Relatable characters ground a story that’s suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming.
Gartner’s middle-grade space adventure follows a boy’s space-travel adventure as it takes a dangerous turn.
“I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” From this heart-pounding opening, readers are launched on a journey into the near future with Fin Scott, a tween with astronomical potential. Readers soon learn that Fin’s life changed when he received what he calls the “Package of Destiny”: His invention has won him the chance to train at NASA’s Houston facilities, board the Aether spacecraft to visit the International Space Station, and take a three-day trip to an outpost orbiting the moon. With his mom in the hospital and his dad spending most of his time with her, Fin wants nothing more than to get away; his uncle Dennis agrees to act as his guardian in space. At NASA headquarters, Fin meets his fellow contest winners—Mae Jorgenson, David Kalkutten, and Kal Agarwal—as well as the Aether’s commander, Marc Horowitz, and glowering “paper pusher” Mr. Deuce, who seems determined to shut the space program down. Together, the kids must train hard to prepare for their upcoming mission, but as problems begin to mount, it starts to appear that there may be a saboteur among them. Things get worse when the group launches into space, where multiple disasters strike. Over the course of this book, Gartner delivers a story in which naturalistic dialogue flows effortlessly, which has the effect of capturing the kids’ simultaneous joy and trepidation at being surrounded by adults who take them (mostly) seriously. At one point, for example, Fin tells Mae, “For what it’s worth, you are the best fourteen-year-old pilot I know.” She responds, “Yeah, I’m pretty great,” although Fin “can tell it’s with a hint of teasing herself.” Overall, it’s a well-paced tale that will remind young readers of the truly breathtaking wonders of space travel.
Relatable characters ground a story that’s suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming.Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781734155297
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crescent Vista Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
