Description: Nathan, a perceptive ten-year-old who lives across from the town's controversial landfill, notices it shifting and must find a way to stop a looming garbage landslide and save his father, who works atop the heap driving the compactor.
Review Quotes: Praise for Landslide
A JLG Selection ★ "This book has a lot of information about garbage, landfills, trash removal, and the impact of a landfill on the environment, but it's also a story of friendship, family, and kindness. The characters are interesting and well developed and are portrayed as loving people who want to do the best for their families as well as the community. . . An excellent choice for libraries needing realistic middle grade fiction, particularly with environmental or social emotional themes." --School Library Journal, starred review "Culley grounds the story in solid environmental education, explaining rural landfills' acceptance of out-of-state waste and the cumulative dangers of exposure to environmental waste and landfill gases. The plot builds steadily, and Nathan's voice remains absorbing throughout, capturing a kid's determination to protect his family while grappling with complex community politics. The environmental message is clear but never heavy-handed, and Wilder's feelings about his condition add authentic representation. An author's note reveals the story is based on an actual Maine landfill collapse in 1989 and states that such disasters occur worldwide. An earnest, well-researched environmental tale that educates as it engages." --Kirkus "Landslide will appeal to fans of environmental fiction, especially those who liked Carl Hiaasen's Hoot (2002) and Flush (2005), as well as readers interested in themes of activism." --Booklist "Perceptive and engaging. . . The fast-paced plot is infused with facts about glacier movement, landfill management, and algae bloom formation, raising concerns about protecting the environment and the negative long-term health impacts stemming from the disposal of solid waste." --Horn Book Magazine