What Came from the Stars

When a chain necklace falls from the sky and into Tommy’s lunchbox, of course he puts it on. What he doesn’t expect is the strange knowledge and skills he suddenly possesses. And what’s up with the eerie weather and the rash of break-ins in his small town of Plymouth, Massachusetts? As if Tommy didn’t already have enough to handle – a sister who hasn’t spoken in over a year, a dad who’s trying to save their house from a pushy real estate developer, and his own guilt over his mom’s death.

Meanwhile, far away in outer space, a brave warrior called Younger Waeglim – the very last of the Valorim race – is imprisoned by the evil Lord Mondus, trying to determine a way to save the Ethelim people from Mondus’s heartless rule.

But what does Tommy’s life have to do with Waeglim’s?

Find out in this latest novel from Newbery alum Gary D. Schmidt.

The chapters about Waeglim’s world can be a little confusing because everything has a different name and there isn’t really any exposition before the plot begins. I recommend starting at the back of the book, where there is a glossary and a short history of Waeglim’s planet. Then you’ll be more prepared to understand the story, and you can keep referring back to those appendices as you read. ( )

I didn't enjoy the book but I also didn't care much for Harry Potter. I think it was well written, maybe even the mind of a genius. It is definitely more of a guy read.
It was suggested to read the last chapter first to better understand the concept.
I think this is a fantasy/sci-fi genre. ( )

I agree with KimJD -- "I loved, loved, loved the more "earthbound" portion of this story: Tommy Pepper and his father and younger sister are dealing with the recent death of their mother, fighting a determined real estate developer who wants to raze their tiny house on the shore to make way for some condos, and generally doing their best to hang on. Schmidt draws the reader right in to Tommy's life and makes it really matter. I did not love, love, love the (admittedly shorter) chapters dealing with the Valorim and the O'Mondim battling it out on the distant planet. Schmidt writes those chapters in a very high-fantasy style and the names and other-worldly words are hard to get through. But persistent readers will get enough from them to understand that the bad guys are doing their best to get the necklace back, and both stories do come together at the end in quite a satisfying conclusion." I liked Tommy's part best, the other world was a big confusing on audio.

Narrated by Graham Winton. It was a little complicated listening to this particularly during the fantasy scenes with the Valorim etc. I had trouble tracking what was happening there. But it parallels Tommy Pepper's story about his family grieving his mother's recent death and a snippy local developer wanting to buy their beloved home so she can build condos on the property. The Valorim necklace (?) that comes into Tommy's possession via his lunchbox, gives Tommy the strength to do the right thing, and ultimately that's what the book is about, standing up for what's right. In a nutshell. ( )

This book felt like a modern version of Bruce Coville's "My Teacher is an Alien" series. There's quite a bit more character development and emotion, however, as the main character's mother has died and his father is trying to keep the family home out of the hands of developers. Then, there are the aliens. The scenes that take place on the alien planet are very difficult to understand, even for an adult, so I can't imagine how hard they would be for the intended audience. I had to read the last chapter over again to really understand what it was saying. A solid story, but with large parts of the book written in a way that is difficult for kids, I'd only recommend to more advanced readers. ( )