• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Trenton Hiser is trying to walk in the footsteps of his uncle, Mike Hiser, a successful Hollywood director.

During Trenton's summer vacation, he goes with his uncle to film the inside story of Scarlet Thunder, a top-level stock-car racing team. As they film the action, too many things go wrong, deadly mistakes are made and Trenton finds out that much more than the race is at stake.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

The Talk:
Reach For Your Dreams
It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you decide to go in life that is important. Sigmund Brouwer encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice for the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success.

The Presentation:
Sigmund's presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention. Audience size varies; often his presentations take place in the gym for the entire school, including kindergarten. (After the first half hour, the K-2 grades are dismissed, and the remainder of the presentation is focused on the older students.) There are no restrictions on audience size except for the space limitations of the gym. Smaller schools are welcome to invite another school to share in the cost of the presentation.

Booking:
For presentations that involve travel, Sigmund appreciates it if two or three schools in the area make bookings on the same day. For more information on booking, fees and expenses, please email Sigmund: rockandrollliteracy@me.com

Sigmund Brouwer's profile page

"It was quick and easy to read, like a summer novel; it was exciting in the right way, because the action crept up on me until, before I knew it, I was totally engaged in the story; and it provided a lot of the background readers never see on television, enhancing the drama."

Middler Books and More

"A good, fun and easy read that guys and girls will both enjoy. Another Orca Sports winner!"

Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group (SOYAMRG)

"An exciting read for late junior/early intermediate readers and especially good for the high interest/low vocabulary crowd."

Resource Links

"Any teens who are interested in cars will dive right into this fast moving hi-lo novel that offers a gritty picture of the details of racing cars."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"An exciting high-stakes adventure where readers can easily imagine the adrenaline thrill of the racetrack and root for Sandy's efforts to overcome the labels she attracts. There is adequate character development for discussion and reluctant readers will find the 4.1 RL approachable."

Puget Sound Council for Review of Children's Media

"Brouwer does a great job at conveying the combination of excitement and danger that makes racing so attractive to competitors and spectators alike."

Youth Services Book Review