Fuzzy Mud

As neighbours Tamaya and Marshall walk home from school they cut through the woods to evade Chad, a boy who bullies Marshall, and in the woods they discover a weird substance they call fuzzy mud. When Chad confronts them in the woods, Tamaya presses the mud in Chad’s face, and shortly after Tamaya breaks out in a rash and Chad disappears. As Tamaya searches for Chad, transcripts of Senate meetings provide information on the background of the fuzzy mud. This suspenseful novel deals with science, technology, and relationships, explores moral standards and making decisions, and can launch discussion of pandemics, bullying, and microorganisms.