Earthling!

In this lighthearted SF tale, nine-year-old Bud moves to a new home with his father and is about to start his first day at a new school. He boards the bus—or what he believes to be the bus—and finds himself in a vehicle full of young aliens. Bud and the aliens are taken to Cosmos Academy, a school in the far reaches of outer space that’s home to all different sorts of species, but no one else from Earth. Earthlings are hated and reviled, so Bud has to keep his identity secret. He does share his true nature with Gort, an alien he befriends. But even if Gort is understanding, others aren’t. While trying to stay under the radar of Earth haters and figuring out a way to get home, Bud becomes involved with the extraterrestrial sport ZeroBall. Fearing’s sketchy, cartoony art is ideal for the story and keeps the action easy to follow. The idea is fairly straightforward (facing prejudice, getting home), but the treatment of aliens gives it extra appeal. Ages 8–12. (July)