It all started with a quiet end-of-the-year field trip to Carlsbad Caverns. Not everyone was awake. Some wanted to go to Arizona instead. The trip took an terrifying twist when an earthquake hit the caverns, plunging the kids into unfamiliar territory, minus adults. Some kids are freaking out. Others are stepping up. No one really knows where to go. Meanwhile, Carlos, the 4th Midnight King, is shaken as well. He has just shown mercy to a trespassing Worm, and now the Mother has punished him for it. His father's shadow is looming over him, and he desires to escape it. He finally decides to go out into the underground forest to beg forgiveness from the Mother, and meets someone who will change him, his country, and their way of life. This fascinating book by Wesley King, Edgar Award Winner, shows us how kids really behave and interact when it matters. Find this Junior Library Guild at your local library or e-library.
A World Below
By Wesley King
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grade 5 | n/a | 4.7 | 53769 |
“A swift-paced survival tale that’s a cool blend of Lord of the Flies and Journey to the Center of the Earth.” —School Library Journal
“This richly imaginative field trip gone bad or amazing—depending on how you look at it—is a sharp meditation on the seemingly universal difficulties of being young, smart, and uncertain.” —BCCB
A class field trips turns into an underground quest for survival in the latest middle grade novel from the author of Edgar Award winner OCDaniel.
Mr. Baker’s eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake…and their teacher goes missing.
They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone’s true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she’s underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger.
Told from three different points of view, this fast-paced adventure novel explores how group dynamics change under dire circumstances. Do the students of Mr. Baker’s class really know each other at all? Or do they just think they do? It turns out, it’s hard to hide in the dark.
“This richly imaginative field trip gone bad or amazing—depending on how you look at it—is a sharp meditation on the seemingly universal difficulties of being young, smart, and uncertain.” —BCCB
A class field trips turns into an underground quest for survival in the latest middle grade novel from the author of Edgar Award winner OCDaniel.
Mr. Baker’s eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake…and their teacher goes missing.
They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone’s true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she’s underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger.
Told from three different points of view, this fast-paced adventure novel explores how group dynamics change under dire circumstances. Do the students of Mr. Baker’s class really know each other at all? Or do they just think they do? It turns out, it’s hard to hide in the dark.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
ISBN-13: 9781481478229
ISBN-10: 1481478222
Published on 3/6/2018
Binding: Hardcover
Number of pages: 272