My Chemical Mountain
By Joe Applegate,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Boys take on a toxic waste dump in fast-paced story.
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What's the Story?
Eighth-grader Jason and and two buddies, Charlie the jock and geeky Cornpup, get their kicks motorbiking and scavenging in a poisonous landfill near Lake Erie. Jason has vowed to avenge his father's death at the hand of Mareno Chem, which is hiding its illegal waste dumping. The pollution has given Cornpup a skin condition so severe he needs an operation. To raise money, Jason leads a clandestine tour of the landfill, where he and Cornpup catch Mareno Chem red-handed.
Is It Any Good?
The pacing is fast and the David-vs.-Goliath tone of the story gives the boys a heroic quality, but the lack of grown-up opposition to the illegal dumping of toxic waste makes it seem unrealistic. On another level, the story takes on the issue of a community standing up to a company that provides good jobs. The novel combines adventure and social activism in a feel-good yarn that's sometimes hard to believe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difference between revenge and justice. Why is revenge a common motivation in stories?
Jason and his friends discuss whether working class is the same as poor. Is it?
Where's the most polluted place you could walk to? Drive to? Is anything being done to clean it up?
Book Details
- Author: Corina Vacco
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publication date: June 11, 2013
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: February 6, 2020
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