The Leak
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this compelling middle-grade graphic novel The Leak, Ruth, a young journalist, is determined to uncover a secret that threatens her town.
Ruth Keller is brash and precocious; she argues with her dentist, her parents, and her teachers. So, when she discovers a strange black slime in the man-made lake of her suburban neighborhood, she decides to investigate. Fortified by the encouragement of those around her, Ruth seeks the truth at all costs, even if it means taking on the rich local country club owner, who she believes is responsible for the pollution.
Between the teasing of former friends, and a sudden viral spotlight, Ruth discovers how difficult it is for a journalist to take a stand for what's right in the face of critique and controversy. From writer Kate Reed Petty and illustrator Andrea Bell, comes a story about corruption, pollution, and freedom of the press, and the young journalist at the center of it all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Petty (True Story, for adults) and Bell (the Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw series) dedicate this tale of a 12-year-old muckraker to "the people of Flint, Michigan," whose city's past provides real-world subtext for this tale. Aspiring journalist Ruth Keller is dedicated to her craft, reading as much news as she can and producing an online newsletter. Minor scandals, such as "the graffiti of the big penis that someone keeps doing on the school wall," are Ruth's bread and butter until the day she and a friend discover tar and a dead fish on their small town's lake shore. Ruth initiates an exposé and shares the scoop with her brother's girlfriend, a New York Times intern who cautions against leaping to conclusions and mentors Ruth in conducting revealing interviews—leading to a galvanizing resolution that recommends persistence and honesty. Bell's color-drenched panels, lined in crayonlike textures, portray confident Ruth as a biracial heroine who chases down leads and navigates the murky waters of middle school relationships. Petty, meanwhile, mines investigative journalism, detailing its rules ("Check your biases") and concluding with an insistent afterword on journalistic integrity. Ages 8–12.
