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The Guardians — John Christopher Published by Macmillan, 1970 A really good science fiction book is The Guardians by John Christopher. I recommend it for people who like science fiction books with plenty of action! The main character is Rob Randall. He lives in a place called the Conurb. The Conurb is a place where the people's lives are based on very advanced technology. The opposite of the Conurb is the County. In the County, the people have turned the clock back. They are living in the time before the car was invented. In both places, life is perfectly organized and pleasant. Conurbans stay in the Conurb; the gentry stay in the County. Conurbans look down on the gentry; the gentry look down on the Conurbans. When Rob's father dies, he is sent to boarding school. There, the rules are strict, and boys who have been there longer torment Rob. He remembers that his mother came from the County into the Conurb, and he decides to escape by going from the Conurb into the County. After he escapes successfully, he is found by a boy named Mike. Rob is adopted into Mike's family. The two boys become friends. Then, Rob discovers that Mike is part of a rebel group. This group does not like the rules laid down for the people. Rob must decide whether or not to help Mike. Is it possible that, behind the pleasant things in life, there is a problem Mike sees and Rob does not? —Sarah, 11

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