Space Case

Space Case
by Stuart Gibbs
Recommended Ages: 11+

The year is sometime after 2040, and among the 20-or-so residents of mankind's first non-terrestrial colony – Moon Base Alpha – are Dashiell Gibson, age 12, his little sister Violet, and their scientist parents. As Dash narrates it, living on the moon was sold as a spectacular adventure, but actually it's pretty lame. The inflatable furniture makes farting noises when you sit on it. The toilets suck, literally – especially when they don't. The dehydrated, rehydrated food is 50 shades of lousy. And there isn't much for an active, Hawaii surfer kid to do, when the only other kid his age always has his head inside a virtual reality game and the next nearest, potential playmates are mostly bullies. But Dash's discontent takes on a new dimension when he sort-of, kind-of witnesses mankind's first murder on the moon.

It isn't so much that he saw the crime happen. But Dash is the first person to guess that Dr. Holtz may have been murdered, when he turns up dead outside the base's main airlock after taking a solo lunar walk in the early hours of the morning. Something about it doesn't jive for Dash, who had only a few hours earlier overheard Dr. Holtz excitedly discussing a new discovery that he was about to announce to everybody. But the base commander has strictly forbidden Dash to discuss or investigate his theory, insisting that Holtz's demise was a tragic accident.

Nevertheless, investigate he does, encouraged by a couple of new arrivals on board the base's supply rocket. One of them is a girl his age who shows signs of making the rest of Dash's time on the moon much more fun. Another is a technician who is just as interested as Dash in finding answers – but secretly. Meanwhile, someone has sent Dash a mysterious warning to drop it, or else. With evidence drawing them closer to the identity of the killer, Dash and friends can hardly stop now – especially with the next rocket back to earth potentially carrying a killer to freedom. Or worse, leaving him or her on the base for at least another month.

This is the first of three Moon Base Alpha books for kids. Stuart Gibbs, who happens to have children named Dashiell and Violet, is also the author of the fun, kid-friendly FunJungle, Last Musketeer, Spy School, Charlie Thorne and Once Upon a Tim series. Further titles in this trilogy are Spaced Out and Waste of Space. It's a fun adventure, with an attitude and sense of humor that will appeal to young readers, as well as some thrills, scares, intertwining character conflicts and a mind-blowing secret revealed at the very end. I look forward to following this series further.