Beneath

Roland Smith, the master of middle-grade adventure, returns with a new novel full of high-speed chases, secret identities, and a dangerous underground world.

Pat Borroughs has always idolized his older brother, Coop. He's even helped Coop with some of his crazier plans - even risking his life to help his big brother dig a tunnel underneath their entire Washington, D.C., neighborhood. Coop is . . . different. He doesn't talk on the phone, doesn't use email, and doesn't have friends. He's never really cared for anything but the thrill of being underground and Pat.

So it's no surprise to anyone - even Pat - that after a huge fight with their parents, Coop runs away. Exactly one year later, Pat receives a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother. He follows the clues to New York City, and soon discovers that Coop has joined the Colony, a self-sufficient community living beneath the streets. Now it's up to Pat to find his brother - and bring him