It's Maine, 1924, and the Ku Klux Klan is on the rise.
Davy and Jo Michaud have been recently orphaned. Taken in by a distant relative-a famous aviator-they are now working with a group of stunt pilots who spend their time wing walking, leaping from plane to plane, and flying through fireworks! But though the stunts are dangerous, the real threat is building behind the scenes.
The KKK is on the rise in in Maine that summer, inspired by the racial fears promoted in Birth of a Nation. They spew hatred of immigrants, Blacks, Jews, and French Catholics-that last, a rage that will be directed at Davy and Jo. When Davy and Jo cross paths with the Klan, they get tangled up in a terrible revenge plan, and held as hostages. Can they
escape with their lives?
"Soon we will eat the frozen cattle.... And then, when that is gone, what shall we eat? Shall we eat the snow? Shall we eat the ice? Shall we eat the bark on the frozen trees? What shall we eat?"
Spring, 1846: Douglas Allen Deeds dreams of starting a new life out West. When the opportunity to join the Donner Party Expedition arises, he leaves the life he's known behind to set out on the nearly 2,000-mile trek from Independence, Missouri to sunny California. But progress is slow. Brutal heat, poisoned water, and rough terrain slows the expedition down. Soon they have a choice: continue
on the known but grueling trail, or take a shortcut that would cut 350 miles from their journey-but take them through unknown territory. Is it worth the risk?
Winter comes quickly in the mountains, and the wrong choice could leave them stranded in the Sierra Mountains when the snow comes, with no shelter, supplies, or food.
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers rushing down a raging river on a life-or-death adventure when a white water trip goes terribly wrong!
Daniel Redmayne is fast asleep on the first night of a whitewater rafting camping trip, when he's awoken by screams. The dam has failed. The river is surging, and their camp will be underwater in a matter of moments. As the shrieking roar of the river rushes closer, the kids scramble to higher ground. They make it; their counselors do not. Now they're on their own, with barely any supplies, in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Do Daniel and his four classmates have what it takes to stay alive until they can get rescued? Alone in the wild, they forge powerful bonds - but develop dangerous disagreements. If nature doesn't break them, they might just destroy each other. This gripping survival story from the Newbery Honor author of Wildfire is filled with adrenaline-pumping adventure and moments of true bravery.
The powerful sequel to the award-winning Freak the Mighty.
Fourteen-year-old Max is back and he finds himself defending a solitary girl nicknamed 'Worm' against a cruel man known as the Undertaker. Against all odds, the teens embark on a perilous journey in search of Worm's father, and must face something more frightening than death itself.
Written in a haunting yet uplifting first-person voice, Publishers Weekly calls Max the Mighty 'a rip-roaring, heartwarming escapade.'
This fast-paced action novel is set in a future where the world has been almost destroyed. Like the award-winning novel Freak the Mighty, this is Philbrick at his very best.
It's the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past. With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister-and in the process, perhaps the world
Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there's only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die. Lungs burning, Sam's only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unlikely friendship grows as they join forces to find civilization. Along the way, they cross paths with arsonists who are torching property built by outsiders. "If you're from away, stay away!" they scream-and turn their rage on Sam and Delphy.
The pace never slows, and eventually flames surround Sam and Delphy on all sides. A powerful bond is forged that can only grow out of true hardship-as two true friends beat all odds and outwit one of the deadliest fires ever.
From Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick comes a delicious, fast-paced whodunit about two socially outcast boys who set out to find jewels hidden for a century -- and unwittingly flush out a murderer.
In award winner Philbrick's new page-turning mystery, Arthur "Bash Man" is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius's estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves -- and in the process, they discover that the car crash that killed Darius's parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next?
Where are the diamonds? And who is stalking the boys? In his first mystery for children, Philbrick delivers yet another suspenseful, unpredictable tale filled with twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.
In this page-turning adventure by Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick, a solar event knocks out our planet's electricity, and a boy must risk his life to save his sick mother.
What would you do if every spark of electricity suddenly vanished, as if somebody had flipped a switch on the entire planet? Cars won't start, the heat shuts off, there's no water in your faucet, and your radio, TV, and flashlight go dark. Everyone in Charlie's small town is baffled.
But as time passes, lawlessness erupts and takes an ugly turn. When the market and pharmacy are torched by an anti-Semitic arsonist, Charlie realizes his mother will die without her medicine. So he dons skis and heads off alone, seeking the nearest hospital. After traveling fifty miles through brutal ice and snow, Charlie encounters a burned-out, looted city of terrified citizens. Will he be able to save his mom?
Heroic, eloquent, and unforgettable, The Big Dark raises timely questions about responsibility, tolerance, and love.
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick presents a gripping yet poignant novel about a 12-year-old boy and his dog who become trapped in New Orleans during the horrors of Hurricane Katrina.
Zane Dupree is a charismatic 12-year-old boy of mixed race visiting a relative in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. Unexpectedly separated from all family, Zane and his dog experience the terror of Katrina's wind, rain, and horrific flooding. Facing death, they are rescued from an attic air vent by a kind, elderly musician and a scrappy young girl--both African American. The chaos that ensues as storm water drowns the city, shelter and food vanish, and police contribute to a dangerous, frightening atmosphere, creates a page-turning tale that completely engrosses the reader. Based on the facts of the worst hurricane disaster in U.S. history, Philbrick includes the lawlessness and lack of government support during the disaster as well as the generosity and courage of those who risked their lives and safety to help others. Here is an unforgettable novel of heroism in the face of truly challenging circumstances.
Although he is underage, Homer P. Figg's beloved older brother, Harold, is illegally sold into the Union Army by their ruthless guardian. Now Homer must run away from Pine Swamp, Maine, and his wretched home to find his brother and save him from the war, before it's too late.
In a story filled with adventure, humor, and danger, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick tells of the turbulent, passionate times-from rural Maine to the Battle of Gettysburg--in the Civil War. Here is historical fiction at its most engaging, portraying the 1860s through the observant eyes of a backwoods boy who is both courageous and funny-and always willing to stretch the truth to his own advantage. A master of plot twists and vivid characters, Philbrick sweeps readers into the unpredictable events--both colorful and tragic--of this powerful turning point in American history.
Dumb, stupid, and slow. All Max's life, he'd been called these names, and it didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned to be alone--at least until Freak came along. Together, they were Freak the Mighty. A major motion picture from Miramax Films starring Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, and Harry Dean Stanton. January 1998 publication date.
Skiff Beaman has a boatload of problems. Ever since his mother died, his father doesn’t want to get up off the TV couch–even when the Mary Rose, his fishing boat, sinks at the dock. Twelve-year-old Skiff’s been bailing out Rose by himself for months, getting up before dawn to pump out the bilge and keep her floating–just in case his dad decides to put his beer aside and get up and go fishing. But once a boat has gone under you can’t bail it out.
With a nod to Hemingway, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick presents a starkly dramatic yet poignant story about a determined boy who refuses to give up, despite overwhelming odds. Skiff Beaman makes a choice to take on the world–but can he possibly beat the odds and win?
