It seems that alien encounters (of the fictional kind) are everywhere I turn lately.
- Legendary science fiction author Ray Bradbury, passed away last week at the age of 91, and moving tributes are popping up everywhere.
-Local author/illustrator extraordinaire (and alien lover!) Mark Fearing, will be visiting Green Bean on June 30th to share his new graphic novel, Earthling! with us.
-Practically every box of books I've received in the store the past few weeks has contained one (or several) great new alien or space exploration titles.
- To top is all off, my husband and I finally decided to watch Attack the Block last night and both fell hard for it. While definitely not a movie for younger audiences, it was still a fantastic science fiction flick about resourceful kids during an alien invasion, with moving political and social undertones. Bradbury would have loved it, I'm sure.
- Legendary science fiction author Ray Bradbury, passed away last week at the age of 91, and moving tributes are popping up everywhere.
-Local author/illustrator extraordinaire (and alien lover!) Mark Fearing, will be visiting Green Bean on June 30th to share his new graphic novel, Earthling! with us.
-Practically every box of books I've received in the store the past few weeks has contained one (or several) great new alien or space exploration titles.
- To top is all off, my husband and I finally decided to watch Attack the Block last night and both fell hard for it. While definitely not a movie for younger audiences, it was still a fantastic science fiction flick about resourceful kids during an alien invasion, with moving political and social undertones. Bradbury would have loved it, I'm sure.
Whether you've got a 7 year-old or 30 year-old Star Wars fan in your house, you are no doubt deeply familiar with the level of devotion science fiction fans have for their literature and movies. As a kid, I can remember being totally captivated by movies like ET and Flight of the Navigator, and authors like Ray Bradbury and H.G. Wells. There were many, many attempts to make my first two wheeler (with a banana seat) take flight.
Even though fantasy quickly took over as the preferred genre of my adolescence, I never quite forgot my love for those old sci-fi stories of exploration and other planets. Like a lot of grown-ups, I still can't resist a good alien story.
My favorite books these days feature sympathetic beings from other worlds, like the sweet alien in Oliver Jeffers' The Way Back Home, and the whole silly crew of Aliens Love Underpants, by Claire Freedman. But The Man on the Moon, the newest picture book by William Joyce, is the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy, and is a wonderful book for readers of all ages and lovers of both genres. The Boy Who Cried Alien, by Marilyn Singer (just released this month!) takes an entirely new approach to a well-known story with hilarious results .
My favorite books these days feature sympathetic beings from other worlds, like the sweet alien in Oliver Jeffers' The Way Back Home, and the whole silly crew of Aliens Love Underpants, by Claire Freedman. But The Man on the Moon, the newest picture book by William Joyce, is the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy, and is a wonderful book for readers of all ages and lovers of both genres. The Boy Who Cried Alien, by Marilyn Singer (just released this month!) takes an entirely new approach to a well-known story with hilarious results .
The Spaceheadz series by John Scieszka, is full of madcap adventure for sci-fi loving chapter book readers. Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius, by Frank Asch was also one of my favorite chapter books series this year. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to escape earth (and all your problems) for awhile, then look no further than this gem of a series. It would be nearly impossible to choose a favorite graphic novel, but it really doesn't get much better than Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. I just wish she had been around for my 10 year old, science-fiction loving self to discover!
So what about you? Do you have a sci-fi lover in your home, or have a favorite alien-encounter story from your childhood? The next time I'm looking for a little escape from the mundane, I will try to remember my own adventures as a kid, and look no further than the night sky and a book.
--Andrea
So what about you? Do you have a sci-fi lover in your home, or have a favorite alien-encounter story from your childhood? The next time I'm looking for a little escape from the mundane, I will try to remember my own adventures as a kid, and look no further than the night sky and a book.
--Andrea
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