Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel Book

Blast off to deep-space adventure and hijinks!

Things are not so stellar for Mike Stellar. He is stunned when his parents inform him that he has only eight hours to pack before they move to Mars. Despite the fact that he suspects his parents are involved in a major sabotage plot; that the only person who believes him is a girl who won’t shut up; and that his mother’s assistant seems to be spying on Mike’s every move, Mike is dealing with the same things that every eleven-year-old deals with: bad cafeteria food, a strict limitation on his electronic use, and a teacher who is so old-fashioned she must be from the year 2099.

With great humor and lots of action, K. A. Holt’s first novel is set to give summer reading an out-of-this-world blast of fun.

Publishers Weekly

Even though he lives in the year 2174, Mike Stellar is a fairly normal preteen: good-humored, slightly disgruntled when it comes to schoolwork and a bit of a troublemaker along with his hyper best friend Stinky (“the human embodiment of the word 'staccato’ ”). When his scientist parents announce that the family is moving to Mars without providing a reason, Mike’s detective work begins. He puts on a brave face (“I wanted to meet my fate like a man. Even if just a hyperventilating man in a shiny jumpsuit”), but is shaken by the changes and the sudden appearance of his parents’ assistant, creepy Mr. Shugabert, who watches his every step. As their spaceship Sojourner approaches “the Fold” in which the last shuttle was presumed destroyed (and Stinky’s brother lost), Mike and his odd new friend Larc gather clues and analyze who they can trust. Holt’s children’s book debut whizzes by at warp speed—the suspenseful plot and the precocious yet complex hero combine for a fun ride with a satisfying resolution. Ages 9–12. (June)