UNDERDOG CITY

Determined tweens save their neighborhood from greed, unwise development, and discrimination.

Twelve-year-old Mortimer Bray’s beloved dog, Trevor, got away from him on a walk and was killed. His neighbor and mentor, Ms. Opal, who is Black, has entered a nursing home. Mortimer struggles with anxiety, which is manifesting as increasingly frequent “freeze-ups.” His science teacher dad and lawyer mom (the new Townsend Heights council head) are bickering. Mortimer gave his successful dog-walking business to his friend Frankie, who invites him to come along, but due to Trevor’s accident, the idea fills Mortimer with dread. New Puerto Rican neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Cortez have a rooster who crows early every morning, and a granddaughter, Will, who’s visiting; she and Mortimer build a friendship after a rocky start. Meanwhile aggressive, xenophobic neighbor Mr. Brewster is campaigning to turn locals against the Cortezes and their rooster. Mr. Brewster also proposes developing a nearby vacant lot that has a connection to Ms. Opal’s family, and he frames it as raising the tone of the neighborhood. Text boxes with local ordinances and Mortimer’s “secret files” provide background on community action. The first-person narrative starts off slowly but builds momentum as Mortimer regains his self-confidence, learns about Townsend Heights’ history, and works with friends both young and old on a counterproposal. Mortimer, who reads white, sometimes seems stodgy but is well meaning and wise beyond his years, and animal antics provide comic relief.

A meaningful exploration of young people’s involvement in community activism.