Betsey Duffey, Coaster. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1996.

Coaster by Betsey was written for children in grades 4-6. The story centers around a 12 year old boy named Hart who wants nothing to do with his mom’s new boyfriend. The only real memory Hart has of his real father was that they used to ride all the most exciting roller coasters together. As the story unfolds you can see that Hart has an idealized image of his father based on the time they spent together two years earlier before the divorce. With the help of his best friend, Hart secretly builds a small-scale roller coaster in the ravine behind his house and breaks his arm while testing it. It turns out that her mother’s boyfriend, Dub, is a pretty good guy who is supportive of Hart and his mother. In the end Hart learns to accept the changes in his life that have taken place. The story is actually very believable especially in how it depicts Hart’s obsession with roller coasters and how he associates them with the memory of his absent father. The roller coaster seems to serve as a metaphor for the ups and downs and changes that are a part of life. This is a good book, especially for children who are dealing with similar circumstances. It teaches children that life is full of changes and disappointments that can test us but need not utterly defeat us.