Content levels
Trigger warnings
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
"An unlikely teenager risks all to expose the truth about a heralded moon landing. What if the football hadn't gone over the wall. On the other side of the wall there is a dark secret. And the devil. And the Moon Man. And the Motherland doesn't want anyone to know. But Standish Treadwell--who has different-colored eyes, who can't read, can't write, Standish Treadwell isn't bright--sees things differently than the rest of the "train-track thinkers." So when Standish and his only friend and neighbor, Hector, make their way to the other side of the wall, they see what the Motherland has been hiding. And it's big."--Dust jacket.
Is Maggot Moon appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 12 and up.
This dystopian middle grade novel deals with a totalitarian regime, government deception, and an oppressive state (the 'Motherland'). Some moderate political violence and themes of persecution are present, along with ableism directed at the neurodivergent protagonist.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include ableism, political violence, and deception (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Kids who love underdog heroes and uncovering secrets will be gripped by Standish's dangerous quest to expose what the government is hiding beyond the wall.