New, updated edition of the bullying prevention adventure story that was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012
Bitopia is a wonderland of fantastical foliage and mysterious creatures. It's also a place where Venators lurk, vile creatures that relentlessly hunt children. As the only human inhabitants of Bitopia, the children are forced to live in a high-walled city for protection, a medieval metropolis of cold and shadow where time passes but no one ages, a place of no escape. Like all the other children in Bitopia, Stewart arrives there unexpectedly while fleeing from bullies. And, like all Newcomers, Stewart dreams of finding a way back home. Risking exile from the city and the protection that it offers, Stewart and Cora, his Finder, discover a clue to escaping, one that presents them with a terrible choice: face their greatest fear and risk death, or be trapped in Bitopia forever.
A fast-paced tale that addresses the problem of physical bullying and intimidation and provides an example to readers of how to get this type of bullying to stop on their own. Ages 10 and up.