Michelle Brown (4)

First off, there are aliens in our universe.
Secondly, there are aliens called the Boptons (which, given that I am a child of the 80s and 90s made me really want there to be a reference to the Bop It! game at least once… but I digress.) … Anyway, 11 year old aliens from this race go to different planets. The reader assumes this is for research prior to invasion but (minus the title) it’s never really sure.

Our story starts with an 11-year old Bopton takes over the appearance of a small boy from Earth. The Earthling family has been abducted and sits terrified in front of the Bopton family. They have become guests on the Bopton world, where the Bopton mom will look after them as other Boptons study them.

At this point, the 11-year old Bopton becomes Felix Winters and soon enough he lands on Earth. His spaceship heads back home. He will need to stay on Earth until a vague, undefined future date where he will answer a question before he can go home. Now he needs to find his way to the real Felix’s aunt and uncle’s house in order to blend in with the family.

But all that is just setting up the story. The real heart of this story is about how Felix makes friends and enemies at school, as well as how he views humanity and American culture. Each chapter is headed by a sheet of paper with observations written on them. They are interesting, accurate, curious and telling for the next part of the story. His developing friendships are interesting to watch. The rest of the characters are generally well fleshed out, and the plot moves quickly without dragging.

This was a very interesting read. I can’t wait to read more in the series.… (mehr)

I was excited to receive an early review copy of "Tales of an Alien Invader," since I enjoy science fiction. This is an interesting read for boys, girls, and adults - especially if you like baseball. An 11-year-old alien boy is sent on a "rite of passage" scouting mission to Earth where he assumes the identity of an Earth boy to live with his extended family. His job is to live as a human being, study the human race and report back.

Every chapter begins with notes from his journal, documenting his studies. They provide interesting tidbits. I especially enjoyed his reaction to the smells humans put on their bodies and clothes and how they all don’t blend well together. This book is easy to read and provides some fun ways to learn science. It also deals with the issue of bullying.

There were some typos in the version I received, which will be corrected in the published version. I highly recommend this book. It kept my interest and I look forward to more from author Michelle Brown.… (mehr)