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BEYOND THE STARS

A light interplanetary adventure with a mild Starfleet-esque flavor.

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In Berger’s middle-grade SF sequel, 23rd-century adolescents find themselves in danger on a plague-ridden planet.

In this follow-up to The Captain’s Daughters (2021), space-faring siblings Diane and Robin Marsh lost their parents in infancy to an intergalactic war and have been brought up by their uncle, the stalwart Capt. William Marsh of the League of Universal Planets starship Polaris. Now, in 2298, the girls are aboard that vessel when it undertakes a mission to the planet Lasusia, which is divided by civil conflict. There, another Marsh brother seeks a cure for a mysterious, fatal flulike virus that only seems to be ravaging one side of the political divide. Both the plague and political strife are being secretly manipulated by the Klingon-like Frazons, alien warlords and foes of the LUP intent on gaining a foothold on Lasusia. A camouflaged Frazon warship, commanded by Capt. Marsh’s longtime enemy, Gen. Malon, is in the vicinity, and when Diane and Robin—disobeying orders, as they have before—transport to the planet with their new friend, a lonely, teenage Lasusian princess named Jannel, the villain sees a chance to exact revenge against Marsh. In a subplot, Diane and Robin make the uncomfortable discovery that Capt. Marsh may be rekindling an old relationship. Even casual readers of this series installment will note that Berger’s fictional universe is one that’s very much in the tradition of Star Trek (“Standing in the transporter room waiting to transport down, Marsh handed his brother a phaser”), although it’s reengineered for a younger demographic, with horses and horseback riding as recurring themes. The pacing, prose, and action are well attuned to the narrowly targeted readership; if one especially liked the Wesley Crusher–oriented episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, they’ll likely enjoy this spinoff, which clearly falls into a similar tradition.

A light interplanetary adventure with a mild Starfleet-esque flavor.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-7365421-2-5

Page Count: 270

Publisher: PolarisPrint

Review Posted Online: April 28, 2022

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THE WILD ROBOT PROTECTS

From the Wild Robot series , Vol. 3

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780316669412

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

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THE WILD ROBOT

From the Wild Robot series , Vol. 1

Thought-provoking and charming.

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A sophisticated robot—with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell—is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500.

When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment—not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different “accent”). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz’s growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell’s The Animal Family. At every moment Roz’s actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz’s benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions—and readers—with hope.

Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)

Pub Date: April 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-316-38199-4

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016

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