Landslide

Culley, Betty. Landslide
March 10, 2026 by Nancy Paulsen Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fifth grader Nathan Savage lives on his mother's family's farm in Crawley main with his parents. Glenn worked at at a plant until the cement dust caused him lung problems, and Renee worked at a shoe repair shop until it closed. Now, Glenn works across the street from the farm at the Homefront Municipal Waste facility that was put in when Renee's sisters sold their share of the farm, and Renee works at home, hand sewing shoes piecework for a factory. While it isn't pleasant having a large landfill across the street, the family is fairly philosophical about it, since the realize garbage must go somewhere. It hits Renee the hardest, and she is coping by replanting all of the plants in the front yard to the back, and by keeping the curtains drawn. Nathan, who plays hockey with his cousin Lizette on recommendation of his uncle, has a keen eye for objects in motion, and seems to see things others cannot. He is very concerned about movement in the landfill, and worries that it isn't stable. When he meets Wilder Bacon and his older sister Lena (who is a lawyer) who are protesting outside his house, he is interested in Wilder's environmental take on the facility. Wilder is very interested in garbage, and interviews Glenn about his work at the landfill. Wilder's mother is not able to take care of him, so he is in the custody of his sister, since his father lives out West with his new family. He is home schooled, having been bullied because of his name, his alopecia, and his intense way of interacting with others. Nathan's friends Ben and Kosal are worried about the landfill and how climate change is affecting the seasons in the local environment. Nathan fills Wilder, as well as Ben and Kosal, in about his concerns. Neighbor Roberta, who has a dairy farm, hopes to stay on her land despite the landfill, but when her cows stop drinking the water from her well, she investigates. Homefront Municipal Waste has an upcoming community vote about enlarging the landfill, and some locals are glad that they fund teams, pay taxes, and bring jobs to the area. Nathan is increasingly worried that Glenn will be on the face of the landfill when it shifts suddenly, and has a code word when he calls Wilder to let him know if the shifting is starting. When he finally says "lasagna" to his new friend, Wilder endangers himself by climbing a high sign, so that Glenn doesn't go out onto the landfill. Young coworker Hank IS out in a truck, and Nathan rides his bike to try to warn him. He climbs into his father's truck, but is soon suddenly swept down all the way to Roberta's farm. Amazingly, he is unhurt, but the massive slide puts the project in jeopardy. Roberta ends up having to sell, as the water is making her sick, but Nathan is able to give television interviews to help inform people about the dangers of the landfill. Wilder is able to return to school with Nathan after his sister wins permanent custody. 

Strengths: Considering how many family farms have ceased operation, it is not surprising to find the land around farms being used for other purposes. Across the street from my mother's family dairy farm, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built in the 1950s, and the hill behind the house was strip mined and made smaller in the 1970s! The Savage's Outlook is understandable; they are glad for Glenn to have a job, understand that the trash has to go somewhere, but are also sad that things are not the same as they once were. Wilder is a good foil for Ben, and they are able to combine their interest and skills to research the situation at the landfill. Roberta is a great older character, and I did wish that things had turned out better for her! This was oddly appealing, and had tons of information about garbage that middle grade readers should know! 
Weaknesses: It stuck me as odd that it never occurred to Nathan to tell his parents about the slippage. His parents are hardworking and very supportive, and seem like the sort of people who would take his concern seriously and alert the proper authorities. Also, Wilder's outlook and actions lead me to believe that he might be on the autism spectrum, but nothing is ever said about his unusual personality .
What I really think: There are a growing number of books that explore the various impacts of the environment on chidlren's lives, and Landslide is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Helget's End of Wild, Mills' The Last Apple Tree, Dilloway's Where the Sky Lives, Baskin and Polisner's Consider the Octopus, or another title including a "garbologist", Sumner's One Kid's Trash. A good nonfiction accompaniment to this is Donnelly and Hendrix's Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World.