Star Scouts, by Mike Lawrence --a fresh spin on the difficulties of fitting in (ages 8-12)

Many young readers are worried about how they'll find friends and if they'll need to change in order to fit in. In Star Scouts, Mike Lawrence creates a fun new twist to this when his main character finds it easier to make friends among a goofy group of aliens than she does in her new school. This is a graphic novel that's sure to have wide appeal and a terrific heart, one that I hope finds its way into many readers' hands.

Star Scoutsby Mike Lawrence
First Second, 2017
Amazon / Your local libraryages 8-12

Avani Patel is having trouble in her new school, but life becomes much more interesting when she's abducted by a cheerful blue alien named Mabel. Avani joins Mabel’s group of friends in their Star Scouts troop as they earn badges in teleporting, jetpack racing and “xenoscatology” (yep, identifying alien poops).

Kids will love the adventure, humor and especially Avani’s spunky character, as she discovers that she doesn’t have to fit in to find friends. I really love the message in this--that friends come in all shapes and sizes, that they have fun together being silly and having adventures.

Lawrence's artwork is full of zing and great characters. Hand this to fans of Hilo and Zita the Space Girl. Check out this preview from Google Books to see how quickly Avani is off flying with her new friends:

The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, First Second and Macmillan. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books