Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Space Kids Sabotage

Space Kids Sabotage by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated by Nancy Bevington (Big Sky Publishing) PB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781922488305

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

It’s 2088 and Nash Steele travels to the space station Misty where his estranged Safety Officer dad Orson lives. Nash is there for a fortnight while Mum and his stepdad Mike are on their honeymoon. Space stations like Misty are built like giant cruise ships, the weather is climate controlled and the station caters for tourists’ every whim, including the biggest gymnasium that Nash has ever seen. Misty is privately owned by a multi-billionaire; however, a rival space station, Wordlink seems to want to destroy it.

The first chapter of this well-written novel for readers aged 8+ years starts dramatically, with suspenseful action, and finishes inside a space shuttle (with Nash and his dad aboard), hurtling to Misty. However, space junk has been deposited by Wordlink and causes alarm. Fortunately, the shuttle manages to avoid it and the shuttle lands safely at its destination. At the station Nash meets Captain Malek’s son Raj who has a pet ferrog (ferret-dog) called Rex. He also meets Bingo who is visiting with his grandma, as well as Mr Nakimoto who is regarded with suspicion.

When multiple malfunctions occur on Misty, Nash is convinced it’s the grumpy Mr Nakimoto sabotaging the station. But when Nash and the others go for a moon walk, Bingo reveals his true colours – and his true intentions. He is not a boy after all, but an assassin robot. Along with his criminal ‘Gran’, Bingo is out to destroy Misty space station.

Aleesah Darlison, the author, is an award-winning author of over fifty books for children and young adults. Her skill as a writer of fast-paced, humorous adventure stories is evident here. This is a well-written, engaging book which is sure to win her many more fans.

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