◎紐伯瑞文學獎金牌獎《洞》之作者風靡全球新作。
　　◎一部融合懸疑、神祕，探討生質燃料危機之校園小說，英美同步上市。
　　◎雙軌敘事手法，一條線是以一所私立學校的學生兩天時光的校園生活，採用他敘法； 另一條線則是對話方式呈現美國參議院能源與環境委員會的祕密聽證會。

　　塔瑪亞是一所伍德私立學校裡一個守校規又聰明的五年級女生，總是和大他兩歲的鄰家男孩馬修作伴上下學。
　　一天，惡霸查德揚言放學要和馬修單挑，塔瑪亞抓起地上的「爛泥巴」往查德臉上一丟，之後塔瑪亞的手開始起水泡流血；而查德隔天沒回家也沒去學校；連馬修都從學校偷跑出去。
　　經學校和警方調查後，發現一切都和學校旁那片樹林中的「長毛的爛泥巴」有關……

　　透過校園中女孩和男孩的微妙關係、女孩與女孩間的死黨互動、男孩子間的英雄與霸凌交戰、同學間遇難的救援與掙扎，引出膽怯與勇敢；自私與關懷；親情與友誼等多重面向的成長課題；也因為能源汙染外洩，引領讀者深入探討現今社會科技文明與環境健康的失衡與毀壞。

　　---- 中文簡介取自中譯本《爛泥怪》，小魯文化事業股份有限公司出版
From the author of the acclaimed bestseller Holes, winner of the Newbery Award and the National Book Award, comes a New York Times bestselling adventure about the impact we have--both good and bad--on the world we live in. Be careful. Your next step may be your last. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world. "Sachar blends elements of mystery, suspense, and school-day life into a taut environmental cautionary tale."--Publishers Weekly