Space Case

All manner of creatures walk abroad on Halloween night - a reality that proves very convenient for The Thing, a spaceship-like being from Outer Space, who lands near a neighborhood in the midst of trick-or-treating chaos. Accepted by the costumed children as 'the new kid from down the block,' The Thing tags along, collecting candy and observing the natives. He eventually follows the delighted Buddy McGee home, sleeping over and accompanying him to school the next day, where his presence proves most helpful, when Buddy realizes he has forgotten his space project...

With James Marshall's** trademark brand of deadpan humor - I loved the fact that Buddy suspected all along that The Thing was from Outer Space (well naturally! don't all kids show more suspect things like that?!?), and that his parents are (like so many grownups in real life) utterly oblivious to their son's comments at the breakfast table (Dad is even holding a newspaper with an article about a UFO sighting! Haha!) - Space Case is an amusingly alien take on a familiar theme. Combining two elements that most kids will relish - aliens! Halloween! - it offers an entertaining, madcap holiday adventure, perfect for young trick-or-treaters everywhere! Now they won't just be looking out for witches and monsters, Halloween night, but for aliens as well!

**I'm not sure exactly why it is, but Marshall (full name: James Edward Marshall) seems to have published a number of his books under the author name 'Edward Marshall,' and the illustrator name 'James Marshall,' when he was, in fact, both author and artist. show less

Cute, sweet story about a thing from outer space who takes a trip to Earth on Halloween, becomes friends with a young boy, and helps him with his science project by doing "some fancy mathematics" (1,000 + 830 = 1,830.)

The story is about a small space ship named the thing and his trip to earth. The thing has trouble making friends when he first gets to earth but it just so happens to be Halloween on earth so when he spots a group of kids trick or treating they let him join thinking he is wearing a costume. After trick or treating the thing follows one of the boys, whose name is Billy, home and when Billy notices him following him, he asks the thing to stay the night. The thing stays the night with Billy and studies the dictionary so he can communicate better. The thing tells Billy that he is from outer space but Billy said he already assumed that. The thing goes with Billy to school the next day and helps him out by being Billy's space project for show more school.

I think this is a fun and exciting fantasy book for children to read. The Pictures that went along with the literature where very detailed and bright.

An extension could be to have the students make their own space ship craft. show less

It came from outer space . . . to have a look around. But the alien visitor, who first met cows and chickens, wasn’t too impressed until he met some trick-or-treaters.

What does the space visitor want? And what will he think about school?

Young readers will enjoy the laugh-out-loud antics of the thing from outer space. Young readers will find the events in the unfolding story easy to relate to and the colorful illustrations will keep them involved in the story.

Recommended.

I got this from the library and read it to my daughter who is now almost three. I guess I wasn't sure she would even grasp a UFO, but she liked it very much and I found it a pleasure to read.

This is book is a cute space book. It takes place on Halloween also so you can make it a Halloween themed book. It's a silly book for children to listen to. It can help with an imagination lesson.

a fun little space rocket comes and helps a little boy do the things that he has forgetten or that he doesnt wanna do
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