Alien in my Pocket: Blast Off!

2015-2016 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Winner!

With engaging illustrations on every spread, a page-turning plot, a do-it-yourself experiment on building your own rocket, and fun science facts throughout, this is the perfect chapter book for young readers! And it's all from the amazing brain of MIT graduate Nate Ball, host of PBS's Emmy Award-winning Design Squad series.

When a four-inch-tall alien crash-lands through Zack McGee's bedroom window, Zack is sure he's about to become the first victim in a new War of the Worlds. But when the alien turns out to have weapons that are more ticklish than terrifying, Zack realizes that rather than protect the world from the alien, it's up to him to protect the alien in his pocket from the world.

The adventure begins in this thrilling new chapter book series, complete with a do-it-yourself science experiment!

Editorial Reviews

With lots of illustrations, this series gives kids an extraterrestrial adventure they will love." - Brightly

- From the Publisher

2013-10-20

Fourth-grader Zack McGee's plans for his new school year change drastically when a 4-inch-tall blue alien crashes into his bedroom and asks for help to return to his home world. First in a series combining scientific facts, projects and alien-invasion stories, this is an agreeable introduction. Zack's desperate efforts to conceal his new friend and to build a replacement launching system for his space ship provide both suspense and humor. He can't hide Amp from neighbor and best friend Olivia, but that's a good thing. She helps him construct a bottle rocket that soars satisfyingly high though not far enough to send Amp back into space. Unlike the rest of his scientific family, Zack has been a less-than-stellar performer in school, more interested in baseball. This provides plenty of opportunity for both Olivia and Amp to explain things to him and to readers along the way. Step-by-step instructions for constructing a rocket using a 2-liter soda bottle, a rubber stopper, duct tape and a bicycle pump are appended. Short chapters and black-and-white comics-style illustrations add reader appeal. A sequel, The Science Unfair (978-0-06-231494-9), will be published simultaneously, and a third, Radio Active, is scheduled for May 2014. A pleasing combination of fact and fancy, the Alien in My Pocket series will be welcomed by science-minded middle-grade readers. (Science fiction. 7-11)

- Kirkus Reviews

12/16/2013

Ball, host of PBS's Design Squad Nation, proves that his know-how extends beyond science and engineering in this playful first book in the Alien in My Pocket series. After a spaceship crashes in Zack's bedroom, Amp, a tiny blue alien, emerges and announces that his planet plans to invade Earth. Amp is horrified at how large earthlings are ("This is an intergalactic snafu of epic proportions!"), and he asks Zack to help fix his spaceship so he can return home to call off the attack. Stowing away in Zack's backpack, the alien creates a stir at school as he demonstrates his power to alter people's behavior and upends the science lab while searching for materials to fix his ship. Ball slyly slips science into the plot, which culminates in the kids building a bottle rocket to launch Amp's spacecraft (bottle rocket instructions are included). With its screwball comedy and lively dialogue, the novel gives readers the opportunity to laugh as they learn. The Science Unfair pubs simultaneously. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 6-10. Author's agent: Linda Loewenthal, David Black Agency. (Jan.)

- Publishers Weekly

With lots of illustrations, this series gives kids an extraterrestrial adventure they will love.

- Brightly

With lots of illustrations, this series gives kids an extraterrestrial adventure they will love.

- Brightly.com

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