Eight Seconds
Jean Ferris
Harcourt Incorporated
<p>Each ride on the bucking bull is a lesson in pain.</p><p>Each landing on the packed dirt is a jarring reminder of reality. </p><p>Rodeo camp is a tough way to spend a summer, but John is having the time of his life. No clingy girlfriends, no nagging mom, no annoying sisters. Just him and the guys and the biggest bulls he’s ever seen. All he has to do is stay on a bull for eight seconds. It may feel like an eternity to his aching body, but for once John feels in control of his own fate. Then he learns his new rodeo buddy Kit is gay. Shaken by the news, he tries to deal with the other guys reactions and his own self-doubts. Suddenly, riding a bull seems easy. . . . Award-winning author Jean Ferris delivers a gripping look at a young man’s struggle to understand himself and the world around him. The charged fusion of rodeo excitement, bucking bulls, and new friendships makes for a wild ride—with a startling ending. </p><p>Ages 12 and up</p>