Me and Jay — W. Royce Adams

One hot summer day, thirteen-year-olds Geri Thomas and Jay Thornton try to find a place to cool off so they seek Blue Pool, a dangerous, off-limits area. The two discover adventures they never bargained for as they foolishly hop a slow freight train to take them up the river road and accidentally start a grass fire. Soon they find themselves being chased through a mammoth cave by two desperate men willing to do almost anything to keep the teens from telling what they've discovered. Geri and Jay's adventures bring them one step closer to maturity and acceptance of responsibility while delivering a solid message that bad decisions can have frightful consequences.