Red Kayak by Pricilla Cummings

Red Kayak is a powerful book about the choices we make and the consequences of them, about friendship, families and the power of sadness. The book reads like a mystery in some ways and the story is gripping even if you figure out what is happening before the author gets around to telling you. The story is about Brady, a thirteen year old boy whose family's livelihood comes from the river. When new neighbours buy up the farm next door and build their mansion on the hill there is some resentment in the community. A malicious prank gone wrong has tragic consequences that ripple through all of the families involved and Brady has tough decisions to make regarding his role in the events. This is one of the books nominated for the YRCA Middle Division. I think it was a great read (I ditched chores to finish the book) and would highly recommend it.