Planet Perfect

Gr 4-6–A space adventure geared toward reluctant tween readers. Twenty years ago, aliens landed on Earth and left nothing but a TV channel that broadcasts only reality and game shows. No one on Earth has been chosen to participate in The Galaxy’s Greatest Game Show, Planet Perfect’s most popular show, until now. Fourteen-year old Meg, a climate activist, has been nominated and agrees to participate in order to uncover the secret of Planet Perfect’s clean energy. Meg makes new friends from across the galaxy and together they work to protect their planets from a clandestine conspiracy. Meg is impulsive but passionate about finding a solution to Earth’s climate change. As she participates in the game show, she becomes more self-aware and learns what it means to be a good friend. The story’s plot is fast-paced with high stakes, but unfortunately the short length of the book weakens the suspense around Meg’s investigation. Additionally, a romantic subplot detracts from Meg’s personal journey. Lin, the only other human contestant in the game show, is from China. The rest of the human characters are cued white.