Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission

April 1, 2021
When their beloved teacher is suddenly replaced by the aptly named substitute Mrs. Crankshaw, it's up to Omar and his friends to find out what really happened to Mrs. Hutchinson. Omar, Daniel, and Charlie try in vain to figure out where Mrs. Hutchinson has gone, but the adults are keeping mum. The trio launches a search mission to find her, poking around the staff room, searching outside her house, putting up posters, and reaching out to Mrs. Hutchinson's uncle--who also cannot disclose her whereabouts. Clues from fragments of an overheard conversation lead Omar to the only logical conclusion his vivid imagination can come up with: Aliens have abducted his teacher. Meanwhile, Omar's parents are preparing for a trip to Pakistan for a family wedding, and Omar wonders if he'll be able to solve the mystery before they leave or if he should keep looking toward the stars. Mian's narrative of British Pakistani Muslim Omar and his family, friends, and neighbors continues to be delightfully charming with laugh-out-loud humor. The family's trip to Pakistan allows readers to explore Pakistani culture alongside the family. Omar's nuanced observations about poverty and class in the country his grandparents emigrated from highlight elements that are often ignored or accepted as normal to adults. A solid addition to the series. (Fiction. 8-12)

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