Project F by Jeanne DuPrau
on October 10, 2023
ISBN: 0593643801
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Project F is set in a simple world that no longer uses fossil fuels. People live in cities and only travel when necessary via steam trains. Power is used sparingly and turned off at night. People travel via carts – there are no more automobiles and no airplanes. When Keith’s aunt and uncle are killed, he is tasked with taking a 2-day train ride to pick up his young cousin Lulu who has been orphaned. An quirky guy named Malcolm takes the seat next to Keith and tells Keith he is working on a secret engineering project called Project F. Malcolm then disembarks at a small station in the middle of nowhere. When Keith arrives at the Inn that night (because trains must stop to reload their wood supply each night), he realizes that he and Malcolm have accidentally switched bags. Keith’s curiosity is piqued by papers in Malcolm’s bag that depict strange drawings. Is this Project F? After Keith picks up Lulu, he and Lulu stop at the small station near Project F to swap bags and learn more about the mysterious project. But what is Project F and will Keith find himself caught up in something he doesn’t understand? With a simple yet slightly off-kilter look at what life on Earth might be like without our reliance on fossil fuels, DuPrau has created a dystopian world that is not menacing but is, in fact, rather drab. Could this be enough of a warning to climate change naysayers to change their ways? From the creator of The City of Ember, this upper elementary novel also Includes the not-so-subtle message that paying attention in school can save a lot of trouble.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham