Fort - by Cynthia C DeFelice (Paperback)

About the Book

Includes bonus materials ("GoFish questions for the author").

Book Synopsis

A summer outdoor middle grade adventure novel from award-winning author Cynthia DeFelice, about two boys who build an awesome fort and tangle with bullies.

Eleven-year-old Wyatt and his friend Augie aren't looking for a fight. They're having the best summer of their lives hanging out in the fort they built in the woods, fishing and hunting, cooking over a campfire, and sleeping out. But when two older boys mess with the fort--and with another kid who can't fight back--the friends are forced to launch Operation Doom, with unexpected results for all concerned, in this novel about two funny and very real young heroes.

Fort is a thrilling story about friendship, revenge, and standing up for yourself, even when you think you're outmatched. It's going to be one summer these boys will never forget.

Review Quotes

"Classic summer adventure . . . DeFelice doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of outdoor life, and that's what sets the book apart . . . Readers will appreciate the reminder that fun like this is still possible." --The New York Times Book Review

"What preteen . . . wouldn't love to build a fort in the woods? DeFelice makes that dream come true . . . [and] leads to a glorious, feel-good climax in which all the right things work out and the bad guys get their richly deserved comeuppance . . . Upbeat, engaging and satisfying; altogether . . . a bit of believable, achievable adventure." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"DeFelice smoothly advances the plot to a satisfying climax and conclusion . . . for this adventuresome, good-hearted, but never goody-goody pair. Wyatt is a sympathetic narrator with a realistic blend of thoughtfulness and daring." --Publishers Weekly

"Stuffed full of clever pranks and summertime nostalgia, this is a story of kindness and adventure . . . A boisterous and poignant coming-of-age tale." --Booklist

"A boy-centered adventure with heart, appealing to a variety of readers." --School Library Journal

"Thoroughly enjoyable." --VOYA

About the Author

Cynthia DeFelice was the author of many bestselling titles for young readers, including the novels Wild Life, The Ghost of Cutler Creek, Signal, and The Missing Manatee, as well as the picture books, One Potato, Two Potato, and Casey in the Bath. Her books were nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors. Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. "To me," she said, "those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk." Cynthia worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian. She and her husband lived in Geneva, New York. She died at age seventy-two in 2024.