{"id":36295,"date":"2019-07-02T22:11:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T02:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36295"},"modified":"2019-07-02T22:11:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T02:11:41","slug":"review-of-were-not-from-here-by-geoff-rodkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36295","title":{"rendered":"Review of We’re Not From Here, by Geoff Rodkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>We\u2019re Not From Here<\/em><\/p>\n

by Geoff Rodkey<\/p>\n

Crown Books for Young Readers, 2019. 250 pages.
\nStarred Review
\nReview written June 19, 2019, from a library book<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a tremendously fun and creative science fiction book for kids, with plenty to seriously think about as well.<\/p>\n

Set in the future, the book begins with Lan and his friends on Mars, talking about rumors that the colony has found a new planet where humans can live.<\/p>\n

Humans made earth uninhabitable a year before, but many escaped to a colony on Mars. However, the air processors were wearing down, people\u2019s clothing was ragged and stinky, and the only food they had to eat was something called Chow manufactured by the Nutrition department. So humans needed a new place to live.<\/p>\n

They found a planet called Choom with an atmosphere that will support human life. What\u2019s more, Choom had taken in alien refugees before. There were already four species of aliens on Choom, three of which originally came from different planets. The main species, the Zhuri, look like giant mosquitoes. After some negotiating, they get an invitation to come to Choom as refugees. They go into bio-suspension for twenty years to make the trip. But when they wake up, the government of Choom has changed, and humans are no longer welcome.<\/p>\n

In orbit around Choom, the humans who are left do not have enough fuel to go anywhere else. If Choom doesn\u2019t take them, they\u2019ll die. But the Zhuri now believe that humans are too warlike. After much negotiating, since they did invite the humans to Choom, the Zhuri agree to take one human family. If they can live in peace, all the humans can come, but if there are any incidents, the whole human race will have nowhere to go.<\/p>\n

Lan, his sister, and their parents are the family chosen to represent humans. Lan and his sister must navigate going to school on an alien planet and trying not to cause any trouble \u2013 without knowing how anything works.<\/p>\n

And they soon realize they have been set up to fail. Movies about World War II (from earth transmissions) have been playing on Choom television, showing how violent humans are. The Zhuri swarm in protest. Do Lan and his family even have a chance of saving the human race?<\/p>\n

That makes the story sound grim, but it\u2019s full of humor \u2013 because natural misunderstandings have plenty of food for humor. In fact, humor may be the key to saving the day.<\/p>\n

This one takes the new-kid-at-school story and makes it intergalactic.<\/p>\n

geoffrodkey.com<\/a>
\nrhcbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/were_not_from_here.html<\/a><\/p>\n

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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