Space kids : Sabotage by Aleesah Darlison. Illus. by Nancy Bevington

This is the first in a new adventure series by Australian author Aleesah Darlison. It's the year 2088 and there are more than twenty space stations scattered across the Milky Way as tourist destinations. 11-year-old Nash jumps in a shuttle bound for Misty Space station, where his dad lives and works. Nash is not keen to be a 'space kid' and expects the two weeks on Misty to feel like forever, although he is looking forward to spending some time with his father.

On arrival he meets two other kids, Raj and KC, who live on the space station full time. The three children start a firm friendship and even welcome a fourth kid (a tourist) into their midst but it's not long before the group are tested with a series of strange and dangerous events. Is it just bad luck or could someone be deliberately sabotaging the space station? To have a chance at survival the kids must work together, trust each other, think quickly and solve the mystery of what is happening and who is responsible.

This is a clever story with chapters of around 10 pages each and plenty of cartoony illustrations. It's a great step up from series like Hey Jack or Sporty Kids and is a perfect book to read aloud to a younger or less confident reader, especially those who are interested in space or robots. There is also a nice progression in Nash's relationship with his father throughout the story, with a subtle reminder of the importance of telling loved ones how you feel.

Confident readers from age 7 will enjoy the challenge of a decent size chapter book with all the twists and turns of the friendships, danger and mystery along the way.

Themes: Science fiction, Space, Robots, Friendship, Mystery, Adventure.

Kylie Grant