Chuff chuff chuff. Every kid and every parent knows that sound - it means The Searchers are out there reaching their sights into every nook and cranny in search of human life. Luckily, Razzie and her parents and all of the other families can run for the Safe Room. No one can get in. This is where they are protected from all the dangers in the world OUTSIDE.
Ever since countries around the globe unleashed their nuclear weapons the world has not been safe. There are Poisoners out there whose bodies and minds have been twisted by the nuclear poison that entered their systems. The families who made it safety in this fortress are now forced to go on raids to seek out the food they need to survive. They are lucky enough to have a surgeon among them to handle the medical issues and everyday the kids know the schedule, the routine, and they follow the rules. Well, except for Ollie.
All of the parents have roles in the community and the kids know their chores too. The system works. It keeps them safe. Until it doesn't.
If you step back and look at the society we live in now you may catch of glimpse of the life these sheltered kids are living. They believe what their parents tell them. They believe their parents are keeping them safe. They follow the rules except for the rare occasion when they strain to see beyond the walls, to catch a quick view of the world OUTSIDE.
This book paints a painful picture of what happens when we try to protect our children without giving them freedom and the right to question.
Filled with the miracle of heart surgery, the value of the bean bag chair in the corner or the room, the pain of a family when a child is lost, OUTSIDE asks us to question the beliefs we have about the truth about the world we live in. A powerful journey toward truth, acceptance, and peace.
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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From three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm, a chilling but heartfelt story of a girl being raised in a compound who doesn't understand how isolated and unusual her life is... until she must encounter the outside world.
Whatever you do, don't leave home.
Razzi has always been told: Don't go Outside. It isn't safe. There are people and creatures out there that will harm you. The walls of the Refuge will protect you from them.
Razzi's friend Ollie was curious about Outside... and it led to his death. So Razzi is trying to be on her best behavior. She is the oldest kid left, the one the younger kids look up to. She has to follow the rules.
But Outside has a way of getting in, and Razzi, guided by a dog she has a strangely close connection with, wonders what it’s like to run free beyond the walls.
If she steps away from everything she's ever known... what will she find?---from the publisher
240 pages 978-1546138143 Ages 9-12
Keywords: coming of age, dog, new experiences, compound, friendship, dealing with fears, unknown, social situation, trusting yourself, dystopian, medical ethics, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old
For older readers: The Maze Runner by James Dashner; The Compound by S. A. Bodeen
