Fuzzy Mud

Louis Sachar once again confirms to me why he is one of my favourite authors ! Fuzzy Mud is an absolute treat with super strong character development; especially in regard to the main ones of Tamaya and Marshall and a suspense filled plot that keeps you guessing right until the end. This is a cautionary tale for us all on so many levels. On a world scale there is overpopulation, our need for fuel and the dangers of unrestricted biotechnology, and,through the eyes of the children on an individual scale; there is bullying, bravery and doing the "right" thing. A powerful, thought-provoking novel for grade 5 upwards. Highly recommended! Netgalley review.

I read this book out loud to my 5 year old son at bed time. I found this book because I was looking for Sci-Fi that he could connect with that isn't all about fighting or a tie-in to some licensed property. It fit the bill and was an entertaining read.

The climatic portion of the story was scary and intense enough that he ended up staying awake half an hour later than usual. Oops!

Otherwise, the content was well within his capabilities to understand. The story was engaging and kept him asking questions about why characters made specific choices, or whether they were good or bad people. I really appreciated that the story went out of its way to highlight that people have shades of gray, and even the worst of us have reasons for our bad show more behavior. I loved that he would get indignant with the characters who treated others poorly, and he had a great time speculating about what was going to happen. When the tweens and early teens become flustered around other kids they found attractive it really annoyed him, so I'm glad that there wasn't any romantic subplot included.

The way the story wrapped up the central danger was neat, and the resolution for the characters was sweet. I hope my son can hold onto the lessons about people as much as the potential benefits and dangers of bioengineering. show less

This was a family car-trip book. At first I thought it'd be a bust -- it seemed rather babyish -- 5th grader Tamaya and 8th grader Marshall are the main protagonists and it starts with the usual middle school concerns of crushes, bullies, homework, shaky friendships, etc. in their small PA town. But that is the genius of Sachar -- he never underestimates his audience and ratchets things up a level. When the bully Chad pursues Tamaya and Marshall into the nearby forbidden woods on their way home from school, the action takes off. To "rescue" Marshall from a beating, Tamaya grabs a handful of nearby "fuzzy mud" and throws it in Chad's face. The next day, Tamaya has a nasty rash and Chad is missing -- never came home the night before. show more Tamaya shows great courage and ditches school to go find Chad -- sacrificing her "good girl" rule-following reputation to do the right thing. Marshall can't measure up and stews in justification and fibbing to the principal about being the last one to see Chad, both of which are realistic responses. An epidemic begins. Serious outcomes result, including death -- not so babyish now. The book is told from varying viewpoints and is interspersed with testimony from "experts" -- a Senate hearing committee and the scientist responsible for the fuzzy mud -- which is actually a mutation from his Biolene, a manufactured gasoline alternative. And there are math facts -- exponential growth of multiplying micro-organisms. Great discussion of the environment, responsibility, compassion, progress etc. All agreed it was a good book. show less

"Fuzzy Mud" is Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" for kids. Louis Sachar tells a frightening story about the dangers that could arise from genetic modification and unchecked science with no moral compass, while also including some examination of loneliness and bullying. He is wonderful at examining the motivations of his characters, including his antagonists, and isn't content with stock cliches like the bully who is mean just because he is. The book's non-linear structure also builds suspense by including devices like flash-forward Senate depositions that occur after the events of the story. They also serve to flesh out his intriguingly mysterious and brilliant but weirdly childlike scientist (also reminiscent of "Cat's Cradle").

“Fuzzy Mud,” by Newbery-Medal-winning author Louis Sachar, is an exciting ecological thriller for kids ten and older. It’s mostly a serious drama, but the book is also laced with just the right amount of quirky humor to offset the tension, suspense, and terror.

The book is noteworthy because of the complex set of serious social, scientific, political, and moral issues it touches upon as literary themes. Mostly, the book deals with the dangers of genetically modified organisms. But it also spurs thought about world overpopulation, the worldwide need for alternative energy sources, the occasional failure of government oversight of scientific development, and the frequent real-world need to have to make difficult decisions between show more two or more negative outcomes.

As an adult reader, I found it fascinating to see how Sachar deftly handles these complex themes in a delightful, scary, and simple plot that makes the whole not only appropriate and interesting for children, but also just plain fun to read.

The story has three main characters: an exceptionally bright fifth-grade girl and two troubled seventh-grade boys. They all attend Woodridge Academy, an elite private school in the beautiful woodlands of Pennsylvania. The school is a combined elementary and middle school. It’s small, so it’s the type of school where everybody knows everybody…sort of like a big family. But unfortunately, it’s still possible in a small school like that for a kid to sit alone at lunch and always get picked on by the school bully with nobody doing anything to help.

Woodridge is located at the edge of a forest. All the school kids are forbidden to go into the woods. They are warned how easy it might be for them to get lost, fall into a ravine, or get attacked by a wild animal. And they all love to tell scary stories to each other about the crazy hermit who is rumored to live there.

Tamaya Dhilwaddi is an exceptionally smart fifth grader. And, as we learn later, she’s also very brave, loyal, and kind. She’s attending Woodridge on full scholarship. Marshall Walsh and Chad Hilligas are both outcast seventh graders. Marshall’s a pathetic kid, the type with no friends who eats alone at lunch and feels like his life is cursed. In Marshall’s case, his life is cursed because Chad, the school bully, has targeted him for daily humiliation. Chad is an outcast, too. Nobody likes a bully. He’s attending Woodridge because he’s been kicked out of his last three schools. If his parents didn’t pay to send him to Woodridge, his only other option would be to attend school in a juvenile detention facility.

These three kids end up being at the center of a worldwide ecological disaster involving a very dangerous mutated strain of a beneficial genetically modified organism. The single-celled organism was created from a DNA-modified strain of slime mold at a secluded scientific laboratory, euphemistically called SunRay Farm. The lab is located on the other side of the woods about thirty miles from Woodridge Academy. After mutating, the organism escaped and is now living in the woods near the school. The organism was designed as an inexpensive inexhaustible energy source, but in its mutated state, it’s a devastating threat to all other living organisms.

“Fuzzy Mud” is a fun scary story with a lot of heart and a lot of unexpected plot twists; it’s also full of sympathetic and realistic characters. The book promotes good moral values for individuals and governments. It also encouraged kids to think about important contemporary social issues and perhaps to ask their parents and teachers for more information about those subjects. This book should appeal to bright, science-minded kids as well as to the “outsider kid” in just about everyone. show less

Tamaya and Marshall encounter a strange puddle of fuzzy mud in the woods outside of their school with unpredicted consequences. Fuzzy Mud is both a school story and a plague story, combined in an usual way. Sachar presents readers with two different story arcs that intersect: one about bullying, school friendships, and doing the right thing, and the other about earth’s growing population along with the search for renewable energy at any cost. Tamaya, Marshall, and Chad are convincing characters, although their resolutions at the end of the novel are a bit pat but appropriate for its middle grade audience. The more nuanced and troubling open ending for the fuzzy mud crisis will leave readers thinking about what might or could happen show more next, and maybe think about real-life environmental contaminants in a different light. Fuzzy Mud has unusual pacing, alternating between the events of a few days and several months into the future, leaving the epidemic narrative confined to a mathematical equation that punctuates each chapter. This is rather abrupt, but keeps the novel succinctly adhering to its themes and prevents the narrative from slipping into a trope. An odd but engaging book, Fuzzy Mud is recommended for ages eight to twelve. (3.5 stars) show less

As if I don't have enough to read, my library has to put a new book by my favorite author on display. ?�Now, it weren't by the author of the Wayside School stories and Cardturner, etc., I wouldn't have bothered. ?áSF horror for kids? ?áNo thank you. ?áThe closest I generally get to this kind of horror is old Crichton. ?áHowever, it's Sachar, so I did read it, and I enjoyed it. ?áSmart, scary, poignant, *T*rue, with just a tiny bit of catch-your-breath comic relief, gracefully written. ?á

Highly recommended to all, whether you're a fan of Sachar or not. ?áUnless of course you've had it up to here (so to speak) with 'careless scientists unleash the apocalypse' stories... but judging how well they still sell, I doubt show more you have. show less