The Found Boys by S. D. Smith

The “Found Boys” find trouble in their West Virginia small town, but also deepen their understanding of grace and forgiveness.

The Found Boys by S. E. Smith. Harvest House Kids, 2024, 172 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 7-11

Scott and his younger friend Tommy are two average West Virginia boys growing up in the 1980s with an average-boy taste for adventure. Maybe even getting in trouble, too—though with Scott’s dad being the pastor of the local Baptist church, it had better not be too much trouble. On this Sunday morning they’re on a mission: to rescue the backpack belonging to their friend Joey, along with one treasured possession inside.

The backpack got confiscated when Joey was exploring—that is, trespassing on—the junkyard belonging to a sketchy character known as the wizard. Only a visit from Joey’s father would get his possession back, but the incident happened just before the whole family left for the mission field. So it’s up to Scott, and Tommy if he’s brave enough, to sneak into the junkyard and snatch the pack. A piece of cake, except for the wizard’s ten fierce dogs. A little extra help might be in order, and a chance meeting (not entirely friendly, at first) with a kid from the nearby black church leads to an unlikely alliance.

The author writes that “this is not a story about race, but a story about people, and it involves race.” Race relations still had a long way to go in the early 1980s; turns out the junkyard “wizard” has ties to the Klan. The boys get themselves in a tense and dangerous situation that only leaves more room for reconciliation and forgiveness on all sides. Though the resolution may seem to come too easily, Scott (our narrator) has an engaging voice, unintentionally humorous about things he doesn’t understand. Readers will enjoy hanging out with these boys.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: See our reviews of another winning neighborhood gang: The Tree Street Kids, here and here.
• Reviews: S. E. Smith is also the author of The Green Ember series and the Jack Zulu series.

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