Terror at Bottle Creek

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade adventure
• Originally Published: 2016
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 650L; grades 5-8
• Structure/Length: 46 chapters; approximately 240 pages; approximately 4 hours on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The central conflict revolves around 13-year-old Cort, who finds himself trapped in the Mississippi Delta during a hurricane with his dog and two friends. As the hurricane approaches and the water levels rise, Cort must rely on his survival skills to navigate the treacherous conditions and protect himself and those with him. The novel explores courage, resilience, and the power of the natural world.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Depiction of natural disaster and survival; life-threatening peril; separation and divorce; brief profanity; alcohol use; hunting and animal death

Watt Key, Author

• Bio: Born 1970; American author known for his middle grade and young adult fiction; grew up in Alabama, which often serves as a backdrop for his stories; passionate about nature and the outdoors; received critical acclaim for his ability to weave adventure and survival elements into his narratives
• Other Works: Alabama Moon (2006); Dirt Road Home (2010); Fourmile (2012); Hideout (2017); Among the Swamp People: Life in Alabama's Mobile-Tensaw River Delta (2017); Deep Water (2021)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Loss and Separation Within the Family
• Sense of Connection and Belonging
• Responsibility Differences Between Children and Adults