The Summer Experiment

February 3, 2014
Adult author Pelletier (The One-Way Bridge) delves into children’s books with the story of an 11-year-old seeking aliens—and revenge against her older brother’s teasing. Roberta McKinnon is proud to be a country girl from northern Maine, especially since her town is famous for alien abductions that supposedly took place back in the 1970s. With mysterious lights spotted in Maine skies once again, it seems as though the aliens could be back. Roberta plans to track down the UFOs as a science fair project, with help from best friend, Marilee. Blocking their road to success are perennial science fair winner Henry and Roberta’s older brother, Johnny, who keeps scaring her with fake alien sightings, prompting her to respond with some “lukewarm mean” tricks of her own. The details of Roberta’s rural life, including the four-wheelers she and her friends drive around and the independence that’s expected of Maine kids, are well drawn and authentic. Roberta’s self-confidence and determination are her calling card, and her quest to stand out entertains up through the wild twists of the final chapters. Ages 9–up. Agent: Jennifer De Chiara, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency.

March 1, 2014
After huge craft that might be alien spaceships appear in the skies above remote Allagash, Maine, 11-year-old Roberta investigates. Working with a backdrop of an actual reported abduction by aliens of four men in 1976, which adds a tantalizing level of reality, in her first children's book Pelletier explores the possibilities. Allagash, a remote, seemingly uber-safe town, provides the perfect setting for a summer of exploration. Roberta makes tentative peace with her teasing older brother and learns to manage her grief after her beloved grandfather's death, while her best friend, Marilee, begins to accept her father's impending marriage--the ultimate confirmation that her divorced parents will never reunite. Amid this emotional turmoil, both girls freely roam the outdoor world, ultimately setting a trap for aliens. Roberta's first-person narration is believably authentic, and the mysterious spacecraft sightings add a modicum of suspense that weaves enticingly in and out of common coming-of-age themes. When the girls finally experience an actual encounter, it's something of a letdown; the mystery all dissolves into a not-very-satisfying, rather predictable climax. Altogether more amusing is the fact that everyone in town knows each other very well; Roberta's entertaining comments on fellow Allagashians will ring true for village residents everywhere. Still, the science-fiction theme provides an interesting twist to a heartfelt depiction of a summer of emerging self-realization. (Science fiction. 10-14)

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March 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-An eventful summer for 11-year-old Roberta McKinnon begins with a sighting of strange white lights in the sky and rumors of a UFO. Over the next few months Roberta and her best friend, Marilee, are spied on by Johnny, Roberta's older brother, and his best friend Billy. Before the summer ends, the friends attempt to extract revenge, question whether they were kidnapped by a UFO, and try to beat Roberta's enemy, Henry, at the State Science Fair. Each girl experiences family heartbreak: Marilee must accept her father's engagement and Roberta's beloved grandfather dies, but through it all their friendship remains rock solid. The UFO story line culminates in a confusing sequence which may leave readers wondering whether it was real or not, while the ending has the nostalgic feel of an adult looking back on one's childhood rather than the musings of an authentic tween girl. Despite these minor drawbacks, Pelletier has crafted a timeless coming-of-age story set in small town America. Hand this book to readers who enjoy good, old-fashioned stories.-Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 Pelletier's first novel for young readers is set in her hometown of Allagash, Maine, a quiet Canadian-border community with an odd bit of historynamely, the supposed Allagash Abduction alien encounter of 1976. Almost 40 years later, 11-year-old Roberta McKinnon, self-proclaimed genius, is dreading a long, boring summer. Instead, mysterious lights appear in the sky, and sightings occur throughout the following weeks. Roberta is fascinated by the UFO, but she is also obsessed with defeating a fellow science fair enthusiast and exacting revenge on her 13-year-old brother, fixations that find rich parallels with the supposed aliens above. Pelletier effectively depicts a small town with no cell phone reception but plenty of drama. In addition to aliens and vengeance, Roberta's best friend runs away to prevent her dad from remarrying, the chief of police resigns over the UFO controversy, and Roberta's beloved grandfather suddenly passes away. Roberta's arrogance can be grating at times, but she is smart and resilient enough to handle whatever life on earthand elsewherehas in store.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)