WILDFIRE RUN

A breakneck adventure in the unusual setting of Camp David features the president’s son Luke and his two pals, Theo and Callie. Theo is a geeky guy who likes to build robots and is new to the Secret Service protocols that are normal for Luke. Callie is the daughter of a chef who’s worked at another presidential home and is not particularly happy about his being transferred to Camp David. When a horrid and utterly unbelievable set of coincidences finds them trapped on the compound without any adult help, they must outwit the many security measures in place to thwart criminals and terrorists that now keep these kids from escaping a wildfire resulting from carelessness in the aftermath of a major earthquake. It’s all plot, and unlikely at that, but it's fairly tightly written to focus on the spontaneous inventions and ingenuity that are required of these uncannily capable 12-year-olds. Mostly harmless MacGyver-esque foolishness, this gadget-filled thriller is expressly calculated to hit the sweet spot for middle-grade readers who like their survival literature laced with technology. (Adventure. 9-12)