All of the Space Books

Gibbs, Stuart. Waste of Space (Moon Base Alpha #3)
April 24th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young ReadersE ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Dash is missing the freedom of being on Earth-- space stations are very small places, and tensions run high when everyone begins to feel cooped up. On his 13th birthday, his father takes him "outside" to play a bit of catch, but their outing is interrupted by a scream. Space tourist Lars Sjoberg has taken ill, and Chang and Dash's father realize that he has been poisoned. The station Commander, Nina, asks Dash to investigate, because she suspects Chang is a possibility. Along with Kira, as well as his young sister Violet, investigate how someone could have gotten cyanide and snuck it into Lars' lutefisk. Unfortunately, there are bigger problems-- the base is running out of oxygen and is going to be evacuated. Dash is happy to be going home, but wants to tidy up the loose ends before leaving.
Strengths: Gibbs always delivers a nice, solid mystery with great characters, twists in the plot, and lots of humor. This is no exception. I loved that the unpleasant realities of living on a space station are not neglected, but Dash isn't portrayed as being completely miserable, either.The ending of this was particularly good, and I'm a bit sad that Dash and his family went home. There is a nice epilogue about Dash's later life. I usually hate those (Harry Potter much?), but was okay with this one.
Weaknesses: Calling the inhabitants of the space station Moonies and using the acronym MBA for the station is not going to grate on children the way it grated on me.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and may have to look into replacing some of my copies of the first books in each of Gibbs' series, since they are falling apart!


Walden, Mark. Redemption (Earthfall #3)
April 24th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Still have readers who want dystopian books? Look no further than this great alien invasion series. My readers have been eagerly awaiting this book, which took longer to cross the pond than they wanted. Creeped me out a little-- I wasn't in a mood to read about the thousands of pod people who were suffering, but there's lots of action and adventure in the book, and Sam has some cool powers.

From Goodreads.com
"The thrilling conclusion to the outstanding Earthfall trilogy for sci-fi fans everywhere. Can Earth be reclaimed?

The battle for Earth continues. In order to defeat the Voidborn, the alien race that invaded Earth, Sam must come to terms with the Illuminate powers he has inherited and return to London. The only hope he has for defeating the aliens is to enlist the help of not only his friends, but also what he fears most.

Sam and his friends must find a way to awaken the sleeping Illuminate far beneath the surface of the Earth, but what they don't realise is a dark and terrible secret is also about to be uncovered. A secret that may spell doom for all of humanity.

One thing is certain, whatever happens, life will never be the same for Sam ever again. And he will be forced to confront the reality that he may have to pay the ultimate price or finally watch the Earth fall."

L'Engle, Madeleine. Intergalactic P.S.3
Published February 6th 2018 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Originally published in 1970
Public library copy

I can see this illustrated chapter book being bought by a lot of elementary schools who want to introduce readers to the characters they have met in The Wrinkle in Time movie, but this did not work for me. Why? I have an intense hatred of Charles Wallace that I had forgotten! I adored Meg, I owned a paperback copy of the original book for years and years, but I never liked Charles Wallace and his little pajama'd feet and his precociousness. Those are in full force in this book-- the kid is so freaky that he has to go to school on another planet. Um, no thank you. I have enough trouble getting readers to pick up the original book, so I am going to pass on purchasing this one.

From Goodreads.com:
Charles Wallace Murry is old enough to start school, but his sister, Meg, and their friend Calvin know he isn’t cut out for school on Earth―Meg worries that he’ll be more misunderstood than ever. Luckily, with the help of the three celestial creatures Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which, there is another place where Charles Wallace can get his education: Intergalactic P.S. 3, a public school in a completely different galaxy. The three children travel through time and space to reach the school, but for them all to make it home safely, Meg must undergo a test that will challenge her inner strength, her perspective, and her ability to protect the ones she loves.