Dark Side of the Moon (Space Runners #2)

by Jeramey Kraatz (Author)

Dark Side of the Moon (Space Runners #2)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Space Runners

Star Wars meets Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers in this high-stakes intergalactic adventure!

Dark Side of the Moon is the thrilling second installment in an action-packed series for tweens that's perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Lisa McMann and that Soman Chainani called "a blockbuster mix of thrills and adrenaline."

When he won a trip to the moon, Benny Love never thought that his vacation would involve battling aliens determined to destroy Earth. He and his friends in the Moon Platoon are able to fight off the first wave of attacks, but their genius leader Elijah West has now gone missing. And Earth is still in very real danger.

As Benny and the gang gear up for the aliens' next attacks, they discover that Elijah's research partner, who's long been presumed dead, is actually alive and living on the dark side of the moon. He knows things about the aliens that can help the Moon Platoon defeat them--but can he be trusted

They don't have long to decide, because the aliens are on their way--and they're coming for Benny and his friends first.

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School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--Benny Love and his friends may have just won their battle against alien invaders, but the war is far from over. The next volume in this action-packed science fiction adventure picks up where the previous book left off. The residents of the Lunar Taj may have won the day, but they've lost their charismatic leader, Elijah West, and no one agrees on what to do next or who's in charge. They need help, and the best help Benny can think of may come from outside of the moon base; on the dark side of the moon. But their potential ally has his own agenda, one that Benny can't trust--especially since Earth forces are involved. Leadership has gotten complicated and no choice comes without consequences. This sequel continues to deliver wild future tech with kid appeal and nonstop action. Some readers may wish for a break in the unrelenting pace to flesh out personalities and backstories in more detail, but the accessible writing and relatable characters will have them turning pages to the end. VERDICT Great fun. Readers will want to pick up the first book, Space Runners: The Moon Platoon, prior to reading this installment. This series will appeal to fans of David Liss's Randoms and Max Brallier's The Last Kids On Earth.--Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

PRAISE FOR THE SERIES:

"Space Runners is Gravity meets The Fast and the Furious, only with kids running the show. Kraatz's lunar world feels like a theme park waiting to happen. A blockbuster mix of thrills, adrenaline, and lead characters who are as clever as they are courageous." — Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil

"I'd race to the moon and back to get a copy of this thrilling, funny, and ingenious book!" — C. Alexander London, author of The Wild Ones and the Dog Tags series

"Kraatz maintains a satisfying balance of action, intrigue, and wonder in this first book in the Space Runners series. Memorably entertaining characters play well against the tense premise and high stakes." — Publishers Weekly

"Fun, fast-paced, and filled with excellent inventions, this is sure to please sci-fi buffs. Deeper questions of war and peace and how to lead will stay with readers far beyond the last page. Otherworldly adventure that satisfies." — Kirkus Reviews

"An action-packed space romp that's sure to please young science fiction readers. Engaging characters, fast-paced storytelling, and keen enjoyment of the genre produce an altogether entertaining read." — School Library Journal

"Offers a passel of tasty elements: zippy space chases, a diverse cast of kids, complex humans, and intriguing aliens whose perspective isn't so different from that of humans. That's a lot of enjoyment, and the sequel will likely be eagerly anticipated." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062446015
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
October 16, 2018
Series
Space Runners
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV053000 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
Library of Congress categories
Extraterrestrial beings
Moon
Science fiction
Space warfare

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