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Down Sand Mountain Audiobook
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(3.05) - 108 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It’s the fall of 1966, and twelve-year-old Dewey Turner is determined to start the school year right. No more being the butt of every joke. He’ll be cool—a Lone Wolf like his older brother, Wayne. But an accident with shoe polish dashes these hopes—and earns Dewey his worst nickname yet. He finds an unlikely friend in Darla Turkel, the only person at Sand Mountain High who is more of an outcast than he is. Through their friendship, Dewey comes to learn a whole lot about his small town, and about the world outside it, too: things about racism and segregation, secrets, and standing up for what’s right.
“There is neither too much nostalgia nor message, and readers will be haunted by the drama of harsh secrets close to home.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Watkins pulls off an incredible feat in this novel capturing the racial prejudices and Vietnam War tensions of the era.” —Voice of Youth Advocates
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"What I liked best about this novel were Dewey's relationships: particularly his relationship with Darla and his relationship with his brother Wayne. Dewey's voice was very real and his coming-of-age experiences were depicted with great poignancy. I felt the story moved a little slowly in some places but overall it was a very believable story of a a 12-year-old boy growing up in a small southern town in the sixties."
— Sandra (4 out of 5 stars)
Down Sand Mountain Listener Reviews
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" I liked this book, but it wasn't great. I had a hard time figuring out how the author wanted all the story lines to fit together. "
— Melanie, 11/18/2013 -
" realistic situations and believable dialogue make this a great story-could not put it down "
— Marsha, 10/27/2013 -
" Interesting subject matter -- racism in a very isolated small Southern town -- that just fell a little flat for me; poorly paced, maybe, as the ending seemed rather abrupt. "
— A., 8/17/2013 -
" Uhm... for me, by the end I was just ready to be out of Dewey's head. The text seemed to drag on, but never really do anything. "
— Robyn, 8/3/2013 -
" I'm troubled by the style of this book ... narrating events as a participant and observer creates a limited point of view, passive feel. "
— Library, 7/28/2013 -
" Between 3.5-4, Dewey got irritating or rather, frustrating sometimes. Just wanted him to understand something! And I can't figure out the intended audience entirely... "
— Alya, 6/30/2013 -
" Engaging narrative voice. Pacing is a little slow, but worth sticking with. "
— Vicky, 6/19/2013 -
" Soon to be the very BEST book of 2008! "
— Kelly, 4/7/2012 -
" Dewey's life in the 7th grade in a small Florida panhandle town in the 1960s. He does not relish joining his older brother at the high school. Well developed character is memorable and sympathetic. "
— Catherine, 6/9/2011 -
" 2.5 stars. There are lots of middle grade novels about the 1960s now and this one is solid but not spectacular. "
— Ashley, 5/27/2011 -
" this book is kind of a biography of segragation in the 60's, it is quite ammusing to see how some people back then treated each other and what some people need to find out that people are people insted of just asumming from what they've heard. "
— Valerie, 2/1/2010 -
" It can get pretty boring at times, and the time seems stretched out when you're reading it. But it CAN be interesting. "
— Oksana, 12/26/2009 -
" I liked this book, but it wasn't great. I had a hard time figuring out how the author wanted all the story lines to fit together. "
— Melanie, 12/16/2009 -
" I'm troubled by the style of this book ... narrating events as a participant and observer creates a limited point of view, passive feel. "
— Library, 6/2/2009 -
" Uhm... for me, by the end I was just ready to be out of Dewey's head. The text seemed to drag on, but never really do anything. "
— Robyn, 3/3/2009 -
" Dewey's life in the 7th grade in a small Florida panhandle town in the 1960s. He does not relish joining his older brother at the high school. Well developed character is memorable and sympathetic. "
— Catherine, 3/3/2009 -
" Interesting subject matter -- racism in a very isolated small Southern town -- that just fell a little flat for me; poorly paced, maybe, as the ending seemed rather abrupt. "
— A., 1/11/2009
About Steve Watkins
Steve Watkins is the author of Down Sand , as well as the author of numerous short stories. A winner of the Pushcart Prize, Steve Watkins lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
About Dan John Miller
Dan John Miller is an American actor and musician. In the Oscar-winning Walk the Line, he starred as Johnny Cash’s guitarist and best friend, Luther Perkins, and has also appeared in George Clooney’s Leatherheads and My One and Only, with Renée Zellweger. An award-winning audiobook narrator, he has garnered multiple Audie Award nominations, has twice been named a Best Voice by AudioFile magazine, and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards and a Listen-Up Award from Publishers Weekly.