WHEN YOU GROW up in a small town in the north woods, you have to make your own excitement. High spirits, idiocy, and showing off for the girls inspire Gary Paulsen and his friends to attempt:

• Shooting waterfalls in a barrel

• The first skateboarding

• Breaking the world record for speed on skis by being towed behind a souped-up car, and then . . . hitting gravel

• Jumping three barrels like motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, except they only have bikes

• Wrestling . . . a bear?

Extreme sports lead to extreme fun in new tales from Gary’s boyhood.

A New York Times Bestseller