The Car (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Car is a 1993 novel by Gary Paulsen
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. His parents are constantly fighting and arguing. One day, his mom calls saying she has left his dad. During the evening of the same day, his dad calls saying he has left his mom. Therefore, Terry was left alone.
Terry then built a kit-car that his dad got from his job being a mechanic to drive to Oregon to live with an uncle. After his first day of driving, he comes upon a man named Waylon Jackson who was a Vietnam war veteran. Together they set out to Omaha
to visit Waylon's friend, Wayne.
When they arrive in Omaha, Wayne installs a turbocharger
into the kit-car and he joins the journey on a Harley-Davidson
he named Baby. They then travel to South Dakota
to visit their friend, Samuel.
Samuel is a very old man who speaks about random historical facts. While they were there, he talks about the Civil War
and General Custer.
Their next stop takes them to a small town, still in South Dakota. There, Waylon plays poker
and wins $18,000. He then gives $6,000 each to Wayne and Terry.
The threesome continues to travel west. In a fast-food place in Wyoming, they come upon four cocky bullriders. After taunting Waylon, he beats one of them up and rushes out to the car with Wayne and Terry. They continue west being chased by the bullriders. Eventually, they stop and proceed to beat the rest of them up. However, the police were on their trail so because they said that they can handle business and he should get away from the police due to being underage. Heading west for a little while, the novel ends as Terry turns around and decides to help out Waylon and Wayne.
Gary Paulsen
Gary James Paulsen is an American writer who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books , 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for young adults and teens.-Biography:Gary Paulsen was born in...
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Plot summary
Terry Anders is a fourteen year old boy who lives in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. His parents are constantly fighting and arguing. One day, his mom calls saying she has left his dad. During the evening of the same day, his dad calls saying he has left his mom. Therefore, Terry was left alone.
Terry then built a kit-car that his dad got from his job being a mechanic to drive to Oregon to live with an uncle. After his first day of driving, he comes upon a man named Waylon Jackson who was a Vietnam war veteran. Together they set out to Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
to visit Waylon's friend, Wayne.
When they arrive in Omaha, Wayne installs a turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
into the kit-car and he joins the journey on a Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
he named Baby. They then travel to South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
to visit their friend, Samuel.
Samuel is a very old man who speaks about random historical facts. While they were there, he talks about the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
and General Custer.
Their next stop takes them to a small town, still in South Dakota. There, Waylon plays poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
and wins $18,000. He then gives $6,000 each to Wayne and Terry.
The threesome continues to travel west. In a fast-food place in Wyoming, they come upon four cocky bullriders. After taunting Waylon, he beats one of them up and rushes out to the car with Wayne and Terry. They continue west being chased by the bullriders. Eventually, they stop and proceed to beat the rest of them up. However, the police were on their trail so because they said that they can handle business and he should get away from the police due to being underage. Heading west for a little while, the novel ends as Terry turns around and decides to help out Waylon and Wayne.