MWSA Review
Diego Martinez is an eleven-year-old military child. Every few years he moves with his family to a new base somewhere in the world because of his Marine father’s assignments. In Desert Tough, author Katie Bonecutter gives the reader a peek into Diego’s life at Twentynine Palms Marine base in Southern California. It is a desert location, quite different from other places where the family has lived.
Diego has grown adept at being the new boy in class. Many of the kids in his middle school are also military children, and they know how it feels to be the new student. On the first day of school, one of these boys, Dante, befriends Diego; they become fast friends. They run together, explore the desert after school and on weekends, and play endless games with Diego’s best non-human friend—his Belgian Malinois dog, Radar. Radar flunked out of the canine police training academy, yet he is a loyal, loving, protective, and intelligent pet.
Nathan, a neighborhood toddler, exercises a penchant for taking unauthorized walkabouts around the neighborhood, much to the chagrin of his mother, whose husband is deployed overseas. Nathan has fallen in love with Radar, Dante, and Diego, as well as with Diego’s younger sister, Lily. Despite the age difference, the children include Nathan in many activities.
Diego loves science and nature. He hung on every word a ranger said at a school assembly about the beauty of the desert and its dangers. Diego takes the ranger’s word as gospel and learns how to equip himself for desert adventures. When something unthinkable happens, Diego, his friends, and Radar must apply all their skills to save a life.
Desert Tough highlights how adaptive a military child can be, and how close a military family is to its members and other military families. This novel provides middle-grade adventure, solid friendships, and a remarkable dog.
Children around the same age as Diego will find this story engaging and informative, as will their parents.
Review by Pat Walkow (January 2025)
Author's Synopsis
Imagine starting over as the new kid every one-to-three years. Eleven-year-old Diego Martinez, son of a US Marine, doesn’t have to imagine this reality; he lives it. His dad has recently been transferred to a remote Marine base near the small city of Twentynine Palms, California and the Joshua Tree National Park. In Desert Tough, Diego endeavors to find his new sense of normal—sorting out a new base and a new school—all while trying to make friends and to navigate the unforgiving natural environment of the high desert. Diego faces the hardships of this transition as he always does, with courage and grit. The friendships he makes are forged from the shared experience of life as a military kid and highlight the toughness gleaned from their lives of transitions and unique challenges. Understandably, then, when a local boy goes missing in the desert, Diego and his friends step forward to help search for him. Aided by Diego’s dog, Radar, they come together to successfully rescue the missing boy.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Middle Grade Chapter Book
Number of Pages: 144
Word Count: 27,900
