The Big Dark

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 50 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.

Rodman Philbrick's The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book, and his novel Zane and the Hurricane has received numerous starred reviews and was honored on the 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. His first book for young readers, Freak the Mighty, was an immediate bestseller and continues to be a classic, with close to three million copies in print. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and Florida. Visit him at www.rodmanphilbrick.com.