Wesley James Morgan was once again doing something he had no business. He knew that the chances of attempting to save his hat that had fallen into the swollen river would be risky. The rains had turned the creek into a raging torrent. Wesley's feet jerked from under him and he fell in. But all was not lost, Mrs. Minton and her old wooden cane were there to save the day. His best friend Zach would never let him live this one down. And his mother wouldn't be too happy, especially since she hadn't let him forget the slime-mold experiment from last summer. She often gave him the look that implied his summer would be spent doing chores instead of having any summer fun. With the additional help of Mrs. Minton, Wes wouldn't have to tell his mom about the creek incident. Mrs. Minton washed and dried his clothes and that was that, so he thought. It wasn't long before Wes and Zach both sought out another clothes washing favor from good ole Mrs. Minton. This time it was mud. The one good thing coming out of the trouble they seemed to get themselves into was the subtle friendship they were building with Mrs. Minton. Zach reminds Wes that according to the National Geographic and the various cultures the organization has studied, Wes owes a life debt to Mrs. Minton for saving him from the creek. For a while Wes struggled with the thought of paying a debt as big as this. Suddenly, it comes to him, he will give Mrs. Minton the best payback ever. You see, she will soon have a hip surgery and her selection of television channels is limited. The t.v. Tower has gone down in their town and Wes is determined to get it up and running so that Mrs. Minton can at least watch the few channels available. Wes has a huge task and the challenge is one he must accomplish alone and on time. Hyde has put together a fun and mischievous read for middle grade boys. Readers will be able to relate to the characters and laugh along with them as they get in and out of trouble. Young readers will find humor, suspense and rally around the characters. Hyde engages readers with vivid imagery and descriptive words that utilize all fives senses. ( )

After an old lady rescues him from drowning, Wes considers how to honor his dead father's wishes while repaying what his friend Zach calls a life debt. ( )