It's the middle of the twenty-first century and the elite children of New Middletown are lined up to receive a treatment that turns them into obedient, well-mannered citizens.
Maxwell Connors, a fifteen-year-old prankster, misfit and graffiti artist, observes the changes with growing concern, especially when his younger sister, Ally, is targeted. Max and his best friend, Dallas, escape the treatment, but must pretend to be "zombies" while they watch their freedoms and hopes decay. When Max's family decides to take Dallas with them into the unknown world beyond New Middletown's borders, Max's creativity becomes an unexpected bonus rather than a liability.
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Teen’s Top Ten | 2012 | Nominated
Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year | 2012 | Commended
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection | 2012 | Commended
Canadian Library Association (CLA) Young Adult Book Award | 2012 | Winner
Resource Links, The Year's Best Books | 2011 | Commended
Stellar Book Award | 2013 | Nominated
The Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic | 2012 | Winner
Forest of Reading White Pine Award | 2013 | Short-listed
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Best Fiction for Young Adults | 2013 | Commended
"[If] you're looking for a great read for yourself or a teenager you know, Catherine Austen's novel All Good Children is an excellent choice...Austen provides many nuanced details of life in the near future, from facts on transportation and garbage disposal to the devastating effects of global warming. Strong characterization as well as a thrilling and horrifyingly plausible plot all combine to make All Good Children a wonderful read."
"Anyone who enjoys being taken out of their every day should find lots to recommend about All Good Children."
"Delivered...heart-pounding intensity that left me turning the pages long into the early morning when I should have been sleeping. The characters in All Good Children are amazingly portrayed...One of the reasons this book impacts so hard is because of how attached you get to the characters. All the tension and anxiety bleeds through the pages and it's impossible not to cringe and laugh and want to cry."