"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
"A sharp meditation on the seemingly universal difficulties of being
young, smart, and uncertain." --BCCB
"A multifaceted journey from darkness to light." --Kirkus Reviews
Winner of the Red Maple Fiction Award
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.
