Guys Read: The Scout

It was just your typical, run-of-the-mill scout field trip—that is, until Kit spotted an object from space plummeting to Earth.

D. J. MacHale drops his independent young hero into what begins as a routine endurance hike across blistering terrain. The barren desert promised nothing worse than thirst and strict troop Leaders—before a cluster of falling spheres unloads an armed miniature rover with deadly aim.

The story follows Kit into a high-stakes sprint across dry riverbeds, where energy blasts obliterate boulders and turn a routine training drill into a fight for survival. A maze of slot canyons promises temporary shelter, only to trap the young hiker in a tight crevice with an adversary that recalculates every shot.

A short story from Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka.

• Unlikely Hero: Kit would rather rely on common sense than collect colorful merit badges, but outsmarting a relentless hunter tests every skill he owns.
• Desert Survival: From sucking on smooth pebbles to stay hydrated to scaling sheer sandstone cliffs, harsh wilderness training becomes a lifeline.
• High-Tech Mystery: An emergency communicator meant to summon help turns deadly when its signal acts as a homing beacon for the rover.
• Sci-Fi Adventure: Bouncing impact spheres, vaporizing energy blasts, and a desperate canyon rock slide deliver pulse-pounding middle-grade excitement.