‘Star Scouts’ by Mike Lawrence

From start to finish, Star Scouts by Mike Lawrence (First Second Books, March 2017) was entertaining and fun to read. 

Mabel, an extraterrestrial child, is working toward a merit badge in teleporting alien species for her “Star Scouts” troop. Mabel bumps her teleport console and finds herself face-to-face not with the Terran “Newt” she’d selected but instead “New Kid” Avani, an Earth child who endures each tedious meeting of her local “Flower Scouts” troop.

Scout kerchiefs, it turns out, are universal and the pair recognize fellow scouts in each other.

Avani enjoys being the first human child to make intergalactic contact through off-world Scouting activities, but finds trouble as part of an ongoing rivalry between oxygen-breathing and methane-breathing Scouts.

Children may enjoy ongoing humor around methane-breathers breathing “toots,” and Avani may especially be relatable among older girls who enjoy interests that are at odds with gender-conforming peers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinion expressed is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”