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Alec yearns to win the Junior Rowers Race but the lack of a boat of his own, the competition of bully Stomper Gates, the apparent betrayal of his best friend, and a near-fatal hit-and-run boating accident threaten his goal

Gr 4-6 Alec's hopes of winning his division in this year's rowing contest are dashed when he fails to win first prize in a town raffle, a dinghy. Instead he wins a Cabbage Patch doll (most embarassing for an 11-year-old boy) and watches his coveted boat about to become a flower planter. The boat is rescued by an indignant boat lover who lends it to Alec for the summera summer in which Alec matures and develops an understanding of his father, his grandfather, his mortal enemy Stomper Gates and himself. The cross-generational relationships between Alec and his father, grandfather and benefactor Miss Longley add depth to a plot which could have been solely concerned with Alec's desire to beat Stomper in the rowing contest and win the attention and affection of a pretty girl. While characterization is not deep and the plot not innovative (although at least neither Stomper nor Alec wins the race), quite a few characters and quite a bit of activity are packed into this short, readable book. It moves along at a good pace and will hold readers' attention. Roberta Luther O'Brien, Greenhill School, Dallas Copyright 1986 Cahners Business Information.