Synopsis: Phlora Red

Feeling bitter about his recent expulsion from Phlora Middle School, Taj sneaks onto campus to cause a little mayhem in the boy’s restroom. But what begins as a vengeful little prank yields quickly to panic when a federal prison escape results in a Code Red Lockdown, forcing students to take cover for over two hours in the dark. Taj has unwittingly stumbled into something much more complicated than he could have predicted, and it might take the help of a former teacher and an unexpected friend to get him out of this mess. Meanwhile, armed with nothing but a flashlight and her will, Ms. Givens struggles to keep 32 students calm in the midst of uncertainty, while simultaneously working through anecdotal issues such as how to ease hunger pangs, urges “to pee,” and fears of the dark. In this novel, students and teacher come together in laughter and tears to endure the longest two hours of their lives.