The current COVID-19 crisis made me think back to this book. The suspense hinges on understanding exponential growth. The chapters end with ever-growing equations, showing how fast 2 x 1 = 2 becomes 2 x 536,870,912 = 1,073,741,824. ( )

I read this for a 5th/6th grade book club for work, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't select the title, so I didn't know much about it going into it, but it was a wonderfully creepy, suspenseful book with a lot of great characters. For some reason, it reminded me of Stranger Things -- I think it was because of the slow build of tension, and the fact that there's something weird going on in this otherwise normal town. I'd definitely recommend this for any older elementary or middle school student who is looking for a suspenseful, creepy read. ( )

The school drama involving Tamaya, Chad, and Marshall through seemingly unrelated events causes the entire town to be on lockdown because of a mysterious contiguous rash. What is this fuzzy mud that causes it? This would be good for a science class while discussing how panendemic unfold, and what the CDC does. It has themes that middle school students would relate best to, although high schoolers may be able to appreciate the science aspects.

Louis Sachar has done it again! His bookFuzzy mud is an suspenseful, environmental thriller for the middle grades, which touches on issues of bullying, ethnic differences and self esteem. The book is fast paced, and the interspersion of snippets of Senate hearings transcripts is very effective in this regard. I like the use of different kinds of language. I highly recommend this book.
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Mutant microbes, bullies and bravery propel this brief and deftly-told tale of the dangers of biotechnology.

The woods around Woodridge Academy are off limits, a rule that neighbours Tamaya and Marshall respect on thier daily trek to school together. But when Marshall needs to avoid belligerent new classmate Seth, rules are broken and the two find themselves lost. In the forest. With the bully. Feisty Tamaya gives him a face full of mud and our heroes flee for home. That's when it turns dark and scary as the mud quickly reveals itself to be some kind of carnivorous biofilm; Tamaya's hand starts to look like something from a horror flick and Chad disappears. The intermittent chapters of the transcript for the Senate Committee investigating the events in the story clearly illustrate what has happened, with scientists explaining concepts like biofuel production and genetic mutation (and offer a great jumping off point for introducing these concepts and debate around the dangers of tampering with nature).

Many thanks to Random House for the advance reading copy. ( )