by Laura McNeal (Author)
A National Book Award Finalist
A Kirkus Reviews Best Books for Teens
Fifteen-year-old Pearl DeWitt lives in Fallbrook, California, where it's sunny 340 days of the year, and where her uncle owns a grove of 900 avocado trees. Uncle Hoyt hires migrant workers regularly, but Pearl doesn't pay much attention to them...until Amiel. From the moment she sees him, Pearl is drawn to this boy who keeps to himself, fears being caught by
la migra, and is mysteriously unable to talk.
Then the wildfires strike.
Author Biography
Laura Rhoton McNeal holds a master's degree in fiction writing from Syracuse University. She taught middle school and high school English before becoming a novelist and journalist.
Together, Laura and her husband, Tom McNeal, are the authors of
Crooked, winner of the California Book Award for Juvenile Literature and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults;
Zipped, winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children's Literature;
Crushed (called "compelling" by
Publishers Weekly); and
The Decoding of Lana Morris, a
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year.
The McNeals live in Southern California with their two sons, Sam and Hank. To learn more, please visit the authors' Web site at www.mcnealbooks.com.
Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 0.9 x 8.1 x 5.7 IN
Publication Date: October 11, 2011
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Dark Water
Interest Level: Upper Middle Grades, 6 and up
Reading Level: 5.7
Point Value: 10
