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Landslide
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26A perceptive boy worries the landfill across the street is on the verge of collapse, forming a brave plan to save his dad who works at the top of the heap.
Nathan Savage has always been fascinated by anything that moves; he sees movement others don’t notice. But what he sees now out his living room window sets off major alarm bells—the massive landfill across the road is shifting, and could be heading toward a catastrophic landslide.
The landfill is also where Nathan’s dad works, on the top of the heap driving the huge compactor that crushes the garbage with its enormous metal wheels. The more Nathan watches the landfill, the more worried he becomes. What will happen to his father if he’s at work when the garbage hill collapses? A fate that seems closer and closer to happening every day if Nathan doesn’t act soon. But how does a ten-year old boy stop a force of nature? In this fascinating and fast-paced story, author Betty Culley exposes kids to lots of garbage, and the natural and environmental impact country landfills have on local towns.
Nathan Savage has always been fascinated by anything that moves; he sees movement others don’t notice. But what he sees now out his living room window sets off major alarm bells—the massive landfill across the road is shifting, and could be heading toward a catastrophic landslide.
The landfill is also where Nathan’s dad works, on the top of the heap driving the huge compactor that crushes the garbage with its enormous metal wheels. The more Nathan watches the landfill, the more worried he becomes. What will happen to his father if he’s at work when the garbage hill collapses? A fate that seems closer and closer to happening every day if Nathan doesn’t act soon. But how does a ten-year old boy stop a force of nature? In this fascinating and fast-paced story, author Betty Culley exposes kids to lots of garbage, and the natural and environmental impact country landfills have on local towns.
208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 10, 2026
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
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.
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.
January 2, 2026
Fifth grader Nathan Savage is keenly observant of the world around him. So much so that he determines how many pins are going to go down as a bowler releases the ball, was able to see an ice dam on a roof was about to break loose and move his dad out of the way before it started to slide, and lately, his eyesight/I-sight is noticing alarming movement in the mountain of garbage in the landfill across the road from his home. Already there are protesters who can’t stand the smell, the look of the trash pile and are concerned with the environmentally unfriendly waste coming from outside of their home state of Maine but for Nathan, this moving mountain is more personal. His dad works a compacting truck up on the top and if it keeps shifting, well, it won’t be good and he’s got to get something figured out. Stepping in to help Nathan with his plan to keep his dad safe is a new, and somewhat quirky, friend. Wilder Bacon comes to the protests with his environmentally concerned, lawyer sister Lena and has been studying garbology for quite some time. Coupled with Nathan’s visual, photographic and video observations, the two elementary aged boys make a difference.
Yes, Culley’s book focuses on the contamination of the water table and land surrounding the poorly contained garbage heap, but there is more to Landslide than the based on true landfill collapse. There are great family models with Nathan’s dad showing job dedication and both parents displaying deep affection for one another as well as extended family and neighbors. Nathan’s aunt, uncle and cousins live nearby and their connections are strong with his uncle teaching his daughter and Nathan how to ice skate and coaching their hockey team and meals and playtimes frequently occurring together. Friendships are a key factor in Landslide as well. Wilder has been bullied for a variety of reasons, including his alopecia and last name, and while he has been homeschooled in order to get away from it, Nathan’s open hearted offer of friendship and introduction to his cousin and two best friends provide him with a hope of something different should his sister become his legal guardian.
Life is not perfect for anyone in Landslide-a neighbor is forced to leave her farming home due to landfill, Wilder’s mother is unable to care for him due to early onset Alzheimer’s, Nathan’s dad has suffered irreversible lung damage from his previous job, and the whole town must find a way to accept the positives of a financially successful waste management company while pushing the industry to find the safest ways to operate. Among all these difficulties, however, the feel of community and cooperation is apparent throughout this excellent middle grade novel.
Target audience: grades 4-7 (and at only 208 quick-moving pages, approachable for many “reluctant” readers)
Profanity: none
Violence: only that of a moving garbage mountain
Sexual content: none
Representation: traditional two parent homes and Wilder’s sibling family; Nathan’s friend Kosal’s grandparents fled Cambodia and immigrated to Maine via a refugee camp in Thailand; Wilder has alopecia areata and displays neurodivergent thinking and behavior but no definitive diagnosis given, just this educator’s observation.
LBGTQ+: none noted
Some related titles to consider:
*Safe Harbor (Venkatraman)
*Spark (Baron)
*Make a Little Wave (Cerra)
*Gracie Under the Waves (Park)
*Olive Blackwood Takes Action (Thomas)
*One Kid’s Trash (Sumner)
*Hoot (Hiasson)
*Me and Marvin Gardens (King)
Yes, Culley’s book focuses on the contamination of the water table and land surrounding the poorly contained garbage heap, but there is more to Landslide than the based on true landfill collapse. There are great family models with Nathan’s dad showing job dedication and both parents displaying deep affection for one another as well as extended family and neighbors. Nathan’s aunt, uncle and cousins live nearby and their connections are strong with his uncle teaching his daughter and Nathan how to ice skate and coaching their hockey team and meals and playtimes frequently occurring together. Friendships are a key factor in Landslide as well. Wilder has been bullied for a variety of reasons, including his alopecia and last name, and while he has been homeschooled in order to get away from it, Nathan’s open hearted offer of friendship and introduction to his cousin and two best friends provide him with a hope of something different should his sister become his legal guardian.
Life is not perfect for anyone in Landslide-a neighbor is forced to leave her farming home due to landfill, Wilder’s mother is unable to care for him due to early onset Alzheimer’s, Nathan’s dad has suffered irreversible lung damage from his previous job, and the whole town must find a way to accept the positives of a financially successful waste management company while pushing the industry to find the safest ways to operate. Among all these difficulties, however, the feel of community and cooperation is apparent throughout this excellent middle grade novel.
Target audience: grades 4-7 (and at only 208 quick-moving pages, approachable for many “reluctant” readers)
Profanity: none
Violence: only that of a moving garbage mountain
Sexual content: none
Representation: traditional two parent homes and Wilder’s sibling family; Nathan’s friend Kosal’s grandparents fled Cambodia and immigrated to Maine via a refugee camp in Thailand; Wilder has alopecia areata and displays neurodivergent thinking and behavior but no definitive diagnosis given, just this educator’s observation.
LBGTQ+: none noted
Some related titles to consider:
*Safe Harbor (Venkatraman)
*Spark (Baron)
*Make a Little Wave (Cerra)
*Gracie Under the Waves (Park)
*Olive Blackwood Takes Action (Thomas)
*One Kid’s Trash (Sumner)
*Hoot (Hiasson)
*Me and Marvin Gardens (King)
December 3, 2025
This is a fast paced story about two boys racing against time to save a home and a town from an environmental disaster. Based on true events, I think readers will love the characters and the small town Maine setting. Once again Betty Culley has written a heartfelt story about family and friendship in small town Maine. If you loved Down to Earth - Ms. Culley’s book that blended science and family and small town life, you will love this one too.
Review of advance copy received from Author
LANDSLIDE is another thoughtful, beautiful book by Betty Culley. Ten-year-old Nathan and his family in rural Maine have a complicated relationship with the town dump across the street that was built on land formerly owned by their family. Nathan’s father drives the compactor at the landfill, and the family appreciates the job security but has to endure the sights, sounds, and smells of living across from the dump. Sandwiched between pristine Mt. Crawley in the backyard and the dump in the front, Nathan and family daily confront this stark contrast. In a poignant moment, Nathan helps his mom dig up and move her beloved plantings from the front yard to the back, where they can be overlooked by Mt. Crawley.
Nathan’s keen power of observation, which he calls his I-sight, allows him to see the danger of the ever-growing mound of trash at the dump. He and his new friend Wilder scheme to keep Nathan’s father and other workers off the trash mound when it begins to look unstable.
I love many aspects of this book, particularly the emphasis on communities supporting each other, even as people have different opinions on whether the landfill should expand or close. Wilder’s way of viewing the world and being a friend to Nathan adds humor and insight to the story. All of the characters grow and learn as the story progresses, Nathan in particular as he watches protestors at the landfill and researches the history of garbage and landfill collapses, and begins to discover his voice and ability to make change. This book feels very timely as it gently faces issues such as how we interact with and care for our natural world, how communities can work together despite differences, how protest matters, and how we can respond and adapt with resilience, at any age, when the result we hoped for most doesn’t come to pass.
Nathan’s keen power of observation, which he calls his I-sight, allows him to see the danger of the ever-growing mound of trash at the dump. He and his new friend Wilder scheme to keep Nathan’s father and other workers off the trash mound when it begins to look unstable.
I love many aspects of this book, particularly the emphasis on communities supporting each other, even as people have different opinions on whether the landfill should expand or close. Wilder’s way of viewing the world and being a friend to Nathan adds humor and insight to the story. All of the characters grow and learn as the story progresses, Nathan in particular as he watches protestors at the landfill and researches the history of garbage and landfill collapses, and begins to discover his voice and ability to make change. This book feels very timely as it gently faces issues such as how we interact with and care for our natural world, how communities can work together despite differences, how protest matters, and how we can respond and adapt with resilience, at any age, when the result we hoped for most doesn’t come to pass.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dear Readers,
I highly recommend Betty Culley's new book Landslide. It's worth reading because of the characters, the conflict, and the short suspenseful chapters.
If you have read other Culley books, you'll immediately recognize her style for creating thoughtful, curious characters. They're they type that teachers want filling their classrooms. I would daresay you'd enjoy them as your neighbors, too!
Culley has also created a realistic conflict that comes across as not-too-preachy. By my observation, many YA books are sacrificing plot in the name of agendas. Landslide's conflict centers around waste management in a heartfelt and authentic manner, and you can't help but root for the family and the town as they embrace a situation that could tear them apart. We would do well to remember that just because someone doesn't share our exact worldview does not make them our enemy.
Finally, Culley has one last ingredient to stir into an engaging read: short chapters! There's something about two-to-four page chapters that makes a beginning or slower or reluctant reader feel successful! Thank you for including so many of them!
All in all I give this book five stars for it's quirky characters, thoughtful conflict, and brevity.
I highly recommend Betty Culley's new book Landslide. It's worth reading because of the characters, the conflict, and the short suspenseful chapters.
If you have read other Culley books, you'll immediately recognize her style for creating thoughtful, curious characters. They're they type that teachers want filling their classrooms. I would daresay you'd enjoy them as your neighbors, too!
Culley has also created a realistic conflict that comes across as not-too-preachy. By my observation, many YA books are sacrificing plot in the name of agendas. Landslide's conflict centers around waste management in a heartfelt and authentic manner, and you can't help but root for the family and the town as they embrace a situation that could tear them apart. We would do well to remember that just because someone doesn't share our exact worldview does not make them our enemy.
Finally, Culley has one last ingredient to stir into an engaging read: short chapters! There's something about two-to-four page chapters that makes a beginning or slower or reluctant reader feel successful! Thank you for including so many of them!
All in all I give this book five stars for it's quirky characters, thoughtful conflict, and brevity.
December 5, 2025
Landslide is a quick read about a boy named Nathan who has the ability to see movement and calculate the trajectory of objects in a way most humans cannot. He learned as a young child that most people do not want to know that they are going to bowl a gutter ball or that batters are going to hit a foul. He learned to keep his mouth shut about the movements around him. When a landfill is built literally across the street from his home, he begins to see movement in the mountain of garbage. The rest of the story is about speaking up, taking care of things and friendship. It is a squeaky clean, sweet story appropriate for upper elementary ages and older.
I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
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January 26, 2026This is a great book for today, even though it takes place in the 1980s. It's based on true events that happened in 1989. It's very relevant for today.
I see this book as a cross-curricular read for classrooms!
Garbage and landfills are topics for social studies, math, science, and language arts! Paired with other nonfiction books it's perfect for a classroom or a whole school to study. The characters give great statistics students would be able to use to compare then and now. Are we any better off with being "older and wiser" looking back at all the previous incidents of landfill garbage collapsing?
A must-have for all libraries!
I see this book as a cross-curricular read for classrooms!
Garbage and landfills are topics for social studies, math, science, and language arts! Paired with other nonfiction books it's perfect for a classroom or a whole school to study. The characters give great statistics students would be able to use to compare then and now. Are we any better off with being "older and wiser" looking back at all the previous incidents of landfill garbage collapsing?
A must-have for all libraries!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews