Barbara Kerley is the author of several award-winning
picture books, but Greetings from Planet Earth is her first middle-grade novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this distinctive
and engaging book and look forward to reading more from her in the future!
In 1977, Theo’s 12th birthday is bittersweet. His
mom, grandma, and older sister celebrate with him and give him nice gifts, but
his father is still missing. His dad joined the Army and went to Vietnam, but
he never returned; it was years before Theo heard the term MIA because his
mother never talks about his dad. But even knowing his dad is MIA still leaves
Theo with a lot of questions about him because he barely remembers the father
that left when Theo was 5 years old. No one ever wants to talk about him, but
finally, Theo’s grandma begins to tell him about his dad.
At the same time, Theo’s mind is also occupied by his class
project. Voyager 2 will leave Earth in the summer carrying golden records to
bring greetings from earth into space. Theo’s class is making their own golden
record, and Theo needs to figure out what his contribution will be. What is the
most important thing about Earth? And its people? Theo considers and discards
many ideas for his photo and recording, as he gradually learns more and more
about his missing father.
Greetings from Planet Earth seamlessly blends light-hearted fun, facts about the moon, and
introspective drama into a single, agreeable story. It captures the excitement
of the early space era, along with the thoughtfulness of a young boy’s search
for both his identity and his father. The characters are all real and likable,
and the story moves along at a fast-pace and even has some surprises hiding
along the way. It’s an excellent novel for middle-grade readers of both genders
who enjoy realistic stories with some depth and heart.
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