The Wild Unknown by Emily Gale

The year is 2045 so it's not that far into the future. There are plenty of ideas in this book that actually could happen such as personal assistants worn in the ear called 'mica'; body transplants such as hearts from animals; food orders delivered by robots called 'Goodbots'; government surveillance drones everywhere; student progress monitored by robots at school with reports sent regularly to parents; and talking appliances!

The idea of humans with body parts from animals is a key concept in this story but you might over look it.  It links with the strange changes happening to Eddie and a couple of his classmates and is introduced about two thirds of the way through the book. Eddie begins to grow feathers; he is fully awake at night and so exhausted all day; his eyes seem to have changed to night vision; he can run like an athlete way beyond his usual pace; and he can even stay under the water for a long period with no ill effects.

What is happening? How did this start? Eddie receives a delicious food delivery during the school holidays.

The Goodbot "was the size and shape of a stocky black labrador with a flat face consisting of two shining eyes and a fixed smile. It made it's way to the gate on wheels and rose to smoothly unlatch it. Then it activated its legs to navigate the step and padded towards Eddie like a cat approaching prey. ... (the treat) had to be eaten within the hour, it must be something fresh and delicious. ...the smell was something else - an aroma of fried chicken, freshly baked bread and something mysterious but delicious. ... Maybe it would taste as good as it smelt, instead of as bad as it looked. It did! Wow! WOW!"

Eddie does not question this gift from his dad even though his dad has never sent a food gift like this before and more importantly his father never uses and is even suspicious of Goodbots.

Meanwhile a boy named Theo is missing. You also need to know Eddie's mother works as a fact checker for an organisation called TruthUp because in the past "deep fakes and news-bots had turned the world upside down. No one had been able to trust a single thing they read or watched. TruthUp was trying to make news real again." Luckily Eddie has help to solve or partly solve all of this, his own body changes and the missing boy,  from his friend Kit, Kit's sister Romy and his own computer-game playing brother Jude. 

There is an interesting if somewhat minor theme explored in this story is about politics. A new political party has emerged - it is called Revive and it consists of dead former Prime Ministers. That part did give me a jolt. 

Blurb from author page: It’s 2045 and the world is full of tech. Eddie has a bot in his ear giving him advice all day, a bathroom scale that identifies illnesses, and classroom bots keeping track of him at school. The streets are full of delivery bots and game tech is amazing. But tech can’t help the police find a missing boy called Theo, who was last seen at the river. When they abandon the search, Eddie and his friends sneak down to the river to look for clues. What they find doesn’t make any sense. Then strange things start happening to Eddie. He’s never been sporty but suddenly he’s a brilliant runner. When a friend is caught in the bottom of the pool, Eddie rescues her from drowning by holding his breath for a suspiciously long amount of time. He has excellent night vision – and there are hair-like feathers growing out of his skin. It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. How can it be both? And what do the changes in Eddie have to do with Theo’s disappearance?

I did read this book quite quickly which means the story held my attention and I did enjoy the "hopefully invented" world of the future. Sadly though, two things let this book down - one, in my view, is the pastel colour choice for the cover and the second is the rushed and slightly unresolved ending - I don't think a sequel is planned. By the end of the book (spoiler alert) I was still unsure why the kids had been used in this experiment run by Theo's parents. I did find a reviewer who loved the cover - these things are always so subjective and personal. You can read more plot details here. Here is a Q and A with Emil Gale. Emily also talks about her book on this podcast (40+ minutes).

The Wild Unknown is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that explores the consequences of AI reliance and how this will shape our future. Emily Gale opens up a discussion, prompting children to ask what the benefits of AI are, and what should they be concerned about? She also hints at how AI might influence people in complex spaces, such as political parties misusing it for their own ends, or the media manipulating it. Through Eddie’s transformation and search for Theo, Gale highlights the importance of human relationships, of being able to turn to each other for help and support, and the beauty of the natural world. For ages 9+.  Readings Melbourne

(Its's) an unsettling, yet a compelling mystery that reminds us that human connection, using our own smarts and working together is better and more effective than the most up-to-date technology. It shows that we need a balance, to save humanity, to keep the world safe, and to make sure we don’t destroy the environment. This is in part a warning, and in part an examination of what could happen if gene modification and manipulation become weapons against humanity. Emily Gale has done a wonderful job of exploring this, departing from her usual historical fiction which I adore. A great example of not letting technology rule our lives. The Book Muse

The manipulation of humans using animal parts reminded me of this very old book (part of a series of three):

Nerds vs Aliens by Barry Jonsberg

"Breaking news: it's a book and you're reading it! Good onya. Beats scrolling through your pone and it probably thrills your parents. I have no idea who you are, but I can guess. ... 

(anyway) if you keep reading you'll get to know heaps about me ... "

Even though I am not (impressive term coming up) an omniscient narrator.

The aliens have an important reason for visiting earth. They have noticed the way humans are treating the planet. Who will they tell? Will anyone listen? Is the end of the world coming? How can three nerds possibly help?

This is a story told in two halves. Part One is entitled Broccoli and Part Two is Chocolate mud cake with a possible dollop of icecream.  I was certain for about half the book that all this talk of aliens was just someone playing a trick on Mo because the answer to my first question posed here about communication - well, the answer is via fridge magnets! Yes you did read that correctly - fridge magnets. Mo finds messages on his fridge and he is sure the messages are from aliens who are coming to our earth. I need to say our earth because these aliens also use the term earth when referring to their own home planet - confusing yes.

Mo has a date for the arrival of the aliens and we know this right from the first page so you and your young reading companion, or class or you as a reader of course, are sure to anticipate that this book will follow a countdown. 

"The World will end at ten thirty-six in the morning, on the fourteenth of March this year."

Mo just has to convince his friends Aitch (Harrison Harrison - yes it is a great name) and Ally (do NOT call her Alison. She is a book worm and can be quite touchy) that the aliens are really coming and that they, three kids from Earth are the ones the aliens want to talk to - yes that is wild. (and I have put a hint about why they want to come in the labels for this post).

Ally explains this to Aitch: "Mo believes aliens are on their way ... You think he's crazy and make fun of him, even though this is stuff he obviously understands. It's like an obsession with him. You know nothing about the subject and he's an expert, so how about you get excited for him, rather than making him feel small"

Interspersed through this book are asides and commentary from Aitch himself - these are so funny. That is why I added the label to this post "Breaking the Fourth Wall".

Here is an example:

"I said I'd done some research on how to write a book? Well, it seems a story about aliens might be fun for kids, but a book about being supportive of your mates will definitely thrill teachers and librarians. It's not just similes and metaphors that rock their boats, but also uplifting stories about being nice to each other. So I reckon I've got a couple of bases covered here. Entertaining with a moral. Buy lots of class sets. Just a suggestion."

I think this book could one to read aloud to your Grade 4 or 5 class, but I do need to give a small content warning - there are a few mild swear words so I strongly recommend reading this book yourself first - it won't take long. I read the whole book in just over an hour one afternoon a few weeks ago. Here are a few examples in case you think I am 'making this up'. "rat's bumhole"; "bugger all"; "scare the hell out of you"; and "damn". 

I am not sure if this is important, but the aliens have been studying us using the television show Home and Away. I think kids in Australia will know about this and also kids in the UK but I am not so sure about kids in the US - perhaps that isn't important - this is my attempt at an aside similar to the ones Aitch uses when he is telling this story. Oh and the aliens are big fans of Taylor Swift too! And they know about Bluey and KMart.

More plot details here What Book Next? Listen to Barry Jonsberg reading the first chapter of his book with the Your Kids Next Read team. 

A wild ride that's full of laughs ... Readings Melbourne

Aimed at middle-grade readers, Nerds vs Aliens delights in Pop culture references like Bluey and Kmart, adding to its Aussie appeal without the cringe. Although there is some crude toilet humour that might leave some parents squirming. Despite all the quirky comedic relief, Nerds vs Aliens delves into more serious themes surrounding our planet and its treatment, and the effect on future generations. Jonsberg’s is conscious of being didactic and instead applies a clever and thoughtful response to these matters, resolving with an empowering message and wholesome twist. Story Links

Thanks to Gleebooks kids for sharing the advance copy of Nerds vs Aliens which was published on 31st March 2026. 

The cheeky tone and Science Fiction themes and laugh out loud moments of Nerds vs Aliens made me think of this book which sadly is long out of print (note to any publisher reading this please bring this book back for kids to read today - it is so fantastic);

Halfway across the Galaxy and Turn Left

And this one (for younger readers);

And this one:

The World ends in April

I previously talked about these books by Barry Jonsberg:

Catch me if I fall

The dog that dumped on my doona

My life as an alphabet

The Surface Trials by HM Waugh

Set on a fascinating yet hostile alien planet, this pulse-pounding, high-stakes, elimination-quest novel will have readers on the edge of their seats. HM Waugh

Groups of kids who live on different planets are sent to complete a trial as a way to enter the Starquest Academy, an exclusive institution dedicated to training future Planeticians. The title uses the word surface because on one level the surface of this planet is terrifying and dangerous beyond almost your wildest imagination. The danger is mostly from enormous 'man eating' plants. Yes I did say plants! And there are also huge man-eating insects too. If you fall into one of the plants it immediately starts to digest you. The word surface, though, also refers to the way these kids judge each other. How much each of the kids in the group we are following are prepared to reveal to the others - to go under the surface. One kid is not who he seems, one kid has dangerous extra powers, and one kid is utterly selfish and out to win at all costs including jeopardising the lives his own team mates.

"During the trials, candidates will be judged on their ... courage, teamwork, innovation and exploration. Assessors will be looking for resilience, assertiveness, empathy and creativity."

Adding to all this pressure the kids are being watched and filmed and this is broadcast on televisions all over the universe. Every kid in this team has watched all the previous trials. They know the rules, they know how easily they can be eliminated. Every moment, every interaction has to be carefully enacted because they are being watched. And this is a race because they have to reach the end in just three days so they can be picked up and return to safety. Survival means looking out for yourself but one of the rules is about teamwork and co-operation. What should they do if helping the team stands in the way of winning?

Bookseller blurb: 

Three days, three clues, one hungry planet.

Constant surveillance.

The entire universe watching every move.

Some will shatter. Most will fail.

A select few will make it through, instant celebrities.

Welcome to the Surface Trials. The only way into Starquest Academy. For Amethyst Antares, Starquest Academy offers an escape from the prison of her home planet. For Rian - the uber-famous and expertly-disguised heir to the universe's two greatest dynasties - failure to get into his own academy is not an option. And Deneb? Well, he's an outlier... But this year not everything goes to plan, and Amethyst and her squad find themselves playing for more than Starquest admission. To survive, they'll have to outsmart carnivorous creatures, share dangerous secrets, maintain trust and embrace the most shocking truth in the galaxy. Set on a fascinating yet hostile alien planet, this pulse-pounding, high-stakes, elimination-quest novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"Panic flooded him, and he fought it back, knowing they were already being watched. Wherever they were about to land, he had to believe he had the skills to make it."

"Daneb shot out, slime oozing all around him, the goo dotted with carcasses of breeders and viperwasps and other unrecogisable things. "

"There were no such things as alien ruins. Through all the worlds that humans had spread to, no hint of other human-level intelligence had ever been found. That's what gave humanity the right to take over all these new planets."

I think lovers of science fiction will enjoy this book, and as someone who does not read a lot of science fiction, it’s a really nice introduction to the genre. Not too heavy or technical at all. It gets things in a nice balance to appeal to all readers who like adventure stories or who want to try science fiction without being overwhelmed by too much of the technical aspects of the genre. And the way it ended made me wonder if it is part of a duology or series, so it will be interesting to see if it is. But it also works as a standalone, and this is what makes it a great book to read when trying out this genre, and it fits in nicely with other books HM Waugh has written over the years as well. The Book Muse

I was interested to read this book because it was a 2026 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title but I am going to say right up front this is book will much better suit an older reader aged 12+. Reviewers consistently compare this book to other YA titles - The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. 

Here are the CBCA Judges' comments:

I seem to have read quite a few Science Fiction books recently. Here are a few:

The Touchstone

The Experiment

We do not welcome our ten-year-old overlord

I previously read this book by HM Waugh - her debut.

The Lost Stone of Skycity

HM Waugh is a children’s author, educator and environmental scientist with a long-term love of wild places and outdoor adventures. She has been kidnapped twice, handled dragons for a job, and dreams of one day blasting into space. Her books mix humour, danger and friendship with a dash of science and imagination.

The Touchstone by Andrew Norriss

Opening sentence: One morning, as Douglas was leaving for school, he heard a voice calling his name. It was a faint voice, hardly louder than the wind blowing through the trees, but when he looked round to see who was calling, there was nobody there. He was wondering if he might have imagined it, when the voice called again.

The voice is a woman named Kai and she explains:

​‘I do not have much time, so you must listen carefully. Three things.’ She spoke in short bursts, breathing through clenched teeth between each of them. ‘One, my name is Kai and I come from another planet. Two, my mission is to take this...’ she gestured to the case in her lap, ‘...back to my home world and liberate people my people. Three, I am being hunted by the Guardians of the Federation and my only chance of escape is to find someone to hide me for the next forty-eight hours.’ She looked up at Douglas, her dark eyes staring intently into his. ‘Gedrus says you are the only coda I can reach. Will you help me? Please?’

Things to notice - Kai is from another planet. She is hurt and needs help. There is sure to be some danger ahead for Douglas even if we have, at this stage, no idea about the Guardians of the Federation. Also who is Gedrus? More in a minute ...

First you need to know Kai has a box and a mysterious green stone necklace. We later find the box contains more of these stones and that the holder of the stone can contact the librarian named Gedrus. He can answer any question - yes read that again ANY question. Think of the possibilities here - help in a test; help with homework; and what about his mum and dad - Douglas would love some help to bring them back together. BUT of course we know the old adage "be careful what you wish for". 

‘You might like to think of me,’ Gedrus leant forward with his elbows on the desk, ‘as the sort of access point to an encyclopaedia.’ He gestured to the rows of books behind him. ‘A very large encyclopaedia, that contains information about events and people from all corners of the galaxy. Anything you want to know, you hold the stone, ask me, and I give you the answer.’

The complex part of this story comes when we make a discovery about Kai - is she really trying to save her planet? Is she really telling the truth? And what about Gedrus - does he have a motive for giving the answers he supplies and then another character arrives - and he is a Guardian - his name is Quomp.

Back to that first quote. Douglas is a coda:

The C means that you are the sort of person who can absorb new and disturbing information without too much emotion – in other words you don’t panic. The O means you’re someone who likes his privacy, so you’re the sort of person who can keep a secret. The D means you’re honest and dependable, and the A means you have a very trusting personality and you tend to believe what someone tells you as long as it doesn’t contradict common sense or something you already know.’

Along the way, in this crazy tale, Douglas does find a terrific new friend - Ivo. Ivo is crazy about robots and rockets and now there is a way for Douglas to help his new friend because of Gedrus. Douglas will also need money - older readers aged 10+ and adults are sure to find the way Douglas manipulates the stock market rather thrilling. 

Blurb from author webpage: The Touchstone is a pretty remarkable object. You hold it in your hand, ask a question and it gives you the answer. You just have to be a bit careful what you ask... This is the story of how one of the most valuable objects in the galaxy falls into the hands of a very ordinary English schoolboy, Douglas Paterson, and what he decides to do with it. Like so many things that are supposed to make life easier, this one starts off by making everything very difficult! Shortlisted for the Sheffield Children's Book Award, the Solihull Children's Book Award, the West Sussex Children's book Award.

I met a wonderful young reader last Christmas and when she discovered I was a fellow book lover she enthusiastically shared her favourite book which was read to her class in Grade 2 or 3. She explained that in every bookshop she visited with her parents she always asked if they had this special book but so far no one could help her.

Naturally I went back to my motel and Googled the book using the information she had shared and I easily found this book was The Touchstone by Andrew Norris (2021). Sadly it is now out of print but there are copies available from online sellers and also there is an eBook version which is the one I just read.

In books for young children characters rarely if ever die - of course Charlotte's Web and Bridge to Terabithia are two exceptions but I would say they better suit an older child. I am explaining this because my young reading friend told me (huge spoiler alert) that the main character, a boy named Douglas, dies in the story! NO I could not believe that this would happen in a book shared by a class teacher with children aged 7 or 8. Please, please do not worry though - this book does have a happy ending. 

I do still wonder why the teacher selected this book for her class. I think it would better suit readers aged 10+ but perhaps she (unfortunately in my view) wanted to use some existing teaching resources from one of the many commercial online companies.  In any case this book really resonated with the little girl I met. You can see more books by Andrew Norriss here. I read Mike many years ago and Ctrl-Z looks very familiar - we must have had this one in my former school library.

Companion book - this has just been published and I will talk about it in detail in a few days:

Bookseller blurb: 'The world will end at ten thirty-six in the morning, on the fourteenth of March this year.' This is the message aliens send to ten-year-old nerds Harrison (Aitch), Ally and Mo. How do they send it? Via the magnetic letters on Mo's fridge, of course. Aitch and Ally aren't sure what to believe, but soon they're in an alien spaceship travelling at lightspeed to Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Mo is worried his mum will be furious that he boarded an alien craft with strangers. And Aitch is not too happy that they've kidnapped his dog. But maybe the aliens aren't that scary after all? They say they want to save the planet. It's only humans they're not so impressed by... The future of the human race might just be in the hands of three nerds and their lazy dog. What could go wrong?

Other books to look for in your library:

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities

The Library of ever

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

The Experiment is a thrilling suspenseful dramatic exploration of friendship, family 

and what it means to be human. It’s dynamite! Story Links

Compelling and page-turning. Kirkus

Nathan and his parents know they are actually aliens living on Earth as a part of an experiment (yes that is the title). Nathan lives in New York and to some extent he lives like a normal kid - going to school, using his phone to talk to his friend, enjoying sleepovers, and reading his favourite comic - Calvin and Hobbes. But early on in the story a few things seem strange. He has to brush his teeth five times a day including at school with a special pink paste, his mother documents all his food and Nathan himself is weighed and measured regularly. Nathan also has some friends who live in different parts of America - Izzy (Isabel) from Illinois; Nina from New Mexico; Annie from Alabama; Leo from Louisiana; and Miriam from Missouri. Are you noticing a pattern here? And then we read that some kids have disappeared. 

The action moves with a swift pace as we watch a count down at the start of each section - Lift off minus eight days; Lift off minus seven days; Lift off minus six days; Lift off minus ten hours; Lift off minus ten minutes; Fate and Happiness. You should also stop and notice the chapter headings.

There is a moment in this book on page 255 where I found myself screaming at Rebecca Stead. I was sure Nathan was either going to die or be whisked off to Kast. I read The Experiment late into the night and again around 3am and then this morning I finished it off. This is a long book (207 pages of smallish print) but readers aged 9+ with reading stamina are sure to find themselves quickly hooked into the story. 

I want to mention a couple of things that I loved and that are quite different in this story - Nathan does not hide things from his parents - as a group they feel like a team and all of them want to discover the truth about The Kast and Hester and also find out why Nathan now has a tail (he names her Tuck) - you can see this on the cover. The other aspect of this story that was very different from other books about power and control came at the end (spoiler alert) when Hester is taken away on the spaceship and not punished and it seems she might have some sort of odd, but nevertheless happy, ending. 

Publisher blurb: Nathan never understood what was ‘fun’ about secrets, probably because he’s always had to keep a very big one, even from his best friend, Victor. Although he appears to be a typical grade-six kid, Nathan learned at an early age that his family is from another planet, and he’s part of an experiment to work out how to behave like a human and blend in. But the experiment suddenly seems to be going wrong. Some of the other experimenters, including Nathan’s first crush, Izzy, are disappearing without a word. After his family is called back to the mothership, Nathan begins to question everything he’s been taught to believe about who he is and why he’s on Earth. Can he, Victor and Izzy uncover the truth? The Experiment is a fast-paced adventure—with aliens—that asks universal questions about how we figure out who we want to be, whether it’s ever too late to change, and the importance of friendship.

Betsy Bird has penned a very detailed review of The Experiment (but be warned it is filled with spoilers). She links this book with Charlotte's Web, and like my experience of reading this book, that idea has also blown my mind! Betsy recommends reading her review AFTER reading The Experiment - and I whole heartly agree. Also DO NOT SKIP to the end of The Experiment - please let the story unfold and know you can trust Rebecca Stead that there will be answers to all of your (and Nathan's) questions.

Strong character development, like the complicated backstory of a villain, brings further depth, as do the believably strong relationships, including Nathan’s unbreakable friendship with Victor. Stead’s creativity shines here, from Nathan’s unusual tail to later plot twists and turns (not to mention the tattletale, alien-enhanced cat). Anyone who enjoys Stead’s writing, along with sci-fi lovers and even superhero fans will easily devour this latest offering, staying up late under the covers with flashlight in hand to read just one more chapter. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

In this video Rebecca Stead talks about her books including The Experiment and Rebecca is interviewed by Betsy Bird. Here is the Reading Time review (but I disagree with the idea that this is 'tongue in cheek') Here is the review from Ms Yingling.

A few years ago I penned a post about Science Fiction books for young readers. For myself I well remember reading Trillions by Nicholas Fisk and The World Eater by Robert Swindells and having my mind blown because that's what Science Fiction can do - and now that has happened again with The Experiment - my mind is officially blown again. But by far the best books to compare with The Experiment are Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left by Robin Klein and Edsel Grizzler and the Voyage to Verdana by James Roy. Sorry, these are both old books now so you will have to hunt in a library.

Halfway across the Galaxy and Turn Left

Edsel Grizzler and the Voyage to Verdada

Here are the teachers notes

Galax Arena by Gillian Rubinstein (1992) is a far more sinister story but it is also a book that I thought of after reading The Experiment. 

Read a detailed description of the plot here

And try to find these too:

The Last Cuentista

The Raven's Song

You might also look for this book:

The Future Trap

I think parts of The Experiment will also linger with me because earlier this week I re-read The Giver by Lois Lowry which, as you probably know, also talks about control and manipulation. 

Here are other books I have read and enjoyed by Rebecca Stead:

When you reach me

The list of things that will not change

Liar and Spy Five posts

Bob

The Lost Library

Home by Nicola Davies

The date is 2067. Society is now divided into two (or maybe four groups) - there are the corrupt rulers called Supas with family names like Murdoch and Nabisco, the Workers who are named for the tasks they perform such as Sacks, one of the two main characters in this story, there are also Rebels and Outsiders.

The Workers are controlled through drugs that are added to their food:

"No one needed to be told about Meal One or Two. Your body did that for you. Every morning you woke up wanting that fat straw in your mouth, and until you got it you felt very bad."

"Product helps Workers. It keeps them happy. Keeps their minds free of worry, of thoughts that might get in the way of their desire to work. And of course it makes them unwilling to leave their Stations."

Workers are also controlled via media propaganda. Meal Two works to calm the down and put them to sleep but before this Workers watch tv. The messages on tv are filled with the dream of Planet Home. They have been told there is another planet, life on this one where they live exist now is dangerous and toxic. Sacks does not even know words like bird or buffalo. Workers are told one day everyone will climb onto space rockets and they will be taken to Planet Home.

Supas "they were the richest, most powerful families. They had resources to build crystal domes to protect their Cities and grow food inside vast buildings. Stations. But they needed workers to grow their food and run their Cities - building, mending, cleaning. All the things Supas didn't want to do. So they offered ordinary people a choice: stay Outside and take your chances with the poisoned world or become a Worker."

The actual setting of this book is several hundred miles from Manhattan. The city is filled with disgusting refuse. The Supas live in the top floors of the badly damaged city towers. 

As this story opens rebels attack. Sacks escapes and so does a young Supa named Nero Nabisco. The race is now on for survival and to expose the corruption and overthrow the leaders and find a way to free the workers. Along the way Sacks and Nero also discover their own heritage, identity and most amazing of all they discover they are connected -they are twins.

Take a look at the labels I have added to this post - these will give you an idea about some of the themes.

There are graphically described battles in this book and horrible descriptions of battery chickens called Units so I will only recommend this book to mature readers aged 11+ especially if they enjoy Science Fiction or dystopian stories. Readers in Australia will not identify with the Native American culture that is explored in this story - it is a minor theme but one that added an interesting layer to the story for me. I do enjoy books which explore corruption and coercion and brainwashing (such as in cults) but clearly these are deep ideas suitable for mature readers. The prologue to Home is chilling. 

Companion books (many of these could have the label Post Apocalyptic):

The Last Human

Where the River runs Gold

The Dog Runner

The Glass Tower

How did I miss this book from 2005? I wonder how it came to be in the library where I have been working as a volunteer?  I told a bookseller in a shop the other day that I am a huge fan of dystopian middle grade books - Home is a perfect example. Home was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award. I wonder if IBBY UK have considered nominating Nicola Davies for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her body of work is SO impressive - from non fiction to picture books to complex novels like Home. Wikipedia have a list here of all her books up until 2023. Here is a 2021 interview where Nicola Davies talks about animals and non fiction and climate change. 

Bookseller blurb: Thrilling futuristic science fiction with an environmental slant. It's 2067 and the world has become virtually uninhabitable with all the pollution and toxins created by mankind. Ruling classes live holed up in the cities and workers live in Stations, safe from the outside world. But one day Station 27 is taken over by rebels. Nero, from the ruling classes, and Sacks, a worker, find themselves thrown together as they're captured by the rebels, their common enemy. As they begin to discover the terrifying truth about their world, the two children get separated and find themselves in great danger. Will they find each other before it is too late?

Listen to an audio sample here. This sample is a perfect introduction to this book - you could use it in a book talk with your library group of readers aged 11+.

Here are some other books by Nicola Davies which show the breadth and depth of her writing:

Ride the Wind

Last the story of a white rhino

Just Ducks

Butterflies for Grandpa Joe

King of the Sky