Books with author Rodman Philbrick

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.

When Luke and Mandy start experiencing strange hallucinations and blackouts, they know something is seriously, out-of-this-world wrong Luke Ingram is on his way home one evening when the sky goes black and seems to swallow him whole—but four hours later he wakes up in his own room with no idea how he got there. And Luke isn’t the only one experiencing these strange occurrences. The last thing Mandy Durgin remembers before waking up on her front porch is falling asleep in her bed hours before. When their creepy classmate Quentin starts following them around and harassing them, Luke and Mandy realize Quentin may know more about their lost time than he’s letting on. They know something isn’t right, but what could possibly have caused them to black out at the same time? And why are they having the same terrifying hallucinations about cold operating tables and large, bug-like eyes? Mandy knows there has to be a rational explanation, but Luke isn’t so sure. Those faces in his visions were so . . . alien. Still, the thought of alien abductions is absurd. But when Luke and Mandy black out again the next night, Luke is ready to consider the possibility that their troubles might have an extraterrestrial cause.

Award winner Rodman Philbrick's powerful middle-grade novel is a story of determination and survival--of a boy's exhilirating encounter with a fish that first nearly kills him but then saves his life.This starkly dramatic yet poignant novel takes readers on an exciting journey with 12-year-old Skiff Beaman, a determined boy from a small Maine town. Skiff's mom died recently, and his fisherman dad won't get off the TV couch to do anything but get another beer, so these days Skiff has to take care of everything himself. When their boat sinks, Skiff discovers it will cost thousands to buy her a new engine. Skiff's lobster traps won't earn him enough, but there are bigger fish in the sea--bluefin tuna. If he can catch one, he just might save the boat--and get his family back on its feet again.

Two boys – a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces – forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. (Made into the film, The Mighty.) * “A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss.” – School Library Journal, starred review “Compelling…written with energy and…humor.” – The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books