Out of the Shadows and Into the Fire

Josh Mayer, a high school sophomore, lives in the shadow of his older brother, an accomplished student and athlete. His parents are dissatisfied with Josh’s mediocre grades, his simple after-school jobs, and his focus on cycling rather than on team sports. Josh meets a fellow student, Kelly, who, despite excellent grades, has her own issues with her looks and her treatment by some disparaging classmates. Kelly’s confidence in Josh inspires him to plan a summer bike trip to prove that his biking is a challenging sport and he is good at it. He receives a hesitant OK from his parents and leaves on a longer-than-planned journey that turns into a series of rousing adventures that include getting lost, facing a rattlesnake, fighting a forest fire, and dealing heroically with a horrendous helicopter crash. At the end of the eventful summer, Josh returns to his family, Kelly, school, and surprises he’ll never forget.