Sleepers

by Darcy Pattison

Overview

LARGE PRINT EDITION

SLEEPERS, Book 1, The Blue Planets World Series

What if alien refugees were already living in Earth's oceans-and you were one of them?

Jake Rose can breathe underwater. That's not exactly normal for a seventh-grader living on Bainbridge Island, but then again, Jake isn't exactly normal. He's half-human, half-alien, with gills hidden beneath his shirt and a secret that could change everything.

His home planet Rison is dying-literally imploding from a science experiment gone catastrophically wrong. Jake's alien mother, Ambassador Dayexi Quad-de, is desperately negotiating with Earth's governments to let her people settle peacefully in the oceans. It should be simple: Risonians need water, Earth has plenty of it, and nobody gets hurt.

But someone wants to start a war instead.

When Jake stumbles upon a terrifying conspiracy to sabotage Mount Rainier and trigger a massive volcanic eruption, he realizes the truth: Earth's elite ELLIS forces plan to frame the peaceful Risonian refugees, turning them from desperate survivors into dangerous invaders. One fake alien attack is all it takes to justify a genocide.

Then Jake's mother disappears. Kidnapped. And suddenly, this isn't just about saving two worlds-it's about saving the only family he has left.

Armed with abilities that make him perfectly suited for both land and sea, Jake must navigate deadly government conspiracies, underwater alien technology, and the impossible choice between the planet that raised him and the planet that might become his home. Because when you're caught between two worlds, sometimes you're the only one who can save both.

Perfect for readers who devour:

• Middle grade science fiction adventures that feel believable
• Alien contact stories with real consequences
• Underwater fantasy and ocean-based adventures
• Action-packed chapter books for ages 8-14
• Environmental themes wrapped in epic storytelling
• Heroes who don't fit in anywhere-until they find their purpose

SLEEPERS launches the pulse-pounding Blue Planets World series, where middle grade adventure meets edge-of-your-seat science fiction. Perfect for fourth through eighth grade readers ready for their next obsession.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629443218
Publisher:	Mims House
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Series:	Blue Planets World , #1
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	452
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.01(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Award-winning children's author DARCY PATTISON has written over seventy books for young readers, including five that received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, or BCCB. Her expertise in both science and storytelling shines through her five NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books and Best STEM Book award-credentials that fuel the authentic scientific adventures in the Blue Planets World series.Pattison's passion for ocean exploration and environmental science drives her middle grade science fiction. She's hiked volcanoes in Bali, explored New Zealand's backcountry, and conquered Colorado's 14,043-foot Mt. Sherman-real-world adventures that inspire Jake Rose's intergalactic journeys between Earth and the alien ocean planet Rison. Her upcoming bucket list includes kayaking Hawaii's Nā Pali Coast, perfect research for writing about underwater alien civilizations.With books translated into eleven languages and recognition including the Arkansas Governor's Arts Award for Individual Artist, Pattison brings both scientific accuracy and heart-pounding adventure to middle grade readers ready for their next obsession. The Blue Planets World series combines her love of environmental science, ocean exploration, and the kind of epic adventures that make young readers believe they can save the world.When she's not writing about alien refugees or underwater civilizations, she's planning her next real-world adventure-always with an eye for the next great story.

Editorial Reviews

2018-06-29
In Pattison's (Pilgrims, 2017, etc.) YA novel, a half-alien boy finds love but also racial tension at a high school on Earth.Fifteen-year-old Jake Rose is half Risonian. His mother is the Risonian ambassador, come to Earth to plead the case of her people, who will soon have no home. (Attempts to temper Rison's volcanoes have backfired and brought the planet to the brink of destruction.) The Risonians—an amphibious race—seek leave to take refuge in the cold depths of Earth's oceans. As an allegory for immigration and refugees in general, they find themselves distrusted. Their detractors refer to them as sharks and fear they will turn aggressive if allowed to settle. Jake is in hiding, sent to his (human) father's old high school but forced to conceal his identity: in particular his legs, which "Velcro" together in water to form a tail. Whatever happens, he must keep a low profile. But how can he when anti-Risonian activists are planning an ecological attack that will destroy diplomatic relations between the two species? How can he when Em—the girl in his biology class—might just be his first love? Pattison writes Jake as a teenager first and an alien second. This is an astute piece of characterization: His cultural disorientation mirrors the uncertainties of adolescence, his confusion about Em (and Earth customs) making him easy to relate to. Jake makes questionable decisions. He is both a young adult and an outsider. By conflating these two perspectives, Pattison humanizes the alien experience and—without pushing the point—paints xenophobia itself as faintly ridiculous. Grounded in the real-life locale of Puget Sound, Washington, Jake's story bounces haphazardly (though not unpleasingly) between Risonian and romantic plotlines, one usually derailing the other. Ultimately, it's his relationship with Em that emerges more clearly. Compared to the burgeoning romance, the anti-Risonian plan is lightly sketched. This, however, is not inconsistent with a teenager's muddled priorities. Junior high readers should approve.A solid beginning to a trilogy that addresses all sorts of teenage alienation.

Kirkus Reviews