Going Where It's Dark

From the Newbery Award–winning author of Shiloh comes a middle-grade novel that combines adrenaline-fueled adventure with a poignant coming-of-age story about a boy who loves the challenges he faces when caving but finds daily life dealing with his stuttering problem a most difficult challenge.


Buck Anderson’s life seems to be changing completely. His best friend, David, has moved away; his overprotective parents are hounding him more than ever; he has reluctantly agreed to fill in for his uncle and do odd jobs for a grumpy old veteran in town; and his twin sister has a new boyfriend and is never around anymore. To top it all off, Buck is bullied by a group of boys at school—simply because he stutters.

There is one thing that frees Buck from his anxieties. It is the heart-pounding exhilaration he feels when exploring underground caves in and around his hometown. He used to go caving with David, but he is determined to continue on his own now. What he doesn’t know is that more changes are headed his way—changes that just might make him rethink his view of the world and his place in it.

PHYLLIS REYNOLDS NAYLOR is the author of more than 140 books, including the Newbery Medal winnerShiloh and the companion, A Shiloh Christmas; Faith, Hope and Ivy June;Emily’s Fortune; Emily and Jackson Hiding Out; and the Boy/Girl Battle series, which begins withThe Boys Start the War and The Girls Get Even. She lives in Maryland.