The Starlight Watchmaker

Gr 7 Up–A hi-lo introduction to science fiction. Hugo is an android. Abandoned on a planet where all land is owned by a private academy, he scrapes by with his watch repair business. Dorian, a young and wealthy alien, comes to have his time-travel watch repaired, and they discover that the explosive power source has been stolen. Teaming up with Ada, a sentient boulder who will someday become her own planet, Hugo and Dorian set out to solve the mystery of a wave of thefts on campus, becoming friends—or maybe more—along the way. Intended for teens and written at around a fifth grade level, this book is written intentionally for language acquisition. When a word that may be unfamiliar is introduced, it is then repeated in context multiple times over the next few pages. This book also introduces readers to common questions across science fiction: what does it mean to be alive and how should we treat all living things? With a sequel already announced, readers will look forward to seeing where Ada, Hugo, and Dorian’s journey goes. Emerging readers often face traditional science fiction with trepidation, so this book would need to be put into the hands of the right reader.