Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

We love Louis Sachar (whose name rhymes with cracker – in case you were wondering) and after reading Fuzzy Mud I decided that it qualified as a vegan book for children 🙂 It doesn’t use the v-word but the main protagonist seems to be a plant-eater (there is no mention of any meat/fish/egg or dairy in her diet) and the grippingly entertaining story is wrapped around a vitally important environmental message. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that Louis Sachar was veg*n but I have no idea whether he actually is. Anyway, this book qualifies so I wanted to share it with you 🙂

The story is about Tamaya who has a scholarship to a posh school and walks there every day with Marshall who is a year older than her (they’re pre-teens I think). They never go through the woods because there are creepy rumours about a strange guy who lives there. And they’ve been told not to. Meanwhile, on the other side of the woods a laboratory is developing a new “green” fuel, made of artificially engineered living micro-organisms, aka ‘fuzzy mud’. Well, one day, after being challenged to a fight by the school bully, Marshall decides, for his own safety, to go home via the woods. Tamaya doesn’t want to go that way but she’s not supposed to walk home alone so she follows him. And that’s when it gets really scary!

I’m not going to tell you anymore (and don’t spoil it for yourself by reading the Amazon blurb because it gives too much away) because you should get the book and enjoy the whole thing from the beginning 🙂

Author: Louis Sachar

Genre: Juvenile fiction/thriller