OUTSIDE NOWHERE by Adam Borba

 

I highly recommend OUTSIDE NOWHERE by Adam Borba to fans of the book HOLES. 

Parker is considered odd by most people. He dresses in suits and formal wear he finds in thrift stores. He spends most of his free time visiting with an elderly neighbor Ms. Birdseye. His father believes he needs to get a summer job, so Parker checks out the local swimming pool. He is fired before he even starts after he pours purple drink mix powder into the pool. No one seems to appreciate the beautiful purple color especially after they have to drain the pool and scrub it clean.

Parker's father doesn't agree with Parker's wish to spend the summer at the beach with his best friend. Instead, Parker is put on board a train that is taking him to some farm in the Midwest. When he finally arrives, he spends the days pulling weeds, spreading topsoil, and watering radishes. These radishes seem to be special for some reason. Parker wonders why the radishes are delivered all over the country to fill small orders of only 2 or 3 radishes each.

Author Adam Borba keeps readers in suspense as he weaves a curious tale about Parker's summer at the radish farm. There's plenty of hard work and lessons in friendship and what is really important in life.