Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/27/2026 Gr 4 Up—This novel introduces readers to a world of trash. Nathan Savage is a middle schooler who lives with his loving parents in a small town in Maine. Three years ago, a landfill opened right across the street from his home. Nathan is of two minds about the landfill—he doesn't like the smell of rotten trash or the noisy trucks that constantly drive in front of his house, but the landfill offered his dad a job when he had to quit working at the cement plant because he was coughing and out of breath all the time. A boy who often sees things others don't, Nathan notices that the landfill seems to be moving; after researching landfill landslides, he tries to figure out if he can predict a landslide by using photos and video. He meets Wilder, a boy who is protesting the landfill and they become friends with a common mission to save Nathan's dad and their neighborhood. This book has a lot of information about garbage, landfills, trash removal, and the impact of a landfill on the environment, but it's also a story of friendship, family, and kindness. The characters are interesting and well developed and are portrayed as loving people who want to do the best for their families as well as the community. Some characters appear to have neurodivergent depictions. Characters are cued white. VERDICT An excellent choice for libraries needing realistic middle grade fiction, particularly with environmental or social emotional themes.—Debbie Tanner - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.