Roswell Johnson Saves the World!
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Zany space adventure series features UFO-loving Black tween.
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What's the Story?
ROSWELL JOHNSON SAVES THE WORLD! finds the title character, a brainy Black kid living with his grandparents in rural Oklahoma, accidentally abducted by actual aliens and transported to the edge of the solar system. This would be a dream come true for young Roswell, who shared a passion for UFOs with his late dad -- except that all of them are taken prisoner and thrown into a dank dungeon by a different bunch of aliens who plan to conquer Earth. Joining forces with his fellow prisoners, who now include a cyborg and assorted species from assorted planets, Roswell is determined to keep this from happening -- but is it even possible? Or worth it?
Is It Any Good?
Leaving the fairytale world behind, Chris Colfer heads to outer space in this exciting new series featuring a brainy Black tween from Oklahoma, abducted by aliens and tasked with saving the planet. And indeed Roswell Johnson Saves the World!, but it's not easy, with perils, battles, explosions, plot twists, surprise revelations, intergalactic travel, murderous space villains and murderous earth villains making things difficult. Also bathroom humor, some innuendo, many "inspiring" speeches, and a lot of ALL CAPS. But early on, Roswell's wise grandma offers counsel that serves him -- and us -- well: "Roswell Johnson, you may live in a stupid world, but that does not give you permission to be stupid!...We can't let someone else's stupidity stop us from living out best lives. If we did, we'd be just as dumb as they are."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about science fiction stories like Roswell Johnson Saves the World! Do you like science fiction stories? What do you like best -- the action? the different worlds? the characters?
Roswell says that his science fair project on UFOs didn't win because he was Black. Why did he think that? Are there other reasons a UFO project might not win at a science fair? Do you think they're in play here?
Have you ever had someone who pestered you and wanted to be friends with you and you just wanted them to leave you alone? (Think Cassi bothering Roswell.) Who was it, what did you do, and how did it turn out?
How did Roswell and his alien friends work together to fight the villains and save the world? When was it challenging for them to work as a team? How did they overcome those challenges?
Book Details
- Author: Chris Colfer
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Space and Aliens
- Character Strengths: Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date: June 4, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 464
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 20, 2024
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