The Fort

by Gordon Korman Narrated by Tom Picasso, Ramón de Ocampo, Mark Sanderlin, Michael Crouch, Nick Walther, Christopher Carley

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Gordon Korman’s latest coming-of-age novel about a group of friends who discover an abandoned bomb shelter is filled with all of the humor and heart we’ve come to love from his writing.

The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through their town, Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and C.J. find a total mess outside, with downed branches and uprooted trees everywhere. They know they should stay indoors-but they want to go exploring, even if it means having a new kid, Ricky, tag along.

Ricky's the first one to discover a strange trapdoor in the middle of the woods-the door to an old bomb shelter, unearthed by the hurricane. Inside, the boys find a completely intact underground lair, with electricity, food, and even a TV. The boys vow to keep the place a secret. It's theirs now.

But some secrets are hard to keep ... especially when adults and older kids are closing in. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the boys, who is trying to avoid his abusive stepfather. The Fort has become the safest place they have-will they be able to protect it?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for War Stories:

* "This weave of perceptive, well-told tales wears its agenda with unusual grace." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for Restart:

* "A fresh approach to the familiar topic of bullying, kept credible by believable characters and events, with typical Korman humor and just the right touch of mystery." — School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for Slacker:

"Upbeat, inspiring, and full of Korman's signature sense of humor." — Publishers Weekly

"Korman makes comedy look deceptively easy." — Booklist

Praise for Swindle:

"Scary, funny, and hysterical adventures!" — Chicago Tribune

"Pure fun from top to bottom." — School Library Journal

Praise for The Hypnotists:

"Fast-paced... an entertaining mix of intense action and goofy fun." — Publishers Weekly

Praise for Ungifted:

"A gem for readers looking for a book where the underdog comes out on top." — Voice of Youth Advocates

"Funny and insightful." — Publishers Weekly

Praise for Schooled:

* "This rewarding novel features an engaging main character and some memorable moments of comedy, tenderness, and reflection." — Booklist, starred review

Kirkus Reviews

2022-03-29
A gaggle of eighth graders find the coolest clubhouse ever.

Fulfilling the fantasies of anyone who’s ever constructed a fort in their bedroom or elsewhere, Korman hands his five middle schoolers a fully stocked bomb shelter constructed decades ago in the local woods by an eccentric tycoon and lost until a hurricane exposes the entrance. So, how to keep the hideout secret from interfering grown-ups—and, more particularly, from scary teen psychopath Jaeger Devlin? The challenge is tougher still when everyone in the central cast is saddled with something: C.J. struggles to hide injuries inflicted by the unstable stepdad his likewise abused mother persists in enabling; Jason is both caught in the middle of a vicious divorce and unable to stand up to his controlling girlfriend; Evan is not only abandoned by drug-abusing parents, but sees his big brother going to the bad thanks to Jaeger’s influence; Mitchell struggles with OCD–fueled anxieties and superstitions; and so forth. How to keep a story overtaxed with issues and conflicts from turning into a dreary slog? Spoiler alert: Neither the author nor his characters ultimately prove equal to the challenge. With the possible exception of Ricky Molina, one of the multiple narrators, everyone seems to be White.

A terrific premise buried beneath problem-novel tropes. (resources, author’s note) (Fiction. 11-13)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175486071
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/28/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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