Roswell Johnson Saves the World!

March 15, 2024
Grades 4-7 As a big UFO fan, 11-year-old Roswell is thrilled when he's kidnapped by a pair of bumbling aliens--until all three of them are then captured by other, more hostile aliens poised to swoop down on an unsuspecting Earth. Can Roz escape and reach the capital of the Galactic Alliance in the center of the Milky Way in time to ask for help? Colfer lets the laws of physics slide but festoons the ensuing interstellar odyssey with both fictive and real starry wonders, as well as a notably diverse cast, ranging from genderless, four fingered Grays to evil human billionaire "Eli Rump," who made his money in luxury toilets and is working with the bad aliens. It turns out that the Alliance is uninterested in saving Earth unless humans demonstrate an ability to live in peace. Being Black, Roswell has already experienced enough to understand that that's a nonstarter; and so it's on to Plan B. Still, the tale does reach a happy, if temporary, resolution, with a few loose ends left for sequels.

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April 1, 2024
Roswell Johnson is about to go on a bigger journey than he could ever imagine. Precocious 11-year-old Roswell, one of the few Black kids in his class, loves everything about astronomy, space, and the conspiracy theories that often accompany these topics. After all, inspired by a UFO sighting, his late father did name him Roswell. Following a major disappointment at the school science fair, Roswell's ready to give it all up when aliens accidentally abduct him (along with Persephone, one of his grandparents' chickens). He finds himself on a mission to save Earth from colonization while exploring far-flung corners of the galaxy and strange alien planets. Roswell's journey is complicated by the fact that he's being hunted by Reptoids, a vicious race of aliens who want to cause chaos and will stop at nothing. Along the way, he befriends a ragtag group of aliens, and together they race against the galactic clock before time runs out and he loses everything he loves. The combination of factual information and witty humor will maintain readers' engagement as they follow Roswell's journey. Much of the information about space, including the names of stars and constellations and facts about planets, is accurate and presented in an entertaining and seamless way. Actor and novelist Colfer also touches on prejudice and racism: Roswell grapples with both the injustices he faces and the ones he sees others confront. Final art not seen. A page-turning adventure that's truly out of this world. (author's note, glossary) (Science fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 27, 2024
Eleven-year-old Oklahoma native Roswell Johnson grew up listening to stories of alien contact from his late father, who claimed to have seen a UFO. Now, Roswell is obsessed with proving aliens exist. Following a disastrous science fair, Roswell is accidentally abducted by Nerp and Bleep, a pair of aliens called Grays who were performing routine analysis on Earth life forms. Before he can be returned home, the trio is captured by malevolent Reptoids, who have sinister plans for Earth. Escaping with the aid of fellow prisoners—including overly literal Cyborg Rob, anxious Mantis Mank, and exuberant anthropomorphic canine Cassi Furbottom—the unlikely group must travel the galaxy to gather support in order to thwart the Reptoids before it’s too late. This spacefaring jaunt by Colfer (A Tale of Sorcery) is exuberant, earnest, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek. While an overabundance of tropes and nonstop pop culture references are sometimes distracting, altogether, it’s an enjoyable manifestation of found family and indefatigable resilience. Roswell is of Nigerian, Comanche, Cameroonian, French Creole, and German descent. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management.

June 14, 2024

Gr 4-7-Colfer's newest novel delivers a fast-paced science fiction adventure splashed with truth. Seventh grader Roswell Johnson was named after the famed 1947 UFO event in Roswell, NM. Raised by his grandparents and with both parents deceased, Roswell remembers enough of his father to have inherited his love of science, particularly involving planets, space, and aliens. Although others don't ascribe to his belief in extraterrestrials, Roswell gets an up-close and personal experience when he is accidentally abducted by a pair of aliens who want some DNA from a chicken to add to their collection. Roswell is sent on a whirlwind tour of the universe in a quest to save Earth from the Reptoids, an evil set of reptilian-like aliens bent on universal domination. Roswell, who is Black, is wise beyond his years in his knowledge of space, and converses easily with primarily adult aliens who all speak in English, with the exception of a cyborg who only speaks with beeps and boops. Readers will find Roswell kind, empathetic, and winning as he navigates his way around the universe with a cast of characters from various planets and dimensions in space. Colfer has nicely set up this 400-plus page novel for a sequel, much like his "Land of Stories" series. VERDICT A first purchase for libraries seeking adventurous science fiction mingled with facts about the universe.-Tracy Cronce

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