Red's Planet: Book One: A World Away From Home

Gr 5 Up—A lively 10-year-old redheaded foster child is generally dissatisfied with her life as an orphan and daydreams about one day living in paradise. Her life soon turns to adventure when she accidentally gets abducted by thieving aliens as she playfully attempts to once again run away from her foster family. She soon encounters the Chelonia, an ancient creature who collects rare and unusual treasures. Red quickly becomes part of the thieves' imperiled collection as it crash lands on a deserted unchartered planet. Marooned along with other captives, she finds a translator in order to talk to all the other aliens, and the ensuing dialogue is hilarious. She befriends a big cat named Goose and a small, quiet alien named Tawee, who is a guardian of a mysterious egg, and together they try to find a way to survive. Red's bravery and quick thinking win her friends and, finally, a place in paradise. Readers will enjoy Red's heroic feats and amusing dialogue. Pittman's drawings are vibrant and action-packed. His cartoon style is reminiscent of his animated feature films (Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch) as well as TV shows (3-2-1 Penguins, Phineas and Ferb).