Deathwatch

Each summer, I purpose to read a classic or novel I "happen upon".  Last summer, I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  Loved it so much I held a book breakfast event for my girls and gave them a copy of the book to keep.  This year, I'm reading Deathwatch by Robb White.  Not exactly excited about it.  Didn't hunt it down.  Honestly... never heard of it before.  But I AM aware of the Edgar Award for Mystery and this book received the award in 1972.  How did I decide upon this "old" summer read?  Found 30 copies in great condition in the book storage closet.  They haven't been checked out in at least 7 years.  So if it's good enough (and appropriate) to share with my 6-7-8 grade students, I'll offer another book breakfast event and we'll read and discuss this book.  And of course, they'll get to keep their copy.  
 I'll let you know if I like it.  

Happy Reading!
And don't forget that it's important to read something fresh and new...read outside your box. :)
RC
Okay, so I've read the book and although it's nothing like what kids are reading today, I can understand why it would have been a thriller in the early 70s.  The amount of detail provided for the "hunt" of the main character, the weapons and damage they do to the bodies, and the fact that the main character remains naked throughout most of the book probably turned a few heads in 1972.  Today, our students would like this book only if they were avid hunters or gun owners.  The mystery is not up to par with what modern authors are providing our readers.  I'll suggest this book to a few of my students who I know will enjoy it, but like most books, it won't have a huge following.