ABOUT THE BOOK After fifty years of hibernation, huge Salt and Pepper Woodchucks emerge from the ground. The creatures cause quite a stir in a small town because these animals eat everything in sight. Small pets, cars, and people become targets when the woodchucks search for food. Two teenage brothers become part of the excitement and have several encounters with the woodchucks. Other main characters include animal control workers, the mayor of Byerville, an apartment manager, and a young single mother. One of the highlights of the story depicts a radio remote control car race that becomes chaotic when the woodchucks appear. The race is held on a dirt track and the creatures dig an enormous hole in the earth. Racers and spectators scatter when the woodchucks attack. This is a story that illuminates the old-fashioned tales that were spun by Southerners while sitting on a front porch, in the dark, on a late Saturday night. It mimics the kind of story that raises the hairs on the back of the neck just before producing laughter.