The switch

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About the Author

Roland Smith is an American author of young adult fiction as well as nonfiction books for children.

Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Portland State University and, following a part-time job at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, began a 20-year career as a zookeeper, both at the Oregon Zoo and the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. After working to save wildlife following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, in 1990, he published his first book, Sea Otter Rescue, a non-fiction account of the process of animal rescue. Smith continued to draw upon his zoo experiences for other non-fiction titles, including Journey of the Red Wolf, which won an Oregon Book Award in 1996.

In 1997, Smith published his first novel, Thundercave. Smith's books have won "Book of the Year" awards in Colorado, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as in his native Oregon. Smith lives in Tualatin, Oregon with his wife and stepchildren.

About the Book

A thrilling dystopic story from Roland Smith about how far people will go to survive -- perfect for fans of Dry and Distress Signal.

On the morning of Henry Ludd's thirteenth birthday, the power goes out. No phones, no news, and planes are literally falling out of the sky. Henry's father was away from the family farm and he has not returned. It's worrisome as people descend into lawlessness.

Four months later, the electricity still hasn't come back. While Henry's family is protected in their walled compound with wind turbines fueling their electricity, the rest of their area has suffered. Henry's father still hasn’t been found. Determined to find him, Henry ventures out with a trading crew to the zoo where his dad was last seen. After the truck is hijacked and Henry is left behind, he's forced to travel alone through the unruly world of the Switch. But his journey home will lead him to cross paths with the people who took his dad and have been trying to take over his family's land and resources ever since.

Source: Publisher

Praise for The Switch:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30 in Children's Dystopian Fiction Books

Other books by Roland Smith

Peak

ALA 2008 Best books for Young Adults

ALA 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

ALA 2008 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults

2009-2010 Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee

The Edge

Ascent

Descent