MARS YEAR ONE: Marooned!

The first in a series from Strickland and the late Fuller (teamed for the Pirate Hunter books) takes place in a future when Earth is on the verge of ecological ruin, and colonists have set up shop on Mars to make the planet habitable. A key component to the "terraforming" of Mars is the Asimov Project, a controversial program that brings 20 young people to the red planet ("We believe that the Martian colony has to reflect a real community," explains one of the colony doctors. "A real community includes teenagers and even children"). Strickland and Fuller waste no time introducing their heroes, chiefly Sean, one of a dozen survivors of an act of bio-terrorism that "erased" his town in Scotland (including Sean's family), and Jenny, the tough-but-tender smart girl who takes Sean under her wing. A series of mini- adventures follows, interspersed with enviro-sermons that are anything but subtle ("How can [bioengineering] be too expensive? If the ecology crashes, there'll be worldwide disease, starvation—too expensive!"). The bulk of this series opener is used to construct the setting and cast, making it dull in places, and readers looking for slam-bang action right off the bat might not rush back for the second installment. Ages 8-12. (June)