ONLY CHILD

Cody, born on the research ship Annie Cannon, is 12 before he leaves the ship. He's unprepared for the sky and sea on planet Patina, or for the "skippers," large, insect-like creatures that seem to be intelligent—an apparent impossibility, since humans have allowed them on the planet. Captured by the skippers, Cody learns that their culture is actually well known to humans but is being suppressed; escaping, he leaves Patina determined to have the skippers recognized by the government on Earth. In the year of Columbus, a spacefaring story about a native culture destroyed by explorers should have some appeal; unfortunately, this one is simplistic and poorly motivated. Cody's mother describes him as an "experiment," but what kind is never clear. He causes a planet-wide search by disappearing for one night, then is calmly allowed to wander off again. And what does his being the only child on the planet have to do with his adventures and their resolution? Not one of Hoover's better efforts. (Fiction. 9+)