A Tale of Aliens, Danger, and Ducks!
As I wrote The Drake Equation, I wanted to make EVERY page funny, exciting and imaginative. Did I succeed? Maybe!
Here’s a story preview:
Noah Grow is a bird-watcher. If you’re picturing some kid in a big floppy hat, peering up into trees through giant binoculars . . . well, good job! That’s exactly what he does. Right now, Noah is on a quest to find a wood duck. According to his calculation (which he calls the Drake Equation), the odds are really good for spotting one.
That’s why Noah gets off at the wrong bus stop. And that’s how he ends up falling down a hill, crashing into a fence, and landing right next to a strange, glittery disc.
Noah and his best friends soon discover that the mysterious disc is, well, mysterious. For starters, it gives Noah peculiar powers. And as things go from odd to outrageous, Noah is swept up in a storm of intergalactic intrigue and middle-school mayhem!
Reviews
“[This novel] has a lot going for it. There’s an immensely likable protagonist and his marvelous twin friends, a school life that feels true . . . and a mystery that really engages the reader. King tosses a lot of balls in the air, keeping the twists fast and furious, but thankfully, while Noah is suitably overwhelmed, the reader isn’t.” – San Francisco Review of Books
“Readers after funny sci-fi fare may enjoy the book’s absurdities, alien misunderstandings, and wordplay.” – Booklist
“Librarians will find that young readers empathize with the young birdwatcher and his friends…. children will enjoy the school and friendship aspects of the story.” – Teacher Librarian Magazine
“Noah is a strong enough character to snag interest and keep it… there’s clever humor and a great central protagonist to carry readers along to the end.” – Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Mock ‘field notes’ [offer] information from Noah’s perspective in a clever, albeit gratuitous way. A sci-fi narrative with an enjoyable main character.” – Kirkus
