: : Elizabeth O. Dulemba - A BIRD ON WATER STREET : :

"Historic photographs and an author's note round out a tender story of families and friendships against the backdrop of harsh economic conditions. Hand this quiet tale to fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Barbara O'Connor."
CLICK HERE to read this great review.

"A one-company town falters, and amid the human drama, nature begins to reclaim what had been lost."
CLICK HERE to read this good review.

Blurbs:

"Now that my own youth is fodder for historical fiction, I can only hope that books set in the 70s and 80s continue to be as funny, charming, and thoroughly engaging as Elizabeth Dulemba's A BIRD ON WATER STREET. This is a book that sings."
     "Hard scrabble living was never so enticing. In A BIRD ON WATER STREET, Dulemba seamlessly melds a coming of age story to the reality of life in a single industry town. A book that makes the leap from one era to another with ease."
          – Betsy Bird, New York Public Library Youth Materials Specialist, author of Giant Dance Party and the blog Fuse #8

"A little known but important chapter in United States history springs to life in A BIRD ON WATER STREET. In this heartfelt story about a boy who loved nature in a place where not even insects could exist, Elizabeth Dulemba gives a sympathetic inside view of the lives of the families who worked in the mines that poisoned both themselves and their environment. As big-hearted and joyful as it is sobering, this book should be required reading for students studying the impact of man upon the environment and how nature can make a comeback when given a chance. I will never take a sparrow--or bugs--for granted again."
          – Lynn Cullen, Bestselling Author of Mrs. Poe

“A Bird on Water Street is a riveting look at life in a copper-mining Tennessee town where nature has been savaged into a moonscape and where the air sometimes burns holes through laundry left on the line. Jack leaps off the page as a boy determined to keep his father safe from the mines and bring living things back to his beloved hometown before they all—just like the trees—disappear forever. A fascinating, important read.”
          – Vicky Alvear Shecter, Author of Cleopatra's Moon and Anubis Speaks!

"'A Bird on Water Street' is a warm-hearted, lovingly researched story, full of rich detail. Thirteen year old Jack Hicks, who wants to bring the forest back to his home town, blighted by copper mining, is a truly engaging narrator."
           – Susan Gates, Author of over 100 titles including The Monster in the Mudball

Blogs:

Read this fantastic review at Irene Latham's blog - CLICK HERE.

Amazon:

I will never take birds for granted again!
"A little known but important chapter in United States history springs to life in A BIRD ON WATER STREET. In this heartfelt story about a boy who loved nature in a place where not even insects could exist, Elizabeth Dulemba gives a sympathetic inside view of the lives of the families who worked in the mines that poisoned both themselves and their environment. As big-hearted and joyful as it is sobering, this book should be required reading for students studying the impact of man upon the environment and how nature can make a comeback when given a chance. I will never take a sparrow—or bugs—for granted again."
      Before reading this book, I wasn't aware of this area of the U.S. where birds nor frogs nor even insects could exist, victims of environmental poisoning. Thank you, Elizabeth Dulemba, for bringing the story to life, and for showing us how nature can make a comeback, if given a chance.
          – Lynn Cullen, Bestselling Author of Mrs. Poe

Fascinating and Haunting
“A Bird on Water Street is a riveting look at life in a copper-mining Tennessee town where nature has been savaged into a moonscape and where the air sometimes burns holes through laundry left on the line. Jack leaps off the page as a boy determined to keep his father safe from the mines and bring living things back to his beloved hometown before they all—just like the trees—disappear forever. A fascinating, important read.”
          – Vicky Alvear Shecter, Author of Cleopatra's Moon and Anubis Speaks!

" 'A Bird on Water Street' is a warm-hearted, lovingly researched story, full of rich detail. Thirteen year old Jack Hicks, who wants to bring the forest back to his home town, blighted by copper mining, is a truly engaging narrator."
          – Susan Gates, Author of over 100 titles including The Monster in the Mudball

Great children's book to inspire concern for the environment...
"This children's fiction book brings to life the history of living in the Copper Basin through the eyes of a teenager.. The dangers of the mines, the plant closing, the strike, the flood, the ice storm, the tailings pond, the cicadas, blackberry picking,and Fairy Crosses wove through the story make it relatable to children and adults. No where else in the country do people say "yu'uns"! Having grown up in the area, causes me to appreciate the efforts by the author to help children and adults realize the environmental effects on nature caused by carelessness and selfishness."
          – Marie F. Dockery

When a Bird is a Miracle
"Jack loves his home. Why would anyone want to live anywhere other than Coppertown, a safe, warm place where he is surrounded by family and friends? Sure, there's illness that some people blame on the mine's dumping of chemicals, fear of mining accidents, and no one has seen a bird for years, but it's home. A BIRD ON WATER STREET explores the changes Jack and Coppertown undergo when the miners strike after an accident and big layoff.
      Although the bigger picture of this book includes the downside of mining and how the countryside around Coppertown has been brutalized over the years, Jack's story stays front and center. His family, his crush on a friend's sister, the loss of his baseball team when so many teammates' families must move away to find work, Jack's fears that his own family might have to leave Coppertown... and beautifully, Jack's budding awareness of the ecosystem that is his home town and it surrounding hills.
      Dulemba expertly weaves the strands of Coppertown's environmental, economic, and personal relationships and gives a life-affirming portrait of a Southern Appalachian town needing and ready for new life. Jack's story is set in the late 1980s, but could replicate the experience of countless miners' children in this country and the world, in the past century and the present.
      And how wonderful to have a title that is not instantly "given away," but comes to mean more when the reader turns the book's last page.
      Note for teachers: the author's web page features links and additional features to expand learning possibilities."
          – Anne Broyles

This is a wonderful book
"It rings with authenticity as Dulemba writes about a part of this country that I, and I suspect many other people, hardly know anything about. Important lessons for young people abound as it evokes the environmental and financial devastation a big industry and personal greed can have on the innocent lives of workers, their careers, and where they've chosen to live. Given today's climate of financial inequality, the book feels very timely, and to top it off, Dulemba gives us a well-paced, engaging story told through the eyes of Jack, a sensible and appealing young protagonist."
          – Todd Strasser

I wanted trees too
"Until I was ten years old my family lived in a house without trees. My friend’s homes, across the road had them but we lived on the “sunny side” of the street. I was envious I wanted a shade tree to play under. So Jack and I had a lot in common.
      Dulemba’s book is not just for kids but for a lot of us that still feel like kids. I loved this book. I have watched for over 30 yrs as Copper Basin slowly came to life. The first time my husband and I saw the devastation we were over whelmed and did not have the story on what made it that way. We were visiting the area so we started asking questions. Twenty years ago we moved to the area but the author filled in so many facts that we never found. I imagine there must have been a real Jack back then wanting to bring green life to his town.
      I also loved that she dealt with subjects that would have been very taboo for a teen book in my era such as pregnancy, bullying, drugs and death. This is a book I want my grandchildren to read and that’s the best endorsement I can give."
          – Lynne Jones

Nature, FTW!
"I ripped through this book in two days. It's an engaging story that touches on heavy issues with a light hand.
      Coppertown is a juxtaposition of life and death. In the midst of a bleak landscape that's been clear cut by mining is a community full of love and music. Thirteen-year-old Jack calls it home and wants to stay there, but not at the cost of miners losing their lives in accidents or friends succumbing to illness caused by the acidic air. When layoffs and strike have his friends and family leaving town one by one, Jack is torn by the loss of community, but at the same time excited by the slow gain of something he loves passionately -- nature.
      After reading A Bird On Water Street, I'm more appreciative of the wealth of trees, birds and even bugs(!) in my own neighborhood. I highly recommend this enjoyable read."
          – Serenissima

An important story, beautifully told
"When I went to college at the University of TN my best friends were studying ecology and Copper Hill loomed large in infamy. When I took a field trip there, I was horrified to see the eroded moonscape. But nothing made this desolation come to life to me like Jack Hill’s story and the impact of this slow poisoning on the entire community. Jack is a wonderful character, all boy with the grit and humor of a 12 year old trying to figure out the world. The story is revealed through his eyes without self-pity, just the clear eyed acceptance of the status quo, with the gradual awakening to the possibility of change.
      This important story is beautifully told and celebrates the cohesiveness of family and community and looks at the choices people make when desperate for money and isolated from the larger world. "
          – Susan Eaddy

Heartwarming story in a gritty setting
"I've read stories about the damage that coal mining wreaks on the environment and lives, but had never before heard of the copper mining moonscape described in Dulemba's book. She paints it with devastating strokes—the choking dust from the copper plant's dried tailing ponds, the sulfuric clouds that chew through laundry hung to dry, and the people living in this wasteland whose lives depend on a single entity for jobs-- the Company.
      Jack Hicks is a boy seemingly destined for a life in the mines, though the books his teacher gives him lead him to an ironic dream, given the vegetation-free wasteland they live in: he wants to be a forest ranger. When a strike at the plant leads to the lifeline of the town being severed, Jack watches as the predictable town he's always known turns into something unrecognizable. Ultimately hopeful, this story will give readers a first look at the kind of environmental and social issues surrounding large industry that they'll encounter later in books like Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle." "
          – A. Bookman, MA

Teenage Struggles in a Toxic Mining Town
"A BIRD ON WATER STREET paints a haunting picture of copper-mining life in 1980s East Tennessee, where acid fog and sulfur clouds have ruined the land and destroyed nature for over 100 years. Yet Coppertown thrives with the joys of family, friendship, love, and Friday night music despite an underlying fear of mine collapses and lung cancer that erodes the sense of safety.
      Thirteen-year-old Jack’s plans don’t include mining like his ancestors for the past six generations. Besides Hannah and baseball, Jack dreams of living where green is the dominant color, unlike the bald red hills of Coppertown. This significant story should be required reading for students studying the ecosystem and environmental issues. I highly recommend this book. "
          – Genetta Adair

This is a must-read!
"This book is not only a poignant coming of age story, it's a record of an important piece of history -- I live near the area where the book is set and there is so much culture and heritage she has captured here. It's an environmental must-read for adults as well as kids."
          – Carol Crawford

Compelling, timely, universal.
"Some descriptions of the land in this novel set in 1980s Appalachia could be from a dystopian, futuristic story. Dulemba showcases the toll that mining minerals can take on the environment and the people who work the mines through the eyes of Jack, a teenager who aspires to a life outside the mine. First, though, Jack wants to see trees, hear birds, and play with frogs. When the mine shuts down, a lot changes in Coppertown. Readers will care just as much as Jack about this small patch of American soil and what its story means for those of us who want to see nature thrive. This book will be on my recommended list for upper elementary and middle school readers. "
          – Sarah C. Campbell

Before 'Joe Hill' is gone from our American memory...
"Elizabeth Dulemba beautifully captures the voice of America's labor history and the future of a small town in this modern take on a traditional "Jack tale." A must-read!"
          – Jessica Handler

A Unique Landscape
"The author introduces readers to the unbelievable ecological damage that mining was at one time allowed to inflict on the landscape of North Georgia while weaving an endearing story of one boy's experience in the mining community and his quest to help restore the beauty of the land.This book would be ideal for use with Common Core Standards to pair with nonfiction books related to mining, acid rain, or ecology."
          – Jo Kittinger

Lovers of Trees!
"This book is a testament to the power of trees and to the power of young people who can change the world, one tree at a time. BIRD painted a picture of the value of trees by putting the reader smack dab in the middle of a world without it. Dulemba skillfully invites us into this world through the eyes of Jack, a young man who longs to explore, fish and generally be an adventurous kid, but his world is not safe. The river is devoid of fish, the rain stings and the land is barren.
      As Jack becomes aware of how different his town is, he learns about the role of trees in a healthy ecosystem. The stark contrast is hair-raising and a somber reminder to readers that humans can have ill impacts on the world around them. But Dulemba does not leave her readers with that dire view of the world; instead she shows how through curiosity, caring and courage Jack begins to plant, and plant, and plant - transforming his environment into the world it was meant to be."
          – Heather Montgomery

Historical Narrative Illustrates the Power of Perserverence
"It’s hard to imagine a morning without birdsong. But for the folks in Coppertown, Tennessee, it’s hard to imagine what the song of a bird sounds like. Through the eyes of young Jack, Dulemba shows us what it’s like to live in a town denuded by mining and devoid of the simple, beautiful aspects of nature often taken for granted elsewhere. This fictional narrative is based upon real people and places, complete with disturbing images of what happens when profit trumps stewardship of natural resources. Young readers will enjoy this tale that reveals it’s never too late and one is never too young to do something about environmental stewardship."
          – Kathleen Bradshaw

A BIRD ON WATER STREET
"I absolutely adore A BIRD ON WATER STREET. Jack has such a great kid voice, and I can see the town of Copperhill so perfectly having traveled with my daughter years ago, but even more so in Elizabeth Dulemba's words. My husband, who also traveled through the town as a boy, always described it as such an eerie and fascinating kind of place because of the lack of trees - he said it was like being on the moon. Elizabeth Dulemba has captured the beauty and heart of small-town life in the South with pitch-perfect dialogue and setting details that will entice kid readers of all ages to escape into this story of family, hard times, and what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. Lovely lovely work!"
          – Kerry Madden

Great Story, Great Message
"There are a lot of novels out there that promote ecology and how important it is to support the environment. There are many fewer that acknowledge how difficult this frequently is to do. Closing mines and factories brings hardship to the people who get put out of work even as it allows frogs, bugs, trees, and birds to return to a damaged land.
      In this story of the re-greening of a small mining town on the Georgia/Tennessee border, Elizabeth O. Dulemba deals with the difficulties head-on, with fairness and grace and humor. She also creates a cast of lively and very human characters, from 13 year old Jack, who does not want to be a miner, to his best friend Prian and the town bad boy Eli, and the adult miners, teachers, and shopkeepers who depend on the Company for their livelihood. Their story is a tense and often sad one, but it's a far from depressing read, as the townsfolk help each other through hard times with casseroles and music and stories. Dulemba knows the mountains, their folklore, and their music, and her love of the place really shines through. "
          – Delia Sherman

Enjoyed so much
"I loved this book. I learned things while taking the journey with the protagonist. I was totally immersed in his story, there were green aspects, but it didn't "hit you over the head". Good read."
          – Art Girl "Liz" (Florida, USA)

A Story of Hope
"A coming-of-age tale aimed at upper middle grade/lower young adult readers, A Bird on Water Street is a rich story about daring to dream beyond a parent's expectations and about finding hope amid man-made environmental devastation. This is a great example of a satisfying and thought-provoking fictional tale, inspired by true events, that will both entertain readers and inspire reflection. The impeccable research behind the story led to a vivid betrayal of life and death struggles in and around the copper mines of Coppertown, TN. Readers will relate to the diverse cast of characters, and they will cheer for 14-year-old Jack who wants desperately to return nature to the barren landscape that he calls home.
      A recommended read for boys and environmentally-conscious readers of all ages."
          – Donna Bowman Bratton

Beautiful book
"Elizabeth Dulemba is an artist as well as a writer, and here she paints vivid word pictures of the Appalachian hills and the way in which copper mining stripped them of their natural beauty. Jack Hicks is a typical boy who crosses railroad bridges and breaks his arm and generally skirts his parent's rules, while still being basically a good kid. Jack loves living in Coppertown, but he doesn't love everything about it, particularly the mine which claimed the life of his grandfather and now his uncle, too. He's afraid every day that his father will be the next to die, but he's also afraid to tell his father that he doesn't intend to be the 7th generation in his family to work for the Company, the mine that owns the town. Jack's passion is for nature. He longs to help bring the birds and frogs and trees back to the place he loves which has been destroyed by the Company. Dulemba bring Coppertown alive for the reader. It's a great story, compellingly told. And kids will love it too."
          – Ellen Wittlinger "Ellen W." (Haydenville, MA 01039)

A story of heart and hope, based on real history
"What a great read! Absolutely touching, from page one straight through the end. Dulemba takes readers to a setting that is almost unbelievable--save for the fact that this was a real place at a real time in the not too distant past! Coppertown becomes a character in its own right through Dulemba's authentic voice and thorough research. While reading this, I felt like I was part of the Coppertown community, feeling their struggles as if they were my own.
      This is a poignant environmental story with a determined main character who gives hope to everyone around him--the reader included. I'd recommend this for anyone interested in American history, environmentalism, or touching, family-centric tales. I loved getting a glimpse into a part of our country's history I wasn't aware of, and seeing what life must be like for people today still who live around mining-heavy areas. Shocking, and simultaneously inspirational.
      A BIRD ON WATER STREET is a heartfelt story and a quick, enjoyable read for all ages."
          - PaleoKT

Sequel!!!
"As other readers have mentioned, this book works on several levels: it weaves Jack's coming of age story with environmentalism and also a story of organized labor vs. "The Company". The story also presents a window into the lives of unique culture of people living in the Copper Basin area at the base of the gateway to the Appalachians. The author works these themes very well throughout the book and the finished product is a very interesting and educational read for a reader of any age. By the time I was half-way through the book, I was on Google Maps looking at satellite images of the area to see if I could find remnants of the environmental devastation described in the book.
      I for one am waiting for the sequel to this wonderful book. I can't wait to read about Jack's work with the nature conservancy, how nature starts to come back to Coppertown, and what becomes of Hannah and Eli.
      Highly recommended!"
          - Soheil Zahedi

A boy, a bird, a frog, some beans and a Dogwood Tree
"This is a compelling story that not only would capture the minds of young readers but adult alike. If you’ve lived in the Tri-State area long enough, you knew of the Copper Basin. If you’ve lived in the area long enough, you knew of men who worked in the mines. If you still lived in the area long enough, you met their sons, who sat in folding chairs holding signs at the picket line for an indefinite period of time. Being an outsider of the Copper Basin, one did not comprehend the draw to mining. Elizabeth O. Dulemba provides that understanding through the eyes, ears and minds of young Jack and his best friend, Piran, young teens with curious minds. While the copper mine was an environmental disaster, it was a learned experience. It probably took the famous photograph from space to realize the magnitude of this disaster. Young Jack was learning first hand, after being exposed to the outside world through books on amphibians, birds and trees, the importance of what the red hills actually represented.
      Putting aside the environmental aspect, this was a great read. Jack and Piran, like most, were vulnerable, innocent teens. The author kept me captivated with anticipation as to what the boys would get into next or how Jack's parents would handle the impending outcome of the Copper Mine.
      Elizabeth O. Dulemba reflected the pride of men steeped in the tradition of mining. As horrible work as mining is, there are generations of those who believe in it using the right technological advancements just as generations of farmers or fishermen who have made vast improvements based on past generational mistakes.
      This is a book I hope finds its way into the middle school libraries."
          - Pam Rauber

Exceptional
"What a fantastically told story about a very important issue. I've spent a lot of time in the Copper Hill area and never considered what was going on underneath the beautiful vistas and bubbling river. This is a great book, and if you have a young person in your life who needs to learn the impact of our actions on the environment, this is a well-told, engaging way to raise their consciousness."
          - Karin Slaughter, International Bestseller of the Grant County series

NetGalley:

"The best coming of age stories combine self-discovery with parental and/or societal expectations. This novel nicely incorporates all three. In set-up and execution it's reminiscent of a Gary D Schmidt novel. A beautiful book about finding life in a dark, collapsing world. A definite buy."
          – Martha Dodge (Ellsworth Public Library, Librarian)

"A coming-of-age story set in a simpler time with an important environmental message, this is easily one of the best books I've read in some time.
      I loved reading about 14-year-old Jack growing up in a small copper mining town in Tennessee, so barren that he has never seen the likes of a tree or a bird or bugs. These are all things that I know I, for one, take for granted. So when the mine lays off a bunch of workers, causing a strike, the mine stops productions, allowing Mother Nature to work her way back into town. It was SO endearing to watch teenaged Jack discover "green things" for the first time, with the eyes of a child.
      This wasn't a story with a fast-moving plot or some big adventure, but that's okay. It was simple, and as I read, I had such strong nostalgia for a simpler time--when summer days were spent entirely outdoors until sunset and when you didn't have to lock your doors. The plot might have been slow, but it was not a slow read. I tore through the pages. As someone who graduated college with an environmental degree, Jack was a narrator who I held dear. His life wasn't perfect. His parents had issues due to the trouble at the mine. He struggled with the fact that his dad wanted him to grow up to be a miner, when he'd rather make it his goal to bring nature back to Coppertown. Then there was his age-old problem: having a big crush on his best friend's older sister. Long story short--I found myself rooting for Jack the whole time I read.
      A Bird on Water Street is what I'd call a middle grade read. Dulemba's writing style is easy to read, and the whole story itself was so atmospheric that I often forgot that I was reading. Really, the only complaint I had while reading was the dialect. I know this story was set in the South, but it didn't read like that in my head. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I couldn't "hear" the dialect. Other than that, though, I honestly had no complaints.
      This is just a side note, but I found it so coincidental that I have to mention it. At one point, Jack names a pet frog "Little Man." Well, during my senior year of college, one of my Vertebrate Zoology projects was a toad that I named--you guessed it--Little Man. So weird, right? At that point, I knew this was a 5-star read that I couldn't possibly love any more. Elizabeth Dulemba really created something special here.
      All in all, this was a book that I simply fell in love with. From an endearing narrator to a simple environmental message that made a strong point without being preachy, A Bird on Water Street was one of the best books I've read thus far in 2014. I'm anxiously awaiting May 7th so that I can pick up a physical copy of this one!"
          – Jessika Michaelangelo, Tangled Up in Reading, Reviewer

"I truly enjoyed this book. I felt like I really learned a lot about mining and harmful it is to the environment in an interesting way through Jack's eyes. Jack was so likeable and was a character you rooted for from the beginning of the story. I really liked watching Jack grow as a character throughout the story and dealing with the hardships of a mining life. I will definitely recommend this book to my students."
          – Kara Spaeth (Educator)

"This was an engaging novel that addresses some important issues in contemporary society. I requested this title because I have a young adult reader in my household who enjoys this kind of literature. I think that the pace of the novel was a bit slow in the first 1/3 to 1/2 but once the strike begins the pace picks up and the protagonists character begins to emerge more strongly and clearly."
          – Beauty Bragg (Educator)

"A real eye opener on the environment and what we are doing to it. I can't imagine living somewhere with no trees."
          – Shannon G (Reviewer)

"I am nineteen years old. I’ve attended enough of social studies and environmental science classes to know all about how man kills nature. So when people talk about AVOID PLASTIC and PLANT MORE TREES and RUN THE ICE CAPS ARE MELTING, I yawn. I expected this book to be another lecture (big mistake). So when I found myself listening to Jack talking about how “living on Coppertown was like living on the moon”, how Miss Post taught them about trees and amphibians and birds when there weren’t any, how the fog left holes in his mom’s stockings hung out to dry, I kept listening.
      But this book isn’t all about how the mining industry in Coppertown killed all the birds. It’s also about a fourteen year old boy dreaming about dirt bikes and crushing over his best friend’s sister. About Friday music nights, fishing, breaking an arm over a dare, rubbing a rabbit’s foot for luck, praying for his dad’s safety in the mines, blackberry picking with his mom and best friend, agonizing over the fact that he didn’t like the future his dad already decided for him. The tone was nicely set – it wasn’t dragging, it wasn’t hurried, not too descriptive that it doesn’t help the story along. I really liked Jack’s voice. Some pages managed to pull me through and transport me to the tailings pond where he took home Little Man and next to Piran listening to the “chick-a-dees”. I loved Coppertown. Although it stands for something negative, Dulemba has managed to make me love the people and the shy green."
          – Aneta Augustine (Reviewer)

"Jack lives in a world where nature has been ravaged by pollution. The land is a wasteland with no signs of life. Jack has never even seen a frog; the only reason why Jack knows what a frog is is because he's learning about them in school. Jack wants to go out and experience nature. He wants to bring life back to the land, but he's stuck in his hometown where he will probably become a miner. But being a miner is a dangerous job as multiple people are killed every year.
      When the miners go on strike after massive layoffs, Jack's wish might have just come true. But now his family is running out of money and people are leaving town to find jobs. Jack might lose his friends, his home, and everything he's ever believed in.
      I really enjoyed this book. At first, I expected this book to be a kind of lecture where it warned you about the dangers of harming the environment and how people are killing the earth. Yet the story isn't just about nature. It's about Jack and his feelings, his dreams and how he tries to chase them even when everyone is against them.
      The main theme of this book is to show how bad mining is and the dangers of it. It's also creating the message that you should care for the environment or the environment will be gone forever. But the book isn't just about that. It's about Jack's story.
      Jack wants to be a forest ranger when there isn't a forest. He doesn't want to go underground and probably die down there without ever experiencing what it's really like to be out in the middle of nature, surrounded by life. No matter what happens, he never gives up on his dreams, he never gives up on becoming what he has always wanted. Jack was a strong, courageous character that I immediately adored. I also liked how the author made Jack really seem like a real fourteen year old boy.
      Jack thought about dirt bikes and he was crushing on his friend's sister. Jack's emotions were very real, even his anguish and his rage. They didn't feel artificial. I felt like Jack was real, that he was actually experiencing these events as I read them.
      The setting of this book that real and was beautifully written. I could picture the Southern Appalachian town in my mind. This book made me realize just what it would be like without nature. I looked outside and I imagined what Coppertown looked like: a barren wasteland.
      This book really came alive as I read it and I definitely want to read more from Dulemba."
          – Nikki Austin (Reviewer)

Goodreads

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