Read with Zack. Very funny. Includes a bully. Aliens need boys help but end up helping him. good for those just starting to read fiction on their own. ( )

Children Book

Characters:
· Rod Albright- sixth grade boy who helps aliens
· Billy Blecker- school bully and alien (BKR)
· Arnie- Billy’s sidekick
· Linda and Eric- Rod’s twin siblings
· Grakker- the alien leader
· Madame Pong- the diplomatic alien

Notes:
o Billy Becker bullies Rod p. 1
o A spaceship lands in the papier mache p. 8
o Cute Dr. Suess references (Thing One and Two, and the Whos) p 5 and 12
o Rod helps the aliens (nice picture) p. 24
o Rod’s homework gets destroyed p. 38, p. 66
o Arnie steals Grakker p. 54
o Rod helps the aliens break into Billy’s house p. 84
o Rod learns that Billy is BKR p. 87
o Rod gets caught p. 94
o The Twins are in danger p. 129
o Rod saves the day p. 158

Subjects/topics/themes: science fiction, school, absent parent, bullying

Related titles: I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X, My Teacher Flunked the Planet, My Teacher Fried My Brains

Annotation: This short tale is a great introductory into the genre of science fiction. The fun of miniature aliens, and the reality of bullies, siblings, and an absent parent are relatable and handled with great care.

This series was one of the I read that really made me think about life and the universe. Coville's novels in general gave me my love of science fiction.

Fun book. Had a had time for a kids book with language that was not neccessary. ( )