New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
"I'm Mann, just Mann."
The world is slowly recovering after environmental collapse, and the children of the automated, domed city of Oculum have begun to awaken. Miranda, William and the 998 other children wake to tend the fruit trees and gardens behind the thick, opaque walls of their world. Some speak quietly of Outside, which is forbidden. Until William finds a door ...
The children outside the dome of Oculum — Mann, Cranker and others raised by Grannie — live amongst the rubble of the old destroyed city. They live with hunger, hard work, and stories about a time before the fall, of buggies without horses, light without fire ... and magical fruit called "peaches." But it must be lies, until one day Mann and Cranker get close enough to the ancient dome to find ... a door....
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 10 to 13
- Grade:
- 5 to 8
Awards
- , Forest of Reading - Silver Birch Fiction
- Short-listed, SYRCA Diamond Willow
Editorial Reviews
"Similar to The Giver in quality, content, appeal, and originality, Oculum really is children’s literature. It’s written beautifully, simply, and thoughtfully, and covers subject matter that is not common enough in Middle Grade. Every scene can be pictured in vivid detail, and readers of any age will be desperate to learn more about this strange world."
— The Sound
"This is a thoughtful, environmental re-working of The Tempest and Brave New World intended to challenge today's youth"
— Resource Links
"Oculum is a gripping, dystopian page-turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat, hanging on to every word."
Well-written and an imaginative description of a future world struggling to survive, Oculum ends on a positive note, and the book should appeal to both boys and girls in search of adventure.
— CM Magazine
[Oculum's] rich world-building and determined characters give it an originality that sets it apart from similar stories.
— Quill & Quire
