The Fort

Gordon Korman's 'The Fort' tells the compelling story of five eighth-grade boys who, in the aftermath of a hurricane, discover a hidden bomb shelter. This secret lair quickly becomes more than just a cool hideout; it transforms into a sanctuary for one of the boys escaping an abusive home situation. The narrative beautifully explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the courage it takes to reveal vulnerabilities and support one another. Parents should be aware that the book addresses the serious topic of child abuse, handled with sensitivity through the lens of peer support and resilience. It's a powerful read about found family and the strength of true friendship.

From the bestselling author of RESTART, the story of a middle-school band of brothers -- five friends who need to stick together after they set up a hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter and discover that the only way to be true friends is to reveal their secrets and help each other out. The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through the town of Canaan, residents awaken to widespread destruction -- power outages, downed branches, uprooted trees, broken windows and damaged roofs. Four eighth-grade friends -- Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and CJ -- meet to explore the devastation. The tight-knit group is dismayed to find that Evan has brought along a stray -- Ricky, who is new to their town and school, and doesn't have any friends yet. Ricky is the one to find the strange trap door that's appeared 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, complete with electricity, food, and entertainment (in the form of videocassettes). The boys vow to keep the place's existence to themselves. Things soon get tense. Some bad locals keep snooping around. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the kids who is trying to avoid an abusive home situation. In order to save the shelter, the friends must keep its secret... and in order to save themselves, they're going to have to share their individual secrets, and build the safest place they can.