Underdog City

Written by Chris Negron

Narrated by André Santana

From the acclaimed author of The Last Super Chef and Dan Unmasked comes a heartfelt standalone novel about community, justice, and redemption, perfect for fans of Take Back the Block and Brave Like That.

Mortimer Bray is not okay.

It seems like everything in his life is changing for the worse. After his own much-loved dog dies, he can’t bring himself to carry on with his dog-walking business; there’s a strange new girl who’s moved into the house next door; and suddenly there’s a buzzing feeling of anxiety in his head and heart when he’s faced with something new.

His neighborhood, Townsend Heights, used to feel like the most comfortable place in the world. But lately, it seems like everyone is arguing, and there’s uncertainty around every corner.

The neighborhood's only vacant lot is somehow behind it all, Mortimer is sure of that much. If he can unearth the lot's secret history, he just might stop the Heights from unraveling completely.

Mortimer can’t save Townsend Heights on his own. But when it comes to community, you’re never truly on your own—not as long as you’re willing to learn from the past, in order to do better in the future. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063251908

Chris Negron

Chris Negron is the author of several novels for children, including Georgia Author of the Year finalist and Sakura Medal nominee Dan Unmasked. His latest novel, Underdog City, released in the fall of 2023, again from HarperCollins. He holds a computer science degree from Yale University, but it was his years of playing Dungeons & Dragons in friends' basements that inspired him to write stories about the things he loves, including comic books, baseball, competitive cooking shows, and dogs. Visit him at chrisnegron.com.