At fifteen, Tony Laporte is what many people would call a throughly spoiled kid. He gets away with a lot because his parents want him to have all the things they never had. But when they surprise him by refusing to let him keep a stray dog he has found, Tony decides to teach them a lesson by running off in his mother's old Plymouth. Driving without a license in the middle of a severe snowstorm, he picks up a hitchhiker named Cindy Reichert, an aloof girl who has always had difficulty forming friendships. To impress Cindy, Tony tries to show off his driving skills and ends up wrecking the car in a very desolated area far from the main highway. After spending precious days bickering with each other and waiting for rescue that never comes, they finally realize that their lives are at stake and they must cooperate to survive. The question is--can they survive?

Number of Pages: 200 Published 1981 Published by: Laurel Leaf Genre: historical fiction

Authors and Artists for Young Adults on Harry Mazer In addition to being part of a writing family that includes wife Norma Fox Mazer and daughter Anne Mazer, novelist Harry Mazer has received critical acclaim for his many young adult novels--including The Island Keeper, Cave under the City, and Who Is Eddie Leonard"--which illustrate the values of perseverance, self-esteem, and inner fortitude. Noting that, "despite their predicaments, Mazer's protagonists usually emerge morally victorious," Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers contributor Mary Lystad cited as Mazer's strength his depiction of the "emotional turmoil, the humor and pain" of adolescence. "His characters are resilient and strong," Lystad continued. "His endings emphasize compassion, understanding, resourcefulness, and honesty." "A dream is made by real effort," Mazer once explained in an essay in Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS). Mazer was in his mid-thirties when he and his wife began to write every day; they wrote for the "women's true confessions" market, using the money to support the family.

Name: Harry MazerBirth Date: May 31, 1925Place of Birth: New York, New York, United StatesNationality: AmericanGender: MaleOccupations: Writer

During the week of June 18, veteran young-adult novelist Harry Mazer served as writer-in-residence at I.S. 145 in Jackson Heights, Queens, as part of the Foundation's Family Literacy program. During his visit, Harry met with 300 sixth graders, working with each class twice. Students received copies of his book, The Wild Kid, courtesy of Simon & Schuster Children's Books. Reading The Wild Kid in advance of Harry's visit, students and teachers loved the book, which deals with family issues relevant to their lives. As a result, they couldn't wait to meet its author.

designation, 197

Best of the Best Books designation, American Library Association (ALA), 1970–73, for Snow Bound; Kirkus Choice

4, for The Dollar Man; Best Books for Young Adults designation, ALA, 1977, and Children's Choice designation,