From the author of the acclaimed bestseller Holes, winner of the Newbery Award and the National Book Award, comes a new middle-grade novel with universal appeal. Combining horror-movie suspense with the issues of friendship, bullying, and the possibility of ecological disaster, this novel will intrigue, surprise, and inspire readers and compel them to think twice about how they treat others as well as their environment. Be careful. Your next step may be your last. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world. Cast List: Jonathan Fitzman, read by Jesse Bernstein Senator Haltings, read by Mark Bramhall Senator Foote, read by Robertson Dean Senator March, read by Kimberly Farr Dr. Peter Smythe, read by Stephen Hoye Senator Wright, read by John H. Mayer Tamaya Dhilwaddi, read by Kathleen McInerney Donna Jones, esq., read by Adenrele Ojo Dr. June Lee, read by Samantha Quan Professor Alice Mayfair, read by Allyson Ryan Dr. Marc Humbard, read by Bruce Turk "Can Virtue Be Taught," read by Louis Sacher
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"got this for my grandchildren to listen to over the weekend. I also had the book for them to look at the words and it was a fun bedtime activity."
— Jeri (5 out of 5 stars)
“Grounded in well-rounded central characters, this compelling novel holds as much suspense as fuel for discussion.”
— Booklist (starred review)“Blends elements of mystery, suspense, and school-day life into a taut environmental cautionary tale.”
— Publishers Weekly“This engaging eco-cautionary tale…will captivate readers while giving them plenty to think about.”
— School Library Journal“An exciting story of school life and bullies…[and] the promise and dangers of modern science.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Vintage Sachar for the way it brings big ideas to everyday drama.”
— Horn Book“Unfolds with swift authenticity in its own right and then becomes tautly suspenseful.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“Beginning with the lighthearted tone of a happy fifth-grader, Kathleen McInerney’s delivery changes as Tamaya’s situation grows desperate. Listeners learn the true nature of the mud from excerpts of secret Congressional hearings, replicated in the style of actual hearings, with a full cast of senators, witnesses, and the whispered asides of the attending news reporter. The fear in the characters’ dialogue and the tension in the narration are palpable. This is classic sci-fi…Don’t miss the author’s note, read by Sachar himself. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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Louis Sachar is the author of the New York Times bestseller Holes, which won the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Christopher Award. He also wrote Stanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake; Small Steps, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award; and The Cardturner, a Publishers Weekly Best Book, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award recipient, and an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book. His books for younger readers include There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, The Boy Who Lost His Face, Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes, and the Marvin Redpost series, among many others.
Kathleen McInerney won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2011 and was a finalist for the Audie in 2010 and 2015. Her narrations have also earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has performed in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and a broad range of animation voice-overs.
Blair Underwood is an author and award-winning actor, director, and producer. He lives in Los Angeles, California.