An Even Break - Hardcover

It's tough getting work in a small town, but 12-year-old Frisk Tilden has managed to get the summer job every kid wants. He's manager of the back room of Billy Compton's hardware store. The back room has some pool tables and pinball machines, and nobody under 15 is allowed--except Frisk. Not only does Frisk have to rack up and clean up, but he must earn the respect of the teenage boys. Dan Breedon, the best pool player in town, helps Frisk earn their respect and even teaches him to play pool. On the day of the annual Wilma Eight-Ball Tournament, Frisk unexpectedly finds himself in the spotlight. All he needs to win is an even break.

Grade 5-8?Frisk, 12, and his single mother live in a small rural town where the main excitement takes place in the "Back Room" of the hardware store, which is home to a few pool tables, some pinball machines, and a snack bar. Although the rules state that patrons are supposed to be 15 years of age to enter, Frisk, through remarkable persistence, manages to land the enviable job of Back Room manager for the summer. While at first a target for verbal abuse from the older clients, he stands his ground and is taken under the wing of 30-plus pool shark Dan Breedon, who gives the boy lessons on how to play eight ball. As summer ends, a bit of a romance is struck up between Dan and Frisk's mother. The climax of the story comes when Frisk is thrust into the middle of the annual championship game as a substitute for Dan, who's called away on an emergency. His opponent is 15-year-old Beverly Ferris, the first female who has ever played in the Back Room, much less enter the tournament. Hite sets the story in the mid-1970s and his yarn ambles along at a leisurely pace reflective of its setting. A bit of drama, an all's well ending, and likable characters make for a light, enjoyable read.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.