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Title: The Moon Platoon
Subtitle: Space Runners, Book 1
Author: Jeramey Kraatz
Narrator: Andy Paris
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
Language: English
Release date: 07-27-17
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10
Publisher's Summary:
They're not on Earth anymore. And they're not alone....
An action-packed, high-stakes new adventure series for fans of Rick Riordan and Star Wars.
In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first ever resort on the moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life.
Benny can't wait to fly his very own Space Runner, practise reverse bungee jumping and explore craters on the dark side of the moon. But he gets more than he expected when he and the other kids discover the moon has secrets no one else knows about.
Benny is a long way from home - and soon there might not be an Earth to go back to, unless they can find a way to defeat the oncoming alien invasion....
Members Reviews:
Good Space Fun - and Way, Way Better Than Expected
I didn't think that the souped up Chevelle-in-space that was on the cover was a good sign. Then we met the really decent poor kid, the spoiled Senator's kid, the shy techy girl, and the hot shot racing girl, all on the way to space camp on the Moon, and I figured this was going to be a campy or cartoony cavalcade of cliches. Well, please excuuuuse me for being such a snot. Turns out that this book, in my now very humbled opinion, was a clever, well written, entertaining and engaging hoot of a middle grade space actioner.
Our hero, Benny, is in fact a decent poor kid. But you know what? That mostly comes across in his appreciation of the neat things he's getting to see and do, and he comes across as steady, resourceful, grounded and practical. He is a remarkably appealing character, with a deadpan sense of humor, and fine as the center of the story. The spoiled kid is not a caricature. Well, he is, but he develops some depth and grows up during the course of the adventure. The shy techy Jazz has some real backbone. Hotshot Grace is girrrrl power with a sense of humor and real skilz, not just a nod to a few girl readers. This is a well conceived and well presented team, and watching them get used to each other and begin to trust and like each other was enjoyable, (and carried an appealing subtle message about friendship and teamwork).
The tech angle was handled well. The reader is perfectly willing to buy the whole mega resort on the Moon set up, and the bigger than life genius-billionaire-adventurer-guru who ran the place was often the butt of sly humor. The supporting characters at the resort, composed mostly of heroic master of the universe types, were also gently sent up. More interesting, though, were all the technical thingies. This is a sort of motor-heads in space story, so that Chevelle wasn't too far off. And all of the other tech that's described or just off-handedly acknowledged should spark the imaginations of most young readers.
There is more of a plot than just "who's the best camper?", what with aliens and invasions and that whole saving the Earth thing, but it's suspenseful and rollicking and action packed and over the top, and so just the thing to spark a high end space adventure. JUST A MILD SPOILER - think along the lines of "Star Wars" and that darn Death Star.
My bottom line was that I thought the whole project was a hoot.