THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL ZOO: FINDING THE LOST ONE, by Samantha van Leer, Pixel+Ink, March 4, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 10 and up)
It’s a race against time for a girl to save her family’s refuge for extraterrestrials in The Extraterrestrial Zoo: Finding the Lost One, by Samantha van Leer.
When meteors suddenly dropped to earth containing eggs in which alien babies were growing, the government called in the experts. Ava’s parents hatched, cared for, raised, and researched these unique beings. When Ava was born, she became part of the team. So many extraterrestrial living beings (ELBs) came, that the government funded the Alien Zoo, where visitors could come and see the ELBs. It was a huge success in its day.
But now Ava is 13, and so much has changed. A terrible car accident claimed her mother. And her father, in deep despair, left Ava and the Zoo in the care of his brother, who’s still healing emotional wounds from his wartime. Then the alien babies stopped coming, and so did the public.
So when 15-year-old Harley shows up as an intern for the Zoo, Ava feels blindsided. This is her show. And then a terrible storm changes everything. The once beloved ELBs are loose, and being hunted. Ava’s uncle, MIA. All she has is this strange new boy to help her save everything she loves. —Synopsis provided by Pixel+Ink
The Extraterrestrial Zoo: Finding the Lost One is a middle-grade sci-fi novel that’s sure to appeal to a large audience.
Told from Ava’s point of view, readers get a first-hand look at the different ELBs and their unique features. Ava grew up with the ELBs and loves them like they are a part of her family. When the ELBs disappear, it’s as if Ava’s lost her parents once again, and she’ll do anything to get them back.
Readers will also get to know Harley, who is almost as much of a mystery as the ELBs. It’s the conversations between Ava and Harley that add to the emotional heft of the novel.
Finding the Lost One is author Samantha van Leer’s middle-grade debut. The co-author of Between the Lines with Jodi Picoult, Van Leer’s writing feels seasoned and assured. Her pacing is sound, with only the very ending of the book feeling a little rushed.
Finding the Lost One is the first book in the planned Extraterrestrial Zoo series, which has tons of room to explore and grow. And at 240 pages, it’s an accessible length.
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