Click on book cover to learn where Will got his ideas for this story, and to see photos.

"They're calling it a flood — highest water anyone's ever seen in the Grand Canyon! It's all over the national news!" Jessie and her companions from Downriver have returned to the Grand Canyon, brimming with anticipation about running the big rapids: Granite, Hermit, Crystal, Lava Falls. For Jessie it's a dream come true—a chance to row her own raft down the Colorado River. But the river has its own surprises in store. For Troy, this trip means a chance to prove himself, to make up for past mistakes. In the end, the river itself will be the ultimate test. It's going to take all of them pulling together — Jessie, Troy, Adam, Star, Rita and Pug—if they're to survive the thundering water and the powerful emotions the river unleashes.

CLICK HERE to see photos and to learn where Will got his IDEAS for this story, and for its companion, Downriver.

Unabridged audiotape available from
Recorded Books, Inc. (800-638-1304)

Awards and Honors for RIVER THUNDER
Young Adult Choices, International Reading Association (IRA)
Junior Library Guild Selection
Books for the Teenage, New York Public Library
Mountains and Plains Regional Book Award Finalist
Colorado Book Award Nominee (Colorado Center for the Book)
Foreign editions: Italian

Publisher: Hardcover and Paperback - Delacorte, Dell