An unusual survival story begins abruptly with immediate tension, as two socially inept, prepubescent kids are abandoned with no provisions and few clothes as part of an annual, cruel, camp prank. The boy and girl create their own moral code for remaining beyond the reaches of authority, while gradually gaining self-dignity and self-worth from each other. A provocative novel uses language with elegance and metaphors with ease in a contemporary tale of paradise found and claimed. Although the images of inner city campers representing worldly knowledge are jarringly off-target, the novel's eminently discussible elements and unanswered questions represent essential considerations forcefully presented. Honor Book, 1987 CCBC Newbery Discussion. (Age 12 and older)