The Lifters

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Dion Graham

From the Newbery Award-winning author of The Eyes and the Impossible come the story of a mysterious underground world where nothing is as it seems.

What if the ground beneath your feet was not made of solid earth and stone but had been hollowed into hundreds of tunnels and passageways? What if there were mysterious forces in these tunnels? What would it feel like to know the fate of an entire town rested on your shoulders? Twelve-year-old Gran Flowerpetal is about to find out.

When Gran's friend, the difficult-to-impress Catalina Catalan, presses a silver handle into a hillside and opens a doorway underground, Gran knows that she is extraordinary and brave. He will have no choice but to follow her and help save the town (and the known world). With luck on their side, and some discarded hockey sticks for good measure, they might just emerge as heroes.

Critic reviews

“This book is a ripper, full of all the good stuff: adventure, mystery, and lots of great jokes.”
—Mac Barnett, Caldecott Honor–winning author of Extra Yarn

"Full of surprises, magic, and heart." --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me

"A heart-gladdening work of allegorical genius . . . brilliantly rendering the bewildering stupidity of the adult world as seen by children." —The Guardian

"Eggers performs a marvelous sleight of hand, producing a first-rate middle grade adventure that doubles as a political parable for our times." —The Buffalo News

“[A] cozy contemporary novel about lifting spirits and rebuilding community through teamwork and imagination.” —Publishers Weekly

"A warm and rewarding read . . .Eggers skillfully handles the trope of the kids who save the town, with plenty of humorous adult cluelessness but an equal measure of compassion." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Original . . . and always intriguing. . . . Eggers's story moves along briskly thanks to mounting suspense and bite-size chapters." —Booklist

"A whimsical, fantastical story with elements of realism. . . . This atmospheric story's detailed plot moves quickly, and all the characters experience growth." —School Library Journal

I 💜Dave Eggers

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, but as usual, I was gripped from the first chapter and spent my entire Saturday listening. Then I started to get the story of inner earth/ inner dialogue, and I was completely touched and filled with emotion. The lifters are the spiritual warriors of this world who have known sadness, who have known the valleys and peaks and want to share hope and healing with everyone around them. Standing in the storm allowed the community to get beyond it, to stop seeing each other from their differences, and to use something important to all of their common histories to form a bond. What a wonderful message-Thanks Dave!

Bug!

There is a bug on this story yes that is true very very very true

Quick, cute, and creative

Really enjoyed this one for a palate cleanser. The pacing was perfect. Overall a good listen