Futureland: Battle for the Park

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THE BUGGED-OUT REV


Sunday, August 30, 2048

7:23 a.m.


Look, you d probably think I was the luckiest kid in the world . . . because I live on top of it.

No, seriously.

Literally.

Well . . . more like above it, if I m being precise--vocabulary word! (My teacher, Madam Bonnier, would be proud.) I m growing up in the coolest, most famous theme park. Ever. Like, for real for real.

Yeah, yeah. That one. Only one above the rest.

FUTURELAND.

Seen the holograms of my mom and dad on your news tablets? Maybe they even mentioned me--their only child. Bet you wondered what life was like growing up in a roaming theme park. You probably called us the luckiest family in the world.

Maybe.

Most kids would think having a permanent ticket to Futureland would be the best thing ever. A regular kid might be so gassed up, they d turn into an insomniac. You know, the people who stay up all night guzzling down coffee--which Dad says stunts your growth--and wandering the park destinies until the sun comes up. Or they d get heads so big, they couldn t even strap into the Jet-Blur and fly around to each exhibit.

To me . . . Futureland was just home. And on most days, I loved it.

But this was not one of those days.

Good morning, Cameron Walker, Dooley chirped, bursting into my room and leaning over my bed. Her unblinking eyes scanned me, the irises turning from hazel to neon orange.

I covered my head with a pillow. I m still sleeping.

You are verbalizing, so you must not still be sleeping, and your mother asked me to wake you.

I let out a big snore and covered my face with my top blanket. It was Scooby-Doo themed. My favorite show on my favorite blanket, of course. Ugh. It s too early.

Dooley yanked the covers back. Actually, it s seven-twenty-five a.m. You re five minutes and three-point-two-five seconds late to meet your mother, though I see that you re in need

Hugh H.D. Hunter is a storyteller, teaching artist, and community organizer from Atlanta. He's also the winner of several indie book awards for multicultural fiction. Hugh is committed to stories about Black kids and their many expansive worlds. He loves vegan snacks, basketball, and stories that make you cry but make you smile afterward. Check out Hugh's work at thesoutherndistrict.com and follow him at @hd_tsd.

"Hold on tight, Futureland will be the ride of your life . . . and maybe the last!" Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Futureland sits at the intersection of thrills, mystery, cool sci-fi, and heart. If you re like me, and these are all of your favorite things, you need a ticket to this stunning attraction ASAP! Lamar Giles, author of The Legendary Alston Boys Adventures

"The sci-fi, Afro-futurist adventure you ve been looking for . . . Funny, heartbreaking, and thrilling all at once!" Mark Oshiro, author of The Insiders

"Hunter s debut foregrounds futuristic tech and themes about the value of charting one s own path, creating an exhilarating mystery." Publishers Weekly

"An exciting new series that will grab readers with its futuristic setting, diverse characters, and brisk plotting." School Library Journal

"A thought-provoking middle-grade sci-fi story with an adventurous pace." Booklist