Earth & Sky

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Skylar suffers moments of panic when she senses that something is wrong, but she cannot name exactly what. To comfort herself, she focuses on number patterns using beads on a bracelet and things in her surroundings. Skylar's sensitivity comes to the attention of Win, who, while able to blend in with Earthlings, is actually from the planet Kemya. Win explains that while his home planet is in dreadful condition, scientists from there have been studying Earth and manipulating human behavior for thousands of years using time travel. He is part of a rebel group known as Travelers who want to end any control over humans, particularly since each "shift" in Earth's time causes the fabric holding life together to further tear apart (resulting in geological calamities). Skylar is pulled into his pursuit for pieces of a weapon that will destroy the time generator, not only because she wants to protect her planet, but because she wants to find out why her older brother disappeared many years earlier. The pair travel through time and space using a special cloak, all the while being chased and shot at by Enforcers who want to end the rebels' cause. The ending clearly sets up for a sequel, which will hopefully develop the major characters more fully and provide insight concerning a major flaw with the novel—why do the Kemyans continue to experiment with Earth, rather than worry about their own crumbling planet? The time travel element can be confusing, making this best suited for libraries with devoted sci-fi fans.—Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MO