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    Trouble
    Trouble
    Trouble
    Audiobook9 hours

    Trouble

    Written by Gary D. Schmidt

    Narrated by Jason Culp

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.
    But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pick-up truck that strikes Henry's older brother, Franklin.

    In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin's preparatory school. The tragedy sparks racial tensions in the school — and in the town where Henry's family has lived for generations.

    Caught between anger and grief, Henry does the only thing he feels he can: he sets off for Mt. Katahdin, which he and Franklin had planned to climb together. One July morning, he leaves for Maine with his best friend and the loveable stray, Black Dog, in tow. But when they encounter Chay Chouan on the road, fleeing demons of his own, Henry learns that turning a blind eye to Trouble only brings Trouble closer.

    With moments of humor, tenderness, and remarkable strength, Henry and Chay travel a path to the mountain that neither of them expects.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic
    Release dateMay 1, 2008
    ISBN9780545122344
    Trouble
    Author

    Gary D. Schmidt

    Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of The Labors of Hercules Beal; Just Like That; National Book Award finalist Okay for Now; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor Book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He is also contributor to and co-editor of the acclaimed short story collection A Little Bit Super, co-edited by Leah Henderson. He lives in rural Michigan.

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    Reviews for Trouble

    4/5

    197 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I loved it it was amzaing i love it so much
    • 3/5
      Henry Smith and his family lead a very easy life - his brother is an excellent sportsman, his sister is smart and well-liked, and he is a leader on his crew team. All that changes when trouble finds them. Henry's brother is the victim in a hit and run accident, and the driver is an immigrant from the other side of the city. As Henry's brother lies comatose in the hospital, the entire town goes into an uproar over the accident and the immigrant population. It is all Henry can do to keep his own head above water...This story felt too disjointed at the beginning and too put together at the end. Each loose thread was tied together despite the fact that they seemed to be ridiculously random. I had a difficult time enjoying the story because I just kept thinking "why do I care about that?" I also think that some of the connections were too random because I assumed them before they were announced - why else would they be in the book?
    • 4/5
      Gary Schmidt is one of my 'Go to' authors when I'm looking for a book to read together as a family. He brings up real-life issues with characters that I end up loving and his books are always good for starting a discussion. Trouble did not disappoint as far as bringing up some hot topics - slavery, immigration, racism, lying to save a friend. But as much as I enjoyed all of the issues, there was almost too much thrown into this book, which finally detracted from a concise cohesive story. Will I read another of his books - absolutely! Still a great book, but not one of his best.
    • 4/5
      This was an excellent audio production; I really enjoyoed listening and didn't want to get out of my car sometimes. I did find some of the writing a bit heavy-handed; Schmidt his you over the head, a lot, with the word trouble itself. Suspense was built quite well a couple of times and Schmidt does write some of the best sports scenes I've read in a long time. I know nothing about crew and I was on the edge of my seat during the whole race scene. Listened to Scholastic Audiobook edition narrated by Jason Culp.
    • 3/5
      MSBA Nominee 2009-2010

      I think the story was good, and I enjoyed the writing of it, but there were definitely a few things to pull me out of the story.

      1. Technically, unless you take a really roundabout way, you cannot get to Commercial Street in Portland ME from 95. It's off of 295. I have since been told that some people call that 95, and what I know as 95 they call 495, so perhaps that's where he got his information from, but it really bugged me.

      2. I have never heard anyone refer to crew race distances in terms of miles and yards. I say this as a rower myself. Everything is in meters and kilometers. Do they talk differently in high school? I'm not sure, since I started in college, but it bugged me.

      3. There were A LOT and I mean A LOT of coincidences, a few too many for me. I guess some people might like it because it makes it a nice tidy little story, but I was rolling my eyes.
    • 5/5
      Henry Smith's house was supposed to be far away from trouble but trouble finds him anyway. First his brother is killed in a car accident. The suspect is a Cambodian immigrant which creates racial tension in the small New England town. Henry sets off to climb a dangerous mountain in Maine, that his brother was supposed to climb with him. Henry's sister is not handling the death any better as she has taken to being mute and for good reason. As Henry and his dog set off to tackle the mountian, they find themselves riding with the very person responsible for his brother's death. All three are escaping something and discover there are varying levels of hatred anywhere you go. Some parts of the story are funny, some are sad but most are deep. Schmidt does a great job of creating believeable characters and putting them in tough situations, but then letting them shine.
    • 2/5
      Grades 7-10I like books with a sense of place and for me this had it all having lived in Mass. and Maine. The plot was a stretch for me, the Katahdin trip, with Chay the young Cambodian, Black Dog and Henry , and then the two Maine fishermen......what a long shot.Henry's oldest brother dies from a accident that rips off his arm,& the Mount Katahdin trip was to honor his brother. Chay is held responsible for the accident although Henry's sister Louisa, has a part in it. Chay's Cambodian past drifts in as well as an historic slave ship(an interesting piece of history. Thought Black dog was great for the humor elementRather odd combinations in the plot. I read this book after reading Schmidt's "Okay for Now" which may ahve influence how I looked at this book since "Okay for Now" has been the best book I have read this year.
    • 3/5
      A boy in a blue blood New England family deals with the death of the oldest son after he was hit by a car driven by a Cambodian immigrant. Henry idolizes his older brother, but as he thinks about his brother's life and death he realizes that life if more complex than he imagined that that trouble is everywhere. Initially angry at his boy driving the car, they develop an understanding during a trip to climb the mountain Henry was supposed to climb with his brother, Franklin. Many twists and turns ensue on the journey. The characters are rich and complex. The refrains about trouble grew a bit much, but that may have been a function of the audiobook.
    • 4/5
      For Readers:Gary Schmidt is one of my favorite authors for young adults. His characters are always so poignant, so full of grace. When I read his books, I know I am interacting with an author who truly believes in the goodness of people. Trouble is a less well-known book than The Wednesday Wars (which I have read) or Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (which I haven't read, but plan to read) and in some ways a more adult book.Henry Smith idolizes his older brother Franklin. As hero on the rugby field and big man on campus, Franklin embodies everything Henry would like to be. But everything Henry knows about his brother is turned upside down when a truck driven by a Cambodian immigrant hits Franklin, sending him into a coma. Henry's town seethes with the injustice of it all, and the prejudice and anger that has been lurking below the surface starts to leak out. In the middle of it all, Henry decides that he must climb the mysterious Katahdin as a tribute to Franklin. He begins a journey that will lead him straight into discoveries about his own family and that of Chay Chouan's, the teenager who hit his brother.This story is full of action, adventure, and drama. There is heartbreak, but there is also laughter and love. If you like stories about survival, are interested in social drama, or have been through some hard times, this book will lift you up and remind you of the good things in life: family, friendship, and doggy companionship.For Librarians and Eudcators:I love Gary Schmidt. I wish every kid had to read his novels. There are very few authors out there who have the ability to make every single character, from protagonist to villain to minor character, seem as humanistic as he does. No one is all bad in his books, but no one is all bad either, and that makes them much more empathetic.There are some pretty adult themes in this book: death, loss, prejudice, but it's all packaged in a way kids can understand, making it a great novel for kids going through hard stuff. It's also great for kids who like stories with real life themes, as opposed to fantasy or science fiction. Pretty much, this is one of those books that is great for any kid.Reading level: 5th grade +Appropriateness: FineWho would like it: kids who prefer real life stories
    • 5/5
      Henry's father always told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, you can avoid it. And so it has been for the Smith family for over 300 years, with the help of their money and their status--until the night Henry's brother is struck by car by a Cambodian-American teenager who has known nothing but trouble. After the death of his brother, Henry decides to climb the mountain he and his brother had planned to climb together, but as he ventures out, he finds Chay, the boy who killed his brother. This novel tells the story of Henry's grief and his family's grief at the loss of older brother Franklin. It tells the story of Henry's anger--much of it understandable--and the town's anger--much of it racist. It also tells the story of Chay at the brunt of so much emotion with family pressures and demons of his own. In the end, Schmidt succeeds at creating a sense of closure for both Henry and Chay without making the ending too pat or simplistic.
    • 5/5
      If you can get past the first six pages of this book you will be rewarded. The first pages offer finite details about the house where the main character Henry Smith lives. Gary Schmidt wants the reader to know how solid and old the house is, and how massive it is. By the end of the chapter a horrific accident takes place that sets the tone for the rest of the story. This story is about survival as well as looking beyond a person's appearance to discover what he is really made of. Henry Smith is told by his father that if you distance yourself far enough away from Trouble, it will never come looking for you. He soon learns Trouble is closer than he ever imagined. There are many surprises in this story, and the plot twists and turns enough times to keep the reader wanting more. There's also a wonderfully funny dog in this story that will make you wish she was your pet. If you like suspense and outdoor adventure this book is for you.
    • 5/5
      Gary Schmidt has written another outstanding book for young adults. Henry Smith's father has told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you. Henry believes his father until his world in Blythbury-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts comes crashing down around him. His older brother is seriously injured when hit by a pick up truck supposedly driven by a Cambodian refugee. About the same time he rescues an abandoned dog from drowning and a bad storm reveals the burnt hull of a ship in Salvage Cove. All is not as simple as it seems, however, in this coming of age story, as Henry learns that love and grace are more important in life than ease.
    • 5/5
      Wow! A painful but powerful book. Not for the same audience as The Wednesday Wars. Lots of issues: immigration, Cambodia, Vietnam, grief, love, slave ships, New England history, Chaucer, KeatsQuote-right
    • 3/5
      Author Gary D Schmidt has no trouble combining serious issues such as ethnic prejudice and family discord, with subtle humor and a dollop of action. In Trouble the Smiths are a family of privilege, seemingly secure from the world’s harshness. After all, Henry Smith’s father always said that, “if you build your house far enough away from trouble, then trouble will never find you.” But, as Henry and the Smith family learn, no one is immune to catching trouble. As the story unfolds we learn that even Henry’s favored brother Franklin, the golden-boy, was not the perfect idol the community thought him to be. While jogging one evening Franklin is run over by Chay Chouan, a Cambodian student, and this event reveals facts and emotions that can only release a load of trouble. In reaction, Henry decides to climb Maine’s Mt. Katahdin, an adventure Franklin used to bully Henry about, with his best friend and the black dog Henry recently rescued from drowning. The last person they expected to meet on their journey was Chay Chouan. Schmidt does a great job of capturing the smart-aleck dialog between the boys as well as the dramatic emotions experienced by the Smith and Chouan families.
    • 4/5
      I loved Wednesday Wars by this author and enjoyed Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (both Newbury honor books.) I wanted to love this book. The emotional truth at the core of the novel is why I recommend Schmidt's books so highly. At the opening of this book Trouble seems distant, but we see it revealed over and over with deeper resonances each time. The unfolding truth is simply heartbreaking. It will change the reader as it changes Henry. I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars because it was hard to suspend disbelief as the author got the main characters to spend time together. The language and characters forced me to continue reading even through completely incredulous circumstances.
    • 2/5
      Well, I’m torn. I thought I’d never love a literary dog more than the clever and stalwart Cracker in Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata, but now there is Black Dog. Her head-cocking, belly-exposing, tail-wagging, grinning presence makes her one of the main characters in Trouble, and one of the best reasons to read the book.

      Oh yeah, and there’s Henry, a 14-year-old from an old-money Massachusetts family, whose older brother Franklin (a sports hero but otherwise not a stellar individual) is hit while jogging by a pick-up truck. Inside the truck is Chay Chuan, a teen from Cambodia. Although the accident was clearly just that, the rift between the whites (both rich/entitled and blue-collar/blame-their-woes-on-immigrants) and the recent Cambodian immigrants widens precipitously. Franklin loses his arm and then much more, sister Louisa and both parents are almost house-bound with shock and sorrow, and Henry – he decides to hike up Mt. Katahdin in Maine, as he had always wanted to do with Franklin.

      While the first half of the book deals with the family’s and community’s various reactions (mostly negative) to the situation, and does so in a measured and masterful way, the second half gets a little out of control. Henry and his buddy Sanborn (a laconic guy with a dry sense of humor whose dorky exchanges and tussles with Henry keep things real throughout the book) find themselves headed north in Chay’s pick-up (he’s running away) and suddenly there are encounters with evil, prejudiced fishermen, escapes down one-way streets, accidental participation in a classic car parade, Black Dog running happily amok after a balloon and tossing members of a marching band like bowling pins, a rather symbolic shipwreck, and even a shooting. Like that sentence, the second half goes on too long and is too filled with unlikely events.

      Schmidt ties things up satisfactorily at the end, and Henry comes to terms with his intense and contradictory feelings about Franklin, Chay, his family, and his life in a way that is believable and moving.

      For teens ages 12 and up.

      The audiobook version is narrated by Jason Culp. His Massachusetts and Maine accents may or may not be authentic but they sure added to my enjoyment of this New England tale.
    • 5/5
      What a great book! Unexpected plot developments and a story to really think about...I loved it.
    • 4/5
      Henry deals with his brother's death following a traffic accident. This is another great book from Schmidt. I love the way he creates and expands the minor characters subtley. Sanborn is my favorite character in the novel.
    • 5/5
      Poetic and deeply moving tale that deals with the theme of how trouble comes to every life. Henry Smith and his brother Franklin plan to climb Mt. Katadin. Then his brother is killed by a truck driven by Chay Chouan, a student at Franklin's school. When Henry and his best friend set out for the climb, Chay ends up accompanying them. Sounds far-fetched, but the plot unfolds naturally. The author also weaves in themes of prejudice and what it means to be American: Chay is a recently arrived Cambodian refugee, and Henry's family has lived in the same house on the Massachusetts coast for hundreds of years.