predicament—but this time they have an adult along, which makes a huge difference.

At the end of Noise in the Night, the boys had just figured out that the doctor they were trying to find had caught a train, and become a hobo. Now, the boys were more than ever determined to find Dr. Jefferson. They began by checking out the hobo jungle near the train station in Elkhart. There was no sign of the doctor, but eventually they got some information from two other hobos.

Dean, the boy who tormented them and then gave them a clue in Noise in the Night, promised to help locate Dr. Jefferson. Now, Dean is missing too. Suddenly, Terry, Gary, Larry, and their uncle find themselves in quite a predicament. Will they end up accused of kidnapping—or will they die of thirst first? I’ll have to admit that this part of the story is a bit far-fetched. It sure is exciting, though!

I know my boys will enjoy reading Tricked on the Tracks as soon as we get a physical copy of it. They have enjoyed the other three books very much, and they are looking forward to reading this one, too. I like the way the boys’ parents teach them about God and how to live. The theme that runs through this book is long-suffering. While that topic is not mentioned as much as the fruits of the spirit they studied in the other three books, it is illustrated very well. The family had a good discussion about longsuffering near the end of the story, and the boys understood what it meant. If you want good, clean books for your, especially, 8 to 12-year-olds, be sure to try out the Brady Street Boys series. These are high-interest stories with good morals but not in a preachy way. These books are also fun. All the way through this one, there is a refrain pointing back to a statement near the beginning that “Larry reads too much for his own good.” You will have to read the book to find out what exactly this is referring to.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: One or two references to drug trafficking, and a baby in a precarious situation.

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Trapped in the Tunnel Facing the Fugitive Noise in the Night Home on the Rock Pile