Eleven-year-old Thomas Hammond is in for the ride of his life when he's swept downstream and underground aboard a crumbling raft of Styrofoam. Wash...
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Sep 05, 2007
Elizabeth
rated it: 
I am a traitor to my sex. I must be. All evidence clearly points in that direction. If 2007 is remembered as anything, for me it will be the year of Boy Books That I Adored While My Female Friends Slowly Shook Their Heads. First I fell head-over-heels gaga for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Girls didn't always get the jokes. Then Atherton #1: The House of Power struck me as particularly fun. Blank stares from my female co-workers. Now I've read "Leepike Ridge" and if I am not physically shoving
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Nov 11, 2007
Abby
rated it: 
For some reason, I thought this book was fantasy before I started reading it. I don't know where I got that idea. It's not fantasy.
Young Tom Hammond was just playing with the giant foam piece from the refrigerator box. He was playing with it outside because he wanted to get away from his mom's new boyfriend. He didn't mean to fall asleep on top of it and float down the creek. And he certainly didn't mean to get sucked underneath the mountain and trapped in an underground cave. But More...
Young Tom Hammond was just playing with the giant foam piece from the refrigerator box. He was playing with it outside because he wanted to get away from his mom's new boyfriend. He didn't mean to fall asleep on top of it and float down the creek. And he certainly didn't mean to get sucked underneath the mountain and trapped in an underground cave. But More...
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Apr 17, 2008
Eva
rated it:
This is a very different sort of adventure story. A 12-year-old boy named Tom, disgruntled at his mother's relationship with a man he doesn't like, heads downriver on a raft (really the foam packing from a refrigerator box) and ends up under a mountain and utterly trapped, along with a corpse, a dog, and - eventually - a man who had been similiarly trapped for over 3 years. There are gritty details - nefarious "treasure-hunters," a plucky mom, a three-legged dog, and plenty of real d
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Nov 14, 2008
Kate
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I read a review that made comparisons between this book and Louis Sachar's Holes. This kind of comparison always makes me skeptical. "We'll just see about that," I thought. I read it. I saw. And I get it now. This one is worthy of that comparison -- and then some. And this book will definitely appeal to fans of Holes.
Leepike Ridge is a book for every kid (and every grown kid) who played in refrigerator boxes, caught critters in the woods, and floated down creeks on homemade More...
Leepike Ridge is a book for every kid (and every grown kid) who played in refrigerator boxes, caught critters in the woods, and floated down creeks on homemade More...
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Aug 25, 2008
Carter
rated it:
I heard a couple of quotes of this on Fuse #8's blog and it sounds like a beautiful book. I can't wait to read this.
***update***
I'd stayed up real late last night to finish this one. A complete page-turner for the best of them. Total reminisces of Treasure Island, Hatchet, Robinson Crusoe, and a score of other great "boy-books." I think this one needs to be added to the fray.
I like how Tom never seems to get too down on his situation. Evidence of " More...
***update***
I'd stayed up real late last night to finish this one. A complete page-turner for the best of them. Total reminisces of Treasure Island, Hatchet, Robinson Crusoe, and a score of other great "boy-books." I think this one needs to be added to the fray.
I like how Tom never seems to get too down on his situation. Evidence of " More...
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Oct 22, 2007
Ellen
rated it:
A great read for what otherwise would have been a miserable day in bed with nasty cold. I love adventure survival stories and was often reminded today of stories I enjoyed long ago (Hatchet, Julie of the Wolves, I know there are others...).
To my delight, this one also added the mystery of archaeological treasure. Had I read this before all those archaeology classes in college, I probably would have given it another star. As much as I wanted to for the sake of the story, I just coul More...
To my delight, this one also added the mystery of archaeological treasure. Had I read this before all those archaeology classes in college, I probably would have given it another star. As much as I wanted to for the sake of the story, I just coul More...
Oct 13, 2008
Eric
rated it:
A smashing adventure story, about a boy who is carried by the river into a network of caves, deep in the mountains near his home. The plot is riveting, and the writing is top-notch: Rich, descriptive, and poetic, but never so artsy-fartsy that it breaks you out of the narrative. Just perfect writing, really. Highly recommended.
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Dec 17, 2009
Bill
rated it:
One of my ABSOLUTE favorites of the summer! I loved the adventure, the mystery, the way the "bad guys" try to get their way. This would be a great read aloud due to the cliff hangers. Kids will enjoy the twists in the plot. Just when you think you have it figured out, think again!
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Sep 16, 2007
Maria
rated it:
Just finished this amazing book-every time I turned the page I was surprised up until the ending which I never predicted.
Excellent book for thinking, wondering, predicting and just
visualizing what it really would be like to have lived through Tom's experiences.
Excellent book for thinking, wondering, predicting and just
visualizing what it really would be like to have lived through Tom's experiences.
Feb 16, 2009
Heather
rated it:
Everyone who reads this book LOVES it. It is part Huckelberry Finn, part Hatchet, part David Copperfield, and part 'The Parent Trap'. Many teachers and librarians are calling this book one of the best books written this year.
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Dec 17, 2009
Sarah
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60+ pages seems like giving this book a fair shot, but it just didn't grab me. So many people love it, though, that I'll have to try it again later.
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Oct 02, 2008
Kelly
rated it:
the best boy adventure book I've read in years, hands down.
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Jan 04, 2008
babyhippoface
rated it:
This book made me miss my "If I Don't Get to Sleep Before This Time, I'll Be Cranky Tomorrow" bedtime. 3+ hours over, in fact. That doesn't happen very often.
First off, there's the cover. It couldn't get much more attention-grabbing than that, could it? You're looking at the feet of 11-year-old Tom Hammond, who is sitting atop his chimney, which is atop his house, which is CHAINED atop a mountain ridge. This is where he goes to get away from all the yuck in world, which cu More...
First off, there's the cover. It couldn't get much more attention-grabbing than that, could it? You're looking at the feet of 11-year-old Tom Hammond, who is sitting atop his chimney, which is atop his house, which is CHAINED atop a mountain ridge. This is where he goes to get away from all the yuck in world, which cu More...
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Dec 03, 2007
Jean
rated it:
This book starts out with a familiar "my mom is dating a man I don't like" kind of scene. But there is a twist. For example, there is a hint that the house that Tom and his mother live in is really different - it is chained to the top of a rock and experiences frequent power surges that cause appliances to fizzle. But the twist that grabbed me was the writing. The descriptions were beautifully written. The author can really write a good sentence.
Then comes another gr More...
Then comes another gr More...
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Dec 12, 2011
Jay
rated it:
Enjoyable book, I'll have my kids read when it they are old enough. If you have a 4th - 6th grader (I assume that's about the right age range) put this book in their hands, and put it in your own hands after they go to bed. It would cause some great dinner conversations around your table.
The idea of this story was great, and it was told well. The book seemed to be almost layered in a way where the youngest reader could pick up the most overt foreshadowing and connections, and yet t More...
The idea of this story was great, and it was told well. The book seemed to be almost layered in a way where the youngest reader could pick up the most overt foreshadowing and connections, and yet t More...
Aug 09, 2011
Leslie
rated it: 
Have you (or yours) read a book by N.D. Wilson? He is one of the juvenile fiction authors I would like to see recommended more often, especially on all those lists titled “reluctant male readers?” While I adored 100 Cupboards, both the first book and the series, Leepike Ridge is a great place for introductions.
[...]
Wilson does not appear to be interested in coddling the reader too fiercely; which you can guess with the mention of “corpse” in the synopsis. Tom gets dinged up More...
[...]
Wilson does not appear to be interested in coddling the reader too fiercely; which you can guess with the mention of “corpse” in the synopsis. Tom gets dinged up More...
Aug 01, 2011
I'd seen this book in the WES library, and lots of the 5th graders talked about it. They made it sound like a modern-day Tom Sawyer adventure, so I was excited to read it.
It wasn't even close.
Not that it wasn't entertaining. It was just too short. Thomas Hammond rides a chunk of packing foam downstream from his home and gets pulled into a system of underground caves where he runs into some interesting characters. There should have been detailed descriptions of Thomas' epic adventures of surv More...
It wasn't even close.
Not that it wasn't entertaining. It was just too short. Thomas Hammond rides a chunk of packing foam downstream from his home and gets pulled into a system of underground caves where he runs into some interesting characters. There should have been detailed descriptions of Thomas' epic adventures of surv More...
Jul 04, 2011
Melanie
rated it:
While exploring the creek near his house, 11-year-old Tom accidentally finds himself flushed down a river and into the heart of a mountain. Inside the mountain he meets a dog named Gus, and the charming and lively Reg. Together, this group must find a way out while his Mother desperately looks for Tom above, never losing hope that he is alive and coming home. Of course, there are bad guys and good guys and plenty of action to keep you turning pages until the end. (I should mention that there is
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Mar 03, 2011
Gail
rated it:
I really liked this author's writing when I read the 100 Cupboards and the additional 2 books in the series. By chance, I was reading a librarian's blog and she mentioned this book. I was very curious about it since I had enjoyed the other books so much. I liked this book and found it full of good writing techniques similar to the 100 Cupboards, but it wasn't as complex and captivating. This is a story about a young boy who has lost his dad. He and his mother live in a house that was built
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Jan 29, 2011
Thomas is just playing around in the river by his house when he is pulled into a whirlpool. After getting banged up quite a bit he finds himself in a cave. He needs to find his way out and fast because in a few days the cave will fill with water and he will drown. Meanwhile up on land his mother is going crazy looking for him. In her despair she ends up trusting the wrong people who only want permission to get into the cave to look for treasure. Now Thomas has to find his way out before the men
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Jan 24, 2010
Jackie
rated it:
Tom Hammond, 11, and his mother, Elizabeth live near Leepike Ridge, a steep mountainous area surrounded by water where a supposed treasure is buried somewhere underneath. This buried treasure is a tale of lore and mystery. Tom and his mom are on their own, since Tom's dad died in a tragic accident. One night, when Tom can't sleep, he drifts off on a styrofoam packing material and is dragged underneath this mysterious mountain. What he finds there surprises and scares him. A weak, scrawny man na
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Aug 19, 2009
Kim
rated it:
Gr 4-8Eleven-year-old Tom Hammond lives with his widowed mother in a windblown old house chained to the top of a gigantic rock. One night, unable to sleep, he heads down to the stream that borders their property, where he has left a heavy piece of refrigerator packing foam. What starts out as aimless drifting down quiet water turns deadly when Tom's foam slab feeds into the rougher mountain water and he is pulled under a rock, ending up in an underwater cavern. The secrets he discovers while att
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May 22, 2009
Robyn
rated it:
11 year old Tom lives with his mother in a house chained to a rock on a mountain side. Who knows who or how long the house has been there. Tom's dad died 3 years ago, and now this new, not so great guy, is trying to wed his mom.
One night Tom sneaks out of the house to pick up some trash that his mother told him to pick up earlier. It was a big piece of foam from the new fridg they just got, and it was floating on the creek next to their house. Yep, he gets on the foam and falls alse More...
One night Tom sneaks out of the house to pick up some trash that his mother told him to pick up earlier. It was a big piece of foam from the new fridg they just got, and it was floating on the creek next to their house. Yep, he gets on the foam and falls alse More...
Aug 01, 2009
Regina
rated it:
Awesome book! I stayed up way too late reading it. Just couldn't put it down. There are so many positive reviews on GoodReads and I could never do it justice. Here are some things that I loved about the Leepike Ridge:
The rich and complex plot reminded me of Holes, by Louis Sachar. There's mystery, adventure, suspense, survival, and a story that circles back around to the very beginning. As soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to go back and re-read the first few chapters to find a More...
The rich and complex plot reminded me of Holes, by Louis Sachar. There's mystery, adventure, suspense, survival, and a story that circles back around to the very beginning. As soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to go back and re-read the first few chapters to find a More...
Dec 14, 2007
Amy
rated it:
Thomas Hammond ends up on an adventure when he gets mad at his mom (who's going to marry his teacher) and decides to travel down the stream on a raft made from styrofoam. Before he knows it he's wrapped up in an adventure involving water, a cave, a dead body, a castaway, and treasure. This quirky adventure book starts slow but would be good to give to boys who like adventure and who like stories like the Series of Unforunate Events and the Philip Aardagh books.
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Dec 10, 2011
Mark
rated it:
Leepike Ridge is the first literary offering for children by Nathan D. Wilson, the son of Douglas Wilson (a prominent promoter of Christian classical education and no mean writer in his own right).
Underneath Leepike Ridge lies an ancient secret that 11-year-old classic American boy Tom Hammond is going to find out—when he accidentally floats there. Tom encounters some pretty serious abrasions along the way, and finds out about even worse violence—murder—also in his family's past. Befor More...
Underneath Leepike Ridge lies an ancient secret that 11-year-old classic American boy Tom Hammond is going to find out—when he accidentally floats there. Tom encounters some pretty serious abrasions along the way, and finds out about even worse violence—murder—also in his family's past. Befor More...
Sep 09, 2011
Patrick
rated it:
Full review at The Bookish Pinoy
Halfway through, I was ready to give this book a middling score due to its slow start. But then came the cool twist and ending which made me only glad to be able to credit it with another star.
"Leepike Ridge" is a great bedtime read for young boys. It’s a great story on adventure and exploration most young men could only dream about. And the father-mother-son relationships portrayed here could instill good values for both parent a More...
Halfway through, I was ready to give this book a middling score due to its slow start. But then came the cool twist and ending which made me only glad to be able to credit it with another star.
"Leepike Ridge" is a great bedtime read for young boys. It’s a great story on adventure and exploration most young men could only dream about. And the father-mother-son relationships portrayed here could instill good values for both parent a More...
Aug 28, 2007
Roxanne Hsu
rated it:
A great survival story, a thrilling adventure, an intriguing mystery, and a tall tale. It reminds me of Paulsen's survival stories but seems to have even more layers and with incredibly enjoyable wry humor.
I really wanted this one to be on this year's Notables list -- but alas, there wasn't enough supporting votes for it to make even to the Discussion List. *sigh*
[http://www.fairrosa.info/rj/2007/08/leepike-ridge.html]
I really wanted this one to be on this year's Notables list -- but alas, there wasn't enough supporting votes for it to make even to the Discussion List. *sigh*
[http://www.fairrosa.info/rj/2007/08/leepike-ridge.html]
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Jan 06, 2008
Leslie
rated it:
This book is written for young adults, but I think that adults will love it too: Chris and I do. It is in the same vein as Mark Twain. We bought it for Isaiah and ended up reading it ourselves.
Gist: a young boy is swept into an underground stream beneath mountain and in his attempt to escape discovers remains of an ancient world as well as the secrets to his father's death.
Gist: a young boy is swept into an underground stream beneath mountain and in his attempt to escape discovers remains of an ancient world as well as the secrets to his father's death.
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