Review: Nick Lake’s realistic YA science fiction SATELLITE
I was not going to bypass a story pitched as THE MARTIAN for teens, and SATELLITE fills its brief fabulously: you won’t be disappointed if you come looking for realistic space-exploration science. But this book delivered lots, lots more…so much that I’m planning to read it again.
SATELLITE follows 15-year-old Leo Freeman, one of the first babies to be born and raised on a space station, after his astronaut mom was discovered to be pregnant once in orbit. Leo’s got two older friend-“siblings” from a different mom, who got together with another fellow astronaut when they were on a long-term research program in orbit, part of preparation for human colonisation-journeys to other worlds. Continue reading “Review: Nick Lake’s realistic YA science fiction SATELLITE”
How Scotland could save civilization
I’m an American living in Scotland, writing books for children – about alien worlds and parallel worlds and hidden worlds so tiny we overlook them. My stories have something in common: the characters come to find they were wrong about people they thought they understood, and everyone ends up a little wiser, and more respectful of each other. Continue reading “How Scotland could save civilization”
Review: Lisa Thompson’s MG mystery The Goldfish Boy
Confession: this is a review I hadn’t intended to do; I tend to write up only the advance review copy books I get from NetGalley. But on rereading THE GOLDFISH BOY this week with my daughter, it struck me again what a genius work of middle grade fiction it is. Continue reading “Review: Lisa Thompson’s MG mystery The Goldfish Boy”
I pledged allegiance
I pledged allegiance to the flag
after the scuff of chairs and desks,
facing front, hand pressed to my heart;
The sagging stripes and folded stars
didn’t stand for the Republic,
but Happy Days and Hostess cakes,
sprinkler summers and autumn leaves,
tobogganing and snowball fights;
They’re throwing more than snowballs now,
and there’s no ducking it: it’s blame,
for their dead American dream.
My hand still presses to my heart.
O America, this rebirth
of indecency must not stand;
Remember justice?
It was supposed to be for all.
Words: Sheila M. Averbuch
Photo: Paul Sableman on Flickr