The Flinkwater Factor

Thirteen-year-old Ginger Crump lives in the town of Flinkwater, Iowa, along with a concentration of “Very Smart, Very Geeky people”: Flinkwater is the headquarters of an Apple-esque tech company, ACPOD. Most of the town’s residents, including Ginger’s parents, work for ACPOD, which has several dark secrets that Ginger and her friends unintentionally uncover. Hautman’s story unfolds in five sections, starting when a computer screen saver puts townsfolk into a coma-like state that Ginger calls “getting bonked.” Ginger’s friend and crush, super-genius Billy, figures out how to awaken people from the trance, and the pair’s work continues in episodes involving talking animals, the mysterious Flinkwater Sasquatch, Ginger’s hopes for a first kiss, and a Homeland Security agent with shady motives. Hautman (Eden West) weaves the plot threads together cleverly, but it’s Ginger’s dry humor (“A plague of mysterious comas is one thing. And having my dad bonked was even scarier. But losing net access was like taking away the air”), an equally colorful supporting cast, and the lore (and tech) of Flinkwater that make the story so enjoyable. Ages 9–13. Agent: Jennifer Flannery, Flannery Literary. (Sept.)