Hello, Nebulon! (Galaxy Zack #1)

In the lively first title in the Galaxy Zack series, set in 2120, Zack is unhappy about moving from Earth to Nebulon for his father's job. Soaring to their new planet in the family space cruiser, the eight-year-old thinks about how much he'll miss his best friend, and has nightmares that his new classmates are monstrous aliens and that Nebulite pizza is topped with worms and "extra-moldy cheese." Yet he's impressed--as will be readers--by the planet's gadgetry: cars and bikes zip through the air, and a sideways-moving elevator transports the family through their house. An invisible, talking computer tends to their every need, and Jack's bed drops from a ceiling panel, as does food that lands on the family's floating dinner table. Illustrator Jack's (Toads on Toast) Jetsons-meets-Johnny Neutron illustrations, which appear on every page, energize the story and make its fun, futuristic details all the easier to envision, while O'Ryan's trim sentences and brisk dialogue are well targeted at beginning readers. A second book, Journey to Juno, is available simultaneously, and four additional titles will arrive later in the year. Ages 5-7. (Apr.)

K-Gr 2--Students will blast into the future with these exciting books. Moving is hard enough for an eight-year-old boy, but moving to another planet is a cosmic challenge. Zack Nelson's father has accepted a great new job, but it is on the planet Nebulon. Sure, Zack has visited Mars and Venus lots of times, but this is different. His imagination gets the better of him as he dreams of slimy alien classmates that he won't relate to and food that is simply gross. Yet his biggest worry is that he will never be able to communicate with his friends on Earth again. He faces his fears and bravely embraces his new lifestyle. In Juno, Zack is paired with the class bully during a field trip and learns something about himself and Seth. Students will gravitate toward Zack and relate to his concerns and experiences, especially those who have faced a move. The intergalactic setting and futuristic gadgets will keep youngsters enthralled as they delve into reading chapter books on their own. Parents will also enjoy them as read-alouds because the stories are reminiscent of all of the technological advances of the future that they dreamed of and were introduced to by the Jetsons, Star Trek, and other 20th-century hits. On every page, large, gray-scale illustrations add humor and interest to the crisp, clear texts. These fantastically fun titles will add diversity to any collection and will appeal to boys and girls alike.--Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE