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“My name is Luther. Some call me Dr. Kincaid. I brought you here, Edgar. Of this I will tell you more if there is time – just know I did what I thought was best for you.”
Atherton is where Edgar had been taken, a mysterious world made up of three circular levels. Imagine if you will three circular planes each stacked upon the other, each level wider than the one above it and separated by steep cliffs. Edgar has been taken to the middle plane – Tabletop, where the workers live. Deep beneath him at the distant bottom lay the barren and ominous Flatlands where the “cleaners” live. And in the very center of Tabletop, there is a third plane held up high by daunting cliffs, like hands holding up something valuable and out-of-reach, these are the Highlands ruled by the House of Power who control the water supply and rule over all of Atherton. It is the most mystifying level of all. Traveling between these three realms is not only unsafe and nearly impossible but also strictly forbidden. And one can only wonder what deep dark secrets these realms hold that traveling to them could be punishable by death.
Edgar, an orphan of eleven, all alone in the world also has a secret; he has spent his life scaling the cliffs and hunting for a thing left to him by the elusive Dr. Kincaid. Little does he know when he finally finds it he must risk life and limb to reveal its secrets and keep it out of the clutches of the House of Power. For you see, the world of Atherton is not what it appears to be. It is a perilous world, a world not yet fit for people to live on, and yet why are there are people living on it now? Edgar has made it his mission to find out. His tenaciousness to reveal its secrets will take him on a death defying quest to every dangerous forbidden territory of Atherton in the hopes of unlocking the secrets it holds and save his people, but is he ready for the truth? Carman has written the story you will want to devour as soon as you begin, and just when you think it’s over… well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. Are you ready for a cliffhanger?
(2008 Kids’ Wings Award, 2008 Junior Library Guild Selection, 2008 Texas Bluebonnet List)
If you love the book you will love the web site. Not just for kids. Teachers welcome. http://www.athertonseries.com/
This is Patrick Carman, the author of Atherton, dropping in to say hello. Summer is here so I hope you’ll all be encouraged to spend time reading! And here’s a trick for you, in case you didn’t know…the word Atherton is an anagram. There are two hidden words that spell out a short but interesting message if you change the order of the letters. I’ll tell your amazing librarian the answer and she can post it if she wants to. Happy guessing! Patrick Carman
My class and I really enjoyed this book, but we hate cliff hangers!!!!!! We can’t wait to get our hands on Atherton Rivers of Fire! We are anxious to see what becomes of Edgar, Isabel & Samuel.
My class & I want to know what happened to Edgar’s father & Samuel’s father.
Will we find the answer in Rivers of Fire?
@ Patrick Carman
yean i think the anagram is “not Earth” i found it out the first time i was reading it and i though it was cool…
btw i thought ur book was awesome 🙂