From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–A sequel to
Space Race (2000) and
Earthborn (2002, both Delacorte), all set in present-day England. On his 13th birthday, Jacob Bradwell discovers that his father is an alien from the planet Ormingat. Though Jacob's mother is an earthling, the boy was entwined as an infant with the Ormingats when his father, Steven, administered a lifesaving Ormingat medication. Jacob has always felt different from others, including his own sisters, and now he knows why. Steven's job is to view his fellow aliens through a monitor and provide fencing, a kind of invisibility, which protects them while they perform their work until their return to Ormingat. Jacob and Steven become involved in cases where earthlings begin to suspect alien presence and one Ormingat child runs away to avoid leaving Earth. As the time draws near for Jacob and his father to return home, neither one wants to leave his Earth family, though the command module demands complete obedience. Hidden spaceships, invasive gadgets, morphing bodies, and all-powerful command modules give the story a classic sci-fi feeling. Both mystery and adventure drive a plot that centers on Jacob coming to terms with his dual identity. This story stands on its own and satisfies the demand for quality science fiction of which there never seems to be enough.
–Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. This companion book to Waugh's
Space Race (2000) and
Earthborn (2002) revolves around a startling revelation. On Jacob's thirteenth birthday, his father divulges that he came from the planet Ormingat, that he performs an unusual job on Earth, and that he and Jacob are both aliens. Over the next few months, Jacob learns more about Ormingat as he and his father work together to help fellow aliens and engage in a sometimes-prickly process of getting to know each other better. Some characters from the previous novels reappear, making the story more resonant for those who know them, though readers picking up this book first will find Jacob's story engaging. Best known for the Mennyms series, Waugh writes with a certain formality and distance, yet the story shows a keen perception of personalities and relationships. Science fiction for those who like their reality tweaked by the possibility of aliens living among us.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
