Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy

by Joshua S. Levy

Overview

Percy Jackson meets Star Trek

PSS 118 is just your typical school—except that it's a rickety old spaceship orbiting Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Jack's dad used to be the science teacher, until he got fired for tinkering with the ship. Now Jack just wants to get through the last day of school without anything else going wrong.

But when the school is mysteriously attacked, Jack discovers that his dad has built humanity's first light-speed engine—and given Jack control of it. To save the ship, Jack catapults it hundreds of light-years away . . . and right into the clutches of the first aliens humans have ever seen. School hasn't just gotten out: it's gone clear across the galaxy.

And now it's up to Jack and his friends to get everyone home.

"[T]his middle-grade action-adventure space opera is just plain fun."—Booklist

"A perfect bridge for readers looking for a Percy Jackson–esque work of science fiction."—School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728423098
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Series:	Adventures of the PSS 118 , #1
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.63(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.58(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Joshua S. Levy was born and raised in Florida. After teaching middle school (yes, including seventh and eighth grade) for a little while, Josh went to law school. He lives with his wife and children in New Jersey, where he practices as a lawyer. Unfortunately, outer space doesn't come up in court nearly as often as he'd like.

Editorial Reviews

"A perfect bridge for readers looking for a Percy Jackson–esque work of science fiction."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Winter 2018

Gr 4–7—The good news: Jack's science teacher dad has discovered how to travel at light speed. The bad news: he's fired before he can get rich on his new technology. He secretly installs it aboard PSS 118 before being escorted off, leaving Jack to endure the scorn and bullying that come with having a disgraced father. But when the ship is attacked, this semi-sentient technology kicks in, and suddenly Jack, his best friend Ari, and his nemesis Becka have hurtled 400 light years away and find themselves face-to-face with an evil galactic overlord. Chases, alien mall scenes, and daring rescues abound. Sci-fi tropes are everywhere in this story: time travel, aliens, time travel with aliens! Jack is a funny, nerdy seventh grader, and there's even some character growth as he learns to trust others and realizes he doesn't always have to be the boss. VERDICT A perfect bridge for readers looking for a Percy Jackson–esque work of science fiction.—Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX

School Library Journal

2018-12-05

When extraterrestrials impound a spaceship full of students and teachers 400 light-years from Earth, it's up to Jack and his buddies to get them all back home.

Life on Public School Ship 118 has been hard for Jack ever since his science-teacher father was fired and kicked off, leaving him alone and outcast. It gets dramatically worse when the ship comes under attack. In the chaos, Jack's father texts him via communicator ring with directions to save the school—but implementing them strands the entire ship in Elvidian space, where they are swiftly imprisoned. While the Earth kids are forced to attend Elvidian school and wear Elvidian contact lenses, Jack discovers that his father had been fired for tinkering with the P.S.S. 118, illicitly equipping it with the means to get them home—if only they can figure out how to get all of them back on the ship. Fortunately, the Elvidians seem to be a touch hypochondriacal and do not recognize Earth diseases….Levy's novel, festooned with futuristic tech, is aimed at action-oriented readers, but too much telling rather than showing, especially initially, may turn them off prematurely. Repetitive details such as frequent references to Jack's dad's firing further bog the plot down. Jack presents white on the cover; Ari, who is Jewish, is depicted with brown skin; and Becka has light skin and long, dark hair.

Younger, less-sophisticated sci-fi fans who can get past the backstory-filled opening might find this just the ticket. (Science fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews