3 Middle Grade Cli-Fi Novels | SLJ Spotlight

Three middle grade titles explore climate change through a thrilling science fiction lens.

 

These three titles explore climate change through a thrilling science fiction lens.

Bearce, Amy. Planet Perfect.160p. (Harbor). Jolly Fish Pr. Jan. 2025. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781631639012.
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. VERDICT If Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games took place in space and was written for elementary school readers, this would be it. An additional purchase.–Maria Martin

Egan, Catherine. The Factory. 320p. Scholastic. Jan. 2025. pap. $8.99. ISBN 9781339034218.
Gr 4-6–Egan crafts a new science fiction novel with a suspenseful and original story. Thirteen-year-old Asher has grown up in a world wrecked by climate change and takes the chance to change his family’s financial situation in a government-run experiment at a place known only as The Factory. There he joins a diverse group of youth desperate to earn income for their family. As kids start to suffer increasingly severe effects from the experiments, they must work together to find the truth and a way out. Egan does an excellent job of balancing worldbuilding, plot, and character development. The world presented through school lessons and character backstories is one of severe climate devastation and economic inequality. The cast of characters, primarily the children, is diverse in that it includes multiple ethnicities. While the point of view is Asher’s, the other characters’ histories, motivations, and personalities are developed enough that readers will be invested in them. This rich worldbuilding and character development carries through the slower paced first portion of the book until readers are rewarded with an increasingly fast-paced and tightly plotted final third that is hard to put down. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for the next book. VERDICT Readers will devour this middle grade cli-fi adventure with excellent characters and a fascinating concept.–Elizabeth Nicolai

Marantz, Keith & Larissa Brown. Blake Laser. illus. by Larissa Brown. 240p. HarperAlley. Dec. 2024. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9780063009677.
Gr 3-6–In the year 2354, Blake Laser might just be the smartest and most tech-savvy 12-year-old in the galaxy—now, if only her family would notice. What begins as a simple family vacation in outer space quickly turns into a high-stakes mission to save Earth. When Blake and her goofy, artistic older brother Brody’s parents are kidnapped by a pair of bumbling, blue aliens (think Home Alone’s robbers, in space), the siblings are thrust into action. As Blake’s quick thinking and leadership guide them through one intergalactic challenge after another, she gains confidence and steps into her own. This fast-paced, action-packed sci-fi graphic novel is loaded with humor, too, complete with an alien leader known as “The Ultimate Supreme Flart.” Blake’s family dynamics play a key role, with her mom, who is Black, and her dad, who is white, learning to appreciate their kids’ strengths along the way. While the vibrant artwork draws readers in, it sometimes skimps on detail, and the character development of Blake’s friends is lacking. Blake and her friend Anusha teasing their new friend Sherman about his weight and nerdiness comes off as unsavory. Despite these minor issues, this novel is sure to be a hit with fans of Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl. VERDICT A perfect pick for young readers who love fearless heroines and thrilling space adventures.–Amy Ribakove

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