Geoff Rodkey

Lan has been living with his family (Mom, Dad, older sister and former pop star Ila) on Mars for a while, when they have a chance to move to Planet Choom, inhabited by three other species that coexist peacefully. The Mifune family and many others go into bio-suspension for the trip, but by the time they arrive, the government on Choom has changed and their invitation has been rescinded. They have nowhere else to go - can Lan and his family convince the Zhuri, Ororo, and Krik to let them show more stay?

Lan is a very relatable narrator; he tries very hard to be likable (after all, humanity depends on it), even in situations that are very frightening; for example, his family is greeted by a swarm of Zhuri, reminiscent of angry protestors (but scarier, because they can fly and shoot venom).

After the final, climactic events, there's an epilogue of sorts: a transcript of Choom Television Channel Five, Day 162 After Human Arrival. Lan, his human friend Naya, Zhuri friend Iruu, Ororo friend Marf (seven thousand times smarter than humans), and Krik friend Ezger give news and updates on music, comedy, and entertainment.

See also: The Giver by Lois Lowry; (for teens) Feed by M.T. Anderson, Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

"People believe what they want to believe." (Dad to Lan, 16)

It was infuriating to get called violent and primitive, by a bunch of people who'd attacked us in a mob the second we set foot on their planet, then tried to pretend they were the peaceful ones. (111)

"In most societies, there are two basic forces in conflict: progress and tradition." (145)

"Even in a non-hive species, large groups of people - especially angry or frightened ones - behave in ways that individuals never would. Sometimes they wind up doing things that are incredibly tragic and stupid. Not to mention violent." (149)

"I'm trying very hard not to commit any crimes that can't be forgiven once we overthrow the government....
"I'm afraid it's my only choice...I seem to have gotten myself in the kind of trouble you don't get out of unless you change the rules of the game." (Marf to Lan, 210) show less

Egg, a despised youngest child, embarks on a series of adventures when a seeming accident causes his entire family to be lost in a runaway hot-air balloon. Now heir to his father's island plantation, can Egg stay safe from the people who appear to want him dead?

This book has a lot of great elements, and it brings them together nicely -- a likable hero, a feisty female character, pirates, a convincing villain, a bit of mystery . . . in short, I liked it a lot. I'll be looking forward to the show more rest of the series. show less

Since I was so very charmed by Geoff Rodkey's first installment in the Chronicles of Egg series, I couldn't wait to read New Lands! I was looking forward to more adventures, and greatly hoping that some of my questions from the last book would be answered. I was nervous as I turned the first page.

Luckily, I had nothing to worry about. New Lands turned out to be just as quirky and enjoyable as its predecessor. Rodkey reintroduces our faithful travelling companions and then, best of all, gives show more us some new ones to fall in love with. What I loved about this book was how much more in-depth the reader is allowed to see into the characters. Egg, Millicent, and even Guts, each begin to grow up right before our eyes.

Egg especially comes into his own during the course of this book. His new, mature attitude makes a definite impact on his travels this time. He finally begins to understand that he doesn't need to lean on his family for support, but that his strength comes from within. Rodkey allows Egg the perfect balance between childishness and adulthood, making for a beautiful adventure.

Rich with new lands (no pun intended) and problems to face, this is a very fast moving book. Whether it's chasing ancient weapons, battling curses, or figuring out who might be a traitor, Egg and his companions never have a moment's rest. Although this series is a bit darker than I expected, it is absolutely well written. I can't wait to see what happens next! show less

Set in what appears to be hundreds of years in the future, Lan and his family are among hundreds of human survivors of some calamity that befell Earth. They have all been living in a space station on Mars but their rations are running low. They need to find a new planet to live and options are few. They receive an invitation from the planet Choom to live there but after a 20-year journey in biosuspension, arrive to find the offer rescinded. Believing all humans to be violent and dangerous, show more the government will allow only Lan’s family to live on the planet on a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, all the humans are out of luck. While trying to put forth their best selves, the family must also deal with challenges of cultural misunderstandings, a very different lifestyle, and living among beings that look like giant mosquitoes. Would appeal to kids who like adventure, reluctant readers looking for something different to appeal to them. Overall, entertaining science fiction. show less