Red Kayak

I read this book as a assignment for reading class and I loved it, the overall plot was very sad but relieving toward the end. I recommend the book to any one that has a liking in YA (young adult) books. I did like that it had such a complex plot to it, when I turned the page I didn't know if it would be sad or happy. If you are someone sensitive to sadder stories and don't sit well with death (especially young children) I don't record their book to you. Other than that it was a book worthy of 5 stars.

I read this book as a assignment for reading class and I loved it, the overall plot was very sad but relieving toward the end. I recommend the book to any one that has a liking in YA (young adult) books. I did like that it had such a complex plot to it, when I turned the page I didn't know if it would be sad or happy. If you are someone sensitive to sadder stories and don't sit well with death (especially young children) I don't record their book to you. Other than that it was a book worthy of 5 stars.

The plot line is interesting, and the moral and ethical dilemmas presented are very thought provoking. Unfortunately, the character development is lacking and the author seems to be out of touch with youth culture/voice. Despite its shortcomings, I will require my eighth graders to read it (since I have a class set). I do believe that my students will be able to relate to the conflict and inner turmoil that the main character faces.

I chose this rating because it was so depressing it took me two (2) months to finish and I'm a fast reader. I had no chose to read this book it was for my summer reading. But I would definitely recommend this book to someone who loves mystery and staying on the edge of their seats. Like I love mystery TV just not books. I'm sorry for the bad rating Priscilla Cummings your just going to be my most hated author in my life of reading anyway it was an ok book.

Thirteen-year-old Brady Parks, the son of a Maryland waterman, is secure in his small community. One day he babysits for Ben, the young son of a new neighbor. The next thing he knows he is being pulled out of school to help look for Ben, who went missing with his mother while kayaking. He becomes the town hero by bringing Ben home alive, but the boy dies soon afterward. Following this incident he discovers the kayak was tampered with, and he struggles to know what to do with the information.

It's not easy to create a character ordinary enough for readers to identify with, yet admirable enough to be worth emulating. Brady is an average kid -- eager to be accepted by his peer group, moderately ambitious about becoming a waterman, secure in his family. But in extreme circumstances, his character shines. Though not perfect, he is courageous, compassionate, and generous. He suffers with the guilt, isolation and uncertainty brought on by the choices of others, and takes some time to make up his mind what to do. Throughout his trouble he is supported by a stable, loving family, who express gracious love toward him despite his erratic behavior.

Although Cummings' excellent writing makes for enjoyable reading, this is a serious book, and sensitive readers will rightfully be troubled by it. Brady has something to lose no matter what he does, and although his choices do eventually lead to a satisfying conclusion, the whole story is tinged with sadness. Even this is an opportunity for good, though: this ordinary boy looks senseless death in the face, and rather than retreating he takes action to help. In this action he discovers the kind of person he really is.

The writing level is accessible to 8-12-year-olds, but the themes of death and grief may be too mature for that age range. I'd recommend this book for middle school and up.

Just. WIN. Everybody struggles. Thats a good thing. No. Let me rephrase that. That is an EXCELLENT thing. No pain, no gain. Feeling down? Why? There is no reason. Why should you feel down when there are millions of other people out there that struggle 100 times more than you? C'mon man! This generation of people must just do, and STOP TRYING!!! We all have a key. This key opens up a door. This door is the door to many wonderful thing that will change the word. What you have to do to open the door? Use the key right? No. Its not that simple. Nothing in life is easy. We all have this key right now, right here. But the door is not with us currently. The door is across mountains, rivers, forestes, plains, oceans, beyond the ends of the earth. 1 out of 1,000 people actually try to reach the door. 99.9% of them fail. The other 999 people have a 0% chance of opening that door. That one person that tried, on has a .1% chance of suceeding but that is better than nothing. The people rise way past the people that dont try. This generation is falling down. We NEED people to make a postive impact on the world, but sadly, only 1 out of 1,000,000 would make it. After people heard that, you know what they did?!?!?!?!?

They quit.

Dont quit, NEVER QUIT!

Just.
Do.
It.

( Pass this message on: #Legendsareforever )

I loved every single thing about this book. The narrator in this story was perfect in telling his tale-not over-emotional or sentimental, which made the horror and tragedy in it so much more real. I loved how the book started with a mystery and the narrator worked at this niggling feeling when he didn't even know there was a mystery. The cover was haunting and brilliant. It completely captured the feel of the book.

Brady's life turns upside down when he plays the hero in a missing person's alert. When his neighbors, a mother and her three-year old son, go missing in the Chesapeake Bay, Brady rushes to help. He knows the area better than most people. He finds the missing kayak and the small boy Benjamin, but was it in time to save him?

Brady's big moment soon turns into a nightmare that gets worse with each passing day. He begins to suspect that his best friends J.T. and Digger might have had something to do with the kayak sinking and he soon has to confront his own guilt in the situation.

I loved that this book didn't pull any punches and didn't make any apologies for the characters or their actions. The tragedy that occurred was a crime and it was dealt with just that way. Life doesn't always have a happy ending and I love books that don't try to make one. There is a lot of depth to this story. For its short length, it's a real nail biter!

"Red Kayak," written by Priscilla Cummings is a mystery about a boy and his two friends. Brady, the main character, is fourteen and lives on the coast of Maryland. He lives in an isolated town with his two best friends, J.T. and Digger, who he has been friends since they were young. Brady's dad is a crabber and Brady helps him crab. In the beginning of the story new neighbors move next door to Brady. They bought the property from Digger's grandparent. Digger has gotten very angry because they used to always play on the property and now he cannot. On a really stormy day the mom and Ben went out for a kayak ride in their new red kayak. They capsized and Ben died. After the death of Ben, Brady helps gardening and helps with yard work. While helping out, Brady finds out about the true story of the red kayak. Would Brady tell about what he found and put his closest people to him in jeopardy?
I thought that "Red Kayak" was a very well written story. It kept me the edge of my seat most of the time. At the climax of the story, I kept on wanting to turn the pages and read on to find out what was going to happen. The beginning of the book starts out slow but once you get into it, you will find the book very intriguing. At some parts it is a bit bland when it could use some spicing up. I liked how the author almost made you feel like you were in Brady's shoes. Should he do this or was that a good decision? Even though there were times when the book was predictable, overall it was a very good book.

Younger teenagers want ACTION -- in their movies, video games, music, classrooms, extra-curricular activities, and books; in short, they are doing anything and everything they can to avoid "The Big B": Boredom. Too easily are kids on the verge of complaining that they're "bored!!!" And what rids us of boredom? ACTION!

RED KAYAK made be the diagnostic tool needed to determine the maturity level of any young adult -- the less mature will have trouble getting through this book because they're missing the requisite Action (these are the kids who deem THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK "incredibly boring because nothing happens!") ; the mature teenager, however, will embrace this book because he or she sees him- or herself in the character of Brady, and recognizes that the way we torture ourselves with our thoughts and fears and memories forces us to create Action in our lives in order to move forward.

RED KAYAK is written for the teenager who has tortured him- or herself by stressing over whether or not he or she has done the right thing when faced with a choice that provides no winning outcome. RED KAYAK is for the teenager who has come to realize that Character is the most important element of a coming-of-age story as it reflects Self; RED KAYAK should be read by adults who tend to de-value the teenage mind thinking it's not capable of deep thoughts that aren't driven by selfishness.

Author Priscilla Cummings has written a book that will challenge the reader head-on. The first-person narrative of a boy who experiences an event that will forever change who he is as a person and how he looks at life is a gorgeous character-driven piece that flops around in time from event to thought to memory and back, all the while aching to find how our actions (and inactions) can affect the world around us. This book digs deeply into the maturing process -- the time when we begin to accept responsibility for ourselves and how our actions affect others.

I found Cummings's writing excelled right from the first chapter with gorgeous prose channeled through the thoughts of a fourteen-year-old boy. Her language was simultaneously poetic and character-appropriate. Most remarkable was the unpredictable nature of where the story was going next, and THAT is rare in the world of Young Adult novels.

I find this to be one of the most mature YA books I have ever read, I would be remiss to not shout it out that this should be REQUIRED reading for all thirteen-, fourteen- and fifteen-year olds. It is a mirror in which many of today's youth could possible see themselves. Adults would do themselves a favor by reading it to check on their own maturity, and to reshape the perception of teenagers as complex individuals who understand that their lives have context.

In short, RED KAYAK is better, deeper and more worthwhile than any action movie or video game.

Priscilla Cummings’ novel Red Kayak was a very good read. This novel was a touching story of a middle school boy who is tied into a terrible accident, or was it more than an accident? I enjoyed this book because it is very well written and it feels like the reader can really get to know the characters. Many of the hardships that Brady and his friends face seem very real and they make the reader feel compassion for them. Brady has a very complex relationship with all of the main characters. He is also fairly connected with his small town, until the accident changes everything. I also liked the relationship Brady had with Ben and the DiAngelo family throughout the book. All in all this was a great read because it was a suspenseful plot that tugs at the reader’s emotions. I definitely recommend this book!

Listen," dad said "Carl called. Somebody's missing on the river, maybe out in the bay. He wants us to take the boats and help look."

I put my hand over my eyes. "Oh my God," I said.

Red kayak is a great book about a kid named Brady trying to decide what to do and how to move on after a water incident that resulted in someone dying.

The book starts off with the three main characters Brady J.T. and Digger waiting to get picked up by Carl (Brady's cousin) and taken to school. Brady is the main main character. He's a teenager his family isn't very rich and he crabs like his dad to get money. Digger is a sub main character. He's one of Brady's best friends at the start of the book. He has a bad dad unfortunately that beets his mother. Digger's grandfather used to own a lot of property that the three buddies hug out on. Recently he had to sell it for money to a new rich family called the DeAngelo's digger is very angry about this. J.T. is Brady's other best friend his family owns a chicken farm, J.T. is really good with computers.

While the three are waiting they see the red kayak of there new neighbor Mr. DeAngelo being paddled out of the creak into the river. Brady is concerned he knows the river well and it's a bad day to be out on the water. Brady tries to get his friends to yell a warning but they end up not. Digger was mad a Mr. DeAngelo for buying his grandfather's property and A few days ago the three were kicked off the property when found by the boat house this Made digger really mad J.T. goes with Digger so Brady decides not to call as well.

Everything goes relatively normal that day at school Brady is worried about the kayak but it seems it will be aright, until Spanish class. During Spanish Brady gets called to the principal's office and learns that in the kayak were not Mr. DeAngelo but his wife and son Ben, and they've gone missing. Brady and his dad are asked to search the river because they're watermen and know the river really well. Luckily they find both Ben and his mother who seem like they will both survive, Brady is very glad he baby sat for Ben and is kind of attached to the kid.

Unfortunately Ben ends up dying Brady blames himself wondering what might have happened if he had called out a warning. His friends start avoiding him after the incident and Brady's left trying to figure out what's going on with his friends, why ben died, and how to deal and move on from what happened.

Over the course of the book many twists in the plot happen and just when Brady thinks he's moving on a whole nother set of choices get thrown at him. This is one of those books that for some reason you can't put down and you stay up tell one reading I highly recommend you all read it.

The Red Kayak is a story about three boys, Brady, Digger, and JT. Brady loves his life with his mom and dad on Chesapeake Bay crabbing and fishing, and just hanging out with his friends. But when the DiAngelos and their sparkling new red kayak move into the neighborhood, everything changes. Especially when the red kayak is taken out for a ride and the DiAngelos' son dies.

When Brady discovers the truth behind the red kayak the question is whether he should tell the world what happened or keep his discovery a secret, which could cost him his old life.

I really liked The Red Kayak. If you're someone who likes a page turner, you should read this book. I felt that the author, Priscilla Cummins, really put the story together well and kept the story exciting throughout the book.

I would rate this book four and a half stars. What I didn't like about The Red Kayak is the ending. It was too much like reality for me. But overall it was a really great book.

Cummings does a very good job at expressing the thrill and adventures, along with the fear of the young boys all throughout the book. It is a very intriguing read and grasps the attention of the reader. Cummings does a very good job at describing all the aspects of the book and in introducing the mystery behind the kayak. Her writing style is very easy to follow and will make a great read. This book is very well written and gives good imagery for the reader. When you start reading this book you will find it difficult to put down because the mystery and tragedy will captivate you.

I just borrowed this book from my husband who teaches 6th grade, and I devoured it in one weekend. It is a good story that reminds me of 'On My Honor'. It deals with loyalty, death and friendships. The end was slightly predictable and I felt it was missing some resolution between the main charater and the mother he was working for.

I think this would be a great read aloud because it moves along quick and it has some good cliff hangers. It would also lead to some good discussion.

In truth, I had trouble getting into this book at first; when I finally just sat down and read Red Kayak, I found that the novel spun a tale that even made me hurt in the same way the main character did. Unexpected and horribly frightening at times, Ms. Priscilla Cummings tells the story of a group of boys who get themselves into a whole lot more trouble than planned, resulting in a death, sadness, separation, and three lonely boys. To get the full impact of the moral, I would recommend that teenagers and young adults read Red Kayak, but any age can learn a lesson from this truly heart-wrenching novel.

Incredible book about finding the courage to tell the truth even when there are high stakes. Gripping and quick it would've taken me about a day (but I was reading for school so I had to pace myself over four weeks). Great for fans of suspense and a touch of mystery that don't mind a bit of tragedy thrown into the mix. LOVE THIS BOOK!