Out of this world

Book Cover
Average Rating
Series
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication Date
2020.
Language
English

Description

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this intergalactic middle-grade adventure by Chris Wooding.

If he had it his way, Jack would spend his days drawing aliens and epic space battles. But it seems Jack's daydreams of action and adventure will remain just that: daydreams.Until his 12th birthday, that is. That's when Thomas, the annoying kid from school, stumbles upon a weird machine that sends a beam of light into the sky. Suddenly, Jack's world is turned upside down when intergalactic beings appear on Earth and try to kill him. His only hope for survival is a ragtag team of alien bounty hunters: Boston Sark, Mazzy, Dunk, and Ilara. Through his new companions, Jack learns of the mysterious Gradius Clench, a precocious superspy and the universe's most wanted kid. And he looks just like Jack! Now, the race is on to find this elusive Gradius Clench -- through fantastic landscapes, seedy pirate hideaways, and worlds Jack could only imagine -- and maybe, just maybe, figure out how Jack fits into all of this...

More Details

ISBN
9781338289343

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Also in this Series

  • Out of this world (Out of this world Volume 1) Cover

Author Notes

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Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These series have the theme "alien invasions"; and the subjects "aliens," "preteen boys," and "human-alien encounters."
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These series have the genre "science fiction comics"; and the subjects "aliens," "alliances," and "friendship."
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These series have the appeal factors funny, and they have the genre "science fiction"; and the subjects "aliens," "misadventures," and "friendship."
These series have the appeal factors funny, action-packed, and amusing, and they have the genres "science fiction" and "humorous stories"; and the subjects "aliens," "misadventures," and "human-alien encounters."
These series have the appeal factors wordplay-filled, and they have the genres "science fiction" and "humorous stories"; and the subjects "aliens," "misadventures," and "adventure."
These series have the appeal factors action-packed, and they have the theme "alien invasions"; the genre "science fiction comics"; and the subjects "aliens," "friendship," and "human-alien encounters."
These series have the appeal factors offbeat and witty, and they have the genres "science fiction" and "humorous stories"; and the subjects "aliens," "misadventures," and "preteen boys."

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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

With a knowing wink to middle-grade fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, and any number of other space operas, Wooding pitches an underachieving preteen into an interstellar caper featuring a decidedly unruly quartet of alien bounty hunters and an AI with . . . quirks. The tale kicks into gear when the ultracool goth classmate whom Jack was eyeing abruptly dissolves into a murderous, glutinous shapechanger. In practically no time, Jack finds himself rescued, told he's inexplicably a dead ringer for a certain highly wanted superspy, and involved in a desperate effort to head off a planet buster aimed toward Earth by alien invaders. Jack's exaggeratedly needy, clumsy, overweight, asthmatic, and (initially) unwelcome human sidekick, Thomas, strikes a sour note, but it's the only one in a supporting cast that, from evil cyborg general to haughty princess and geeky girl techno whiz, otherwise rings loud and true with recognizable sf fantasy types. Along with leaving readers breathless, the hyperspeed hullabaloo brings a newly confident Jack to the brink of new adventures. Stay tuned.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Kirkus Book Review

Jack has long wondered why his family moves every year and why his parents treat him more like a military recruit than a kid--now he's about to find out. No question, Jack's parents are weird. His dad's survival training includes surprise attacks launched at dawn for Jack to evade; his mom, an academic coach, is disappointed in him--he can't even recite Shakespeare's complete works. At school, Jack daydreams about cool, pretty Jodie; evades seriously uncool, asthmatic Thomas; and enjoys sketching strange creatures inhabiting far-flung planets in outer space. When Thomas shows up with a celebratory cake on Jack's otherwise uncelebrated 12th birthday, Jack can't prevent Thomas from exploring his house until they stumble upon strange devices in the attic that Thomas--ignoring Jack's frantic warning--can't resist touching. A chain of events ensues that leads to actual outer space, landing the boys in more trouble than they can handle. Never fear: Allies, human and otherwise, are at hand to teach lessons in teamwork. (Human characters skew white.) At times, slapdash execution and jarring stylistic inconsistencies threaten to derail this series opener. The tone veers from subversively sardonic (as in William Sleator's Interstellar Pig, 1984) to drolly whimsical (à la Douglas Adams), with echoes from the Star Wars franchise. If not in top form here, Wooding's never dull; the fast-paced plot features his signature twists and turns. Escapist fun for space-opera fans. (Science fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

With a knowing wink to middle-grade fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, and any number of other space operas, Wooding pitches an underachieving preteen into an interstellar caper featuring a decidedly unruly quartet of alien bounty hunters and an AI with . . . quirks. The tale kicks into gear when the ultracool goth classmate whom Jack was eyeing abruptly dissolves into a murderous, glutinous shapechanger. In practically no time, Jack finds himself rescued, told he's inexplicably a dead ringer for a certain highly wanted superspy, and involved in a desperate effort to head off a planet buster aimed toward Earth by alien invaders. Jack's exaggeratedly needy, clumsy, overweight, asthmatic, and (initially) unwelcome human sidekick, Thomas, strikes a sour note, but it's the only one in a supporting cast that, from evil cyborg general to haughty princess and geeky girl techno whiz, otherwise rings loud and true with recognizable sf fantasy types. Along with leaving readers breathless, the hyperspeed hullabaloo brings a newly confident Jack to the brink of new adventures. Stay tuned. Grades 4-6. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
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