The Fort - by Gordon Korman (Paperback)

About the Book

Five middle schoolers find a fully stocked bomb shelter constructed decades ago in the local woods by an eccentric tycoon and lost until a hurricane exposes the entrance. So, how to keep the hideout secret from interfering grown-ups--and, more particularly, from scary teen psychopath, Jaeger Devlin.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

Praise for War Stories:

* "This weave of perceptive, well-told tales wears its agenda with unusual grace." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for Restart:

* "A fresh approach to the familiar topic of bullying, kept credible by believable characters and events, with typical Korman humor and just the right touch of mystery." -- School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for Slacker:

"Upbeat, inspiring, and full of Korman's signature sense of humor." -- Publishers Weekly

"Korman makes comedy look deceptively easy." -- Booklist

Praise for Swindle:

"Scary, funny, and hysterical adventures!" -- Chicago Tribune

"Pure fun from top to bottom." -- School Library Journal

Praise for The Hypnotists:

"Fast-paced... an entertaining mix of intense action and goofy fun." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Ungifted:

"A gem for readers looking for a book where the underdog comes out on top." -- Voice of Youth Advocates

"Funny and insightful." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Schooled:

* "This rewarding novel features an engaging main character and some memorable moments of comedy, tenderness, and reflection." -- Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Gordon Korman is the beloved author of over one hundred novels for young readers, including hilarious middle-grade classics such as the Macdonald Hall series, I Want to Go Home, and Slacker. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Gordon grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, and now lives in New York with his family. Visit him online at www.gordonkorman.com