Terror at Wolf Lake (Tweener Press Adventure Series)

Max Elliot Anderson
Baker Trittin Concepts (2003)
ISBN 097292566X
Reviewed by Dale Screp (age 10) for Reader Views (4/07)

Eddy Thompson is 12-years-old and everyone knows he is a cheater.  His best friends are Chet and Rusty.  They attend church and try hard to be good like they are supposed to.

Eddy likes the stories about John Dillenger.  He was a gangster and lived in the same place as Eddy.  He tries to be like him and doesn’t think that telling lies and cheating is that bad.

During Christmas break Eddy invites Chet and Rusty to go to a cabin at Wolf Lake.  They have fun fishing, tobogganing and building snow forts.  Then a crime happens and the guys are in the middle of it.  Eddy learns a lesson about cheating.

When school is back after the break, Eddy tells his teacher that he cheated on the test.  He doesn’t want to lose marks so he asks the teacher if he can make a report about John Dillenger.

“Terror at Wolf Lake” is good because it teaches us that cheating is bad and can get us into a lot of trouble.  The book is also fun and exciting.  I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (4/06)

Sometimes doing the right thing is difficult for a 12 year old boy, especially if doing the wrong thing will bring us significant monetary gain. However, it is important to have honor associated with our name and how we act and what we do, can label us good or bad. This story is about 12 year old Eddy Thompson, also known as Eddy the cheater, and his two friends Chet and Rusty, who both attend the same church and try hard to follow the rules.

Eddy lives in Crown Point, IN where John Dillenger, one of the worst gangsters in American history, was brought to trial. Eddy is fascinated with the stories of Dillenger and all that he got away with while evading the law. Eddy idolizes Dillenger and therefore, sees no harm in taking something that isn’t his, telling lies, and cheating on tests. Unfortunately, Eddy’s father also sets a bad example, continuously finding ways to beat the system, not necessarily by breaking the law, but just stretching the limits.

It is Christmas break and Eddy, along with his father, invite Eddy’s two good friends, Chet and Rusty and their fathers, to the Thompson’s secluded cabin in the snowy cold of winter at Wolf Lake. All six guys have a great time ice fishing, riding toboggans, making snow ice cream and building snow forts until a crime is committed and the boys find themselves in the middle of a dangerous heist. With so much danger closing in and with the help of his friends, Eddy soon realizes how wrong it is to cheat.

My favorite part of the story is when Christmas break is over and school resumes. Eddy confesses his cheating to the history teacher putting his final grade in jeopardy. Trying to make good, Eddy offers to do an extra credit report on the wrongdoings of John Dillenger and the people he has hurt. Eddy’s teacher is moved to tears and tells Eddy that no student has ever been so honest with her.

“Terror at Wolf Lake” is another great book by Anderson intended for tweens with an important message to impart. I feel everyone would enjoy this story, but boys in particular, around 11 or 12 years of age, would be most captivated. I highly recommend this work by Max Elliot Anderson. It offers adventure, excitement, fun, interesting descriptions of the outdoors and a valuable message too! Parents will enjoy this story right along with their kids!

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