Description:

Teenage Steven and his father, Corey, take to the road with a Bible, an old army tent, and less than the best of intentions. Tired of being poor, Steven's father is certain that preaching the Word of the Lord is the easy way to fame and fortune. But just when they've got their act down pat and the money is rolling in, Steven and Corey begin to realize that what they'd originally thought of as a harmless lie is all about avarice and power and, ultimately, guilt.
    

Each book includes a reader's guide.

**

From Publishers Weekly

PW praised the pacing and settings of this tale of father and son scammers posing as preachers, but found that "the symbolism and message are trumpeted too loudly, drowning out attempts to create lifelike complexity in either the characters or their situation." Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10?"Thirty-four years old and we don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of to call our own," is how 14-year-old Steven's dad Corey describes their existence. The boy's mother has taken off, and he and his father live in an old rented trailer and drive a broken-down truck. All of this changes in a hurry when Corey commandeers a tent, steals a Gideon Bible from a hotel room, and hits the back roads of Texas in his new occupation as a preacher. Learning the tricks of the trade as they go, Steven and Corey are soon joined by two drifters whose act of being miraculously healed by Corey helps to draw larger crowds and bigger offerings. Soon their new enterprise is earning hundreds of dollars a night and both father and son have all the riches they could ever imagine. At the height of their success, both Corey, who actually has begun to read the Bible for the first time, and Steven are consumed by guilt and they set off in an effort to right their wrongdoings. While the setting and subject matter are atypical of Paulsen, the author's unique ability to pen a story is again demonstrated. While the decision to abandon the lucrative endeavor may seem somewhat abrupt, readers will feel the main characters' dilemma in having to choose between material wealth and doing the right thing. The Tent may surprise Paulsen's many fans, but it will not disappoint them.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.