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John David Anderson

Stowaway Kindle Edition

by John David Anderson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

22 ratings

Book 1 of 1: The Icarus Chronicles

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The beloved author of Posted and Ms. Bixby's Last Day returns with the first book in a coming-of-age sci-fi duology about Leo, a kid trying to navigate the galaxy in order to save his family—and, possibly, the planet Earth.

When scientists discover a rare and mysterious mineral buried in the Earth’s crust, they have no idea that it just happens to be the most valuable substance in the entire universe. It’s not long before aliens show up to our little corner of the galaxy offering a promise of protection, some fabulous new technology, and entry into their intergalactic coalition—all in exchange for this precious resource. A material so precious that other alien forces are willing to start a war over it. A war that soon makes its way to Earth.

Leo knows this all too well. His mother was killed in one such attack, and soon after, his father, a Coalition scientist, decides it would be best for them to leave Earth behind. It’s on this expedition that their ship is attacked, Leo’s father is kidnapped, and Leo and his brother are stranded in the middle of space. The only chance they have is for Leo to stow away on a strange ship of mercenary space pirates bound for who knows where and beg the captain to help him find his father.

But the road is dangerous, and pirates, of course, only look out for themselves. Leo must decide who to trust as he tries to stay alive and save his family, even as he comes to understand that there aren’t many people—human or alien—that he can count on in this brave new universe.

Reading age

8 - 12 years
Print length

383 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Publisher

Walden Pond Press
Publication date

August 3, 2021
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

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Enhanced typesetting

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ISBN-13

978-0062985958
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Books In This Series (1 Books)

Complete Series

The Icarus Chronicles

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1
Stowaway
John David Anderson

(22)

Kindle Edition

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John David Anderson
707
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Adam Jay Epstein
13
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John David Anderson
336
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John David Anderson
49
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John David Anderson
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Henry H. Neff
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-Anderson's latest novel gives middle grade readers a futuristic coming-of-age space odyssey. After tragedy strikes, Leo and his family venture into the somewhat unknown, moving into a spacecraft run by the Coalition. Leo's father, Dr. Fender, is an important scientist trying to make discoveries and hopefully bring peace to the universe. But when Dr. Fender is taken by the enemy, Leo finds himself locked on board with a scrappy band of pirates. On a mission to reunite with his family, Leo discovers that the universe isn't full of simply good and bad people, but beings who, like him, are just trying to survive. Throughout the novel, Leo's experiences with grief, fear, and moments of understanding make him relatable even while in space. This novel not only provides an otherworldly adventure, but a sincere tale about dealing with loss, finding bravery, and navigating the complexity of war. While this would make for a great read-aloud, there are darker moments and some action-based violence that will not be for every reader. VERDICT A page-turning space adventure that deals with complex issues. Middle graders who like "Star Wars," Yoon Ha Lee's Dragon Pearl, and Stuart Gibbs's "Moon Base Alpha" series may also enjoy. -Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Reynoldsburg, OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

"The Mandalorian meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this fast-paced space adventure that will have readers turning the pages as they are pulled into a unique yet strangely familiar world that reflects our own. An ideal pick for middle-grade sci-fi fans." -- Booklist (starred review)

"A fast-paced tale of piracy among the stars. Featuring a winning cast of misfits who stumble into unexpected kinship, Anderson employs warm humor and pop culture references to ground the narrative against cosmic-level stakes and underlying commentary about exploitation and the cost of war." -- Publishers Weekly

"A page-turning space adventure that deals with complex issues." -- School Library Journal

"Plentiful references to pop-culture touchstones like Ziggy Stardust and Pokémon give this space opera a lived-in feel. Leo’s narration aches with pathos but also provides moments of humor and finally ends on a cliffhanger. A heartfelt adventure." -- Kirkus Reviews

"One final fillip sets up an even more wrenching conflict, leaving readers eager for a sequel." -- Horn Book Magazine --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08MFHX9GF
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Walden Pond Press (August 3, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 3, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3653 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0062985949
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #489,184 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #40 in Children's Aliens Books
- #55 in Children's Aviation Books
- #415 in Children's Planes & Aviation Books

Customer Reviews:
22 ratings

About the author

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John David Anderson

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John David Anderson was born a long time ago to parents who loved him deeply and pretended to understand him sometimes. In 1983 he won the prestigious third place trophy in Little League and improved his handwriting grade from a D to a C. He is the author of critically acclaimed books for young people. He enjoys both writing and reading as a means of escape, though he's not always sure what he's running from (bills? feelings of inadequacy?). He attempts to use the Force on a daily basis, mostly to get his son to eat.

As yet he is unsuccessful.

Customer reviews

5 star		75%
4 star		20%
3 star		5%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Valerie Spratt

Can’t put it down.

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2022

Verified Purchase

Really good sci-fi book.

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Julie

Fun Sci-Fi Middle Grade Novel

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2021

Thank you to Walden Press and NetGalley for the early copy of this E-ARC.

I have been a fan of John David Anderson ever since reading Ms. Bixby's Last Day. I love how he weaves humor into even the most heart-wrenching of stories. If you ever have the chance to meet him or listen to him speak about his books, you will see that his sense of humor radiates from every fiber of his being.

Stowaway was a shift from other books by Anderson. It is the sci-fi adventure story of Leo Fender, a twelve-year old boy, born on Earth, now living on a spaceship with his scientist father and older brother after losing his mother in an alien attack of Earth. Early in the book their ship is taken over by alien forces, his father is taken hostage, and they are left stranded with no way to send communication asking for help. Thus starts Leo's crazy and dangerous adventure as his brother tricks him into stowing away on another ship in order to go for help. This ship happens to be captained by a pirate with a bounty on his head along with a mishmash of interesting and lovable crew members that readers will thoroughly enjoy. Leo will have to learn to trust these questionable characters if he is ever to reunite his family.

This is a fun adventure filled middle grade novel, most appropriate for upper elementary and middle school. Fans of Star Wars and Marvel movies will enjoy this one.

2 people found this helpful

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Kasey

Space pirates!

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2021

I received an ARC of the audiobook version of Stowaway by John David Anderson thanks to the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:
When I was reading Stowaway, it was suddenly over. I'm not saying it was too short, or not wrapped up properly (because that was not the case), but rather that I became so hooked in the story that I got lost in it. I love the characters. They remind me of Hitchhiker's Guide but with more purpose, which is wonderful. I haven't been so attached to a robot in so, so long! I also loved the way the ending was handled (no spoilers), but it could have gone in so many directions but this way made so much sense. It also makes me eager for a sequel!

I definitely recommend for those who like space pirates!

One person found this helpful

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Kellee M.

5 star read

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2021

There are very few authors that I have encountered that can write across genres and do it well. John David Anderson is one of those authors. I have read almost all of his books and they include fantasy, realistic fiction, and sci-fi, and all are so well done and so different than each other. Stowaway adds another awesome title to his works list.

Once again, Anderson is able to mix adventure, humor, and seriousness in a way that only he can to have the reader reflect on death, choices after loss, mental health, first impressions, and war while also making us laugh about snoring, clothing, descriptions of gyurt, and bad (GOOD!) puns.

And you will love the world-building in this one. Anderson did a great job of making the universe as vast and diverse as it is but not making it all so complicated that the reader cannot keep up with the planets and species.

But I think my favorite thing about this book is the characters. Each character is intriguing, has its own back story, and is so much more than you at first realize. And this is not just Leo’s character, it is all of the characters in the book. I love Baz and his crew, I love Leo and his family, and I love all of the aliens & humans that Leo meets along the way, good and bad! And I assume we’ll get to know even more in the 2nd book!

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2021

*I received this book from the publisher, but this in no way impacts my review*

I've never been a big middle grade person, but the second I saw pirates in space I knew I was going to enjoy this book. In stowaway we are following a young boy whose father is a well-known scientist. Due to this fact, they are often targeted by the enemy and pirates in search of the rare and mysterious mineral that allows for hyper space travel. One day they are attacked and Leo and his brother are left stranded in space with out their father. Until Leo's brother forces him onto a pirate ship in exchange for assistance to their wrecked ship.

I absolutely adored these characters, they very much have similar vibes and humor to that of Han Solo and Chewie or Star Lord, Gamora, and Drax which is my exact type of humor. They were such a fun bunch and I was immediately was sucked into their story.

I love the way John weaves this humor into bigger and more intense plot points. I think he does it beautifully and effectively. He even manages to throw in a few pop culture references (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Drake are the classics).

My only complaint was the flashbacks, they took me out of the story a few times and I felt the transitions could've been a little more seamless between past and present day. However, I did get used to them over time.

Overall this was a beautiful story about learning more about your enemy and your allies and discovering you might be on the wrong side. It really opens up conversation about being open minded and the intentions of people not just the actions they do. It ended perfectly for a first novel and set up the next book quite well. I can't wait to read the sequel!

One person found this helpful

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