The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James - Mike Dawson

In this uplifting middle grade novel, loner Geordie James joins four other struggling fifth graders in a science fair group project that answers the question "what is our place in this world?"  When Geordie becomes obsessed with the fate of a pig who escaped from a factory farm, the group project is put in jeopardy. As Geordie starts to push harder into difficult questions, he finds everything changing—his friendships, his ability to express himself, even how he plays his favorite online role-playing game, Dominion.  The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James is about kids coming to terms with a world that feels outside of their control, ending with the message that we humans do not exist apart from nature, but rather as an integral part of it.