(1) YA Brief but dire opening vignettes warn readers they're headed into trouble before the narrative begins at the launch of the Titan, a spaceship (with echoes of the Titanic) on its maiden voyage to Mars. Celeste and her best friend, Ren, are junior engineers, having worked their way out of poverty in the Rupt, a large area of Canada decimated by a violent earthquake. Dominic is also from the Rupt but was adopted as a young child by wealthy parents, now first-class passengers aboard the Titan who, it transpires, are overseeing the cases containing Titan's secret cargo: the bodies of squid-like purple aliens recently discovered in melting tundra. After the initial terror at their reveal, the narrative settles down to a Jack-and-Rose romance between Celeste and Dominic—until a late-night alarm signals the beginning of a nightmare. The aliens aren't dead, and they've escaped from their cases. The extensive buildup leads to compelling character and societal dynamics in the crisis: Celeste and Ren are ride-or-die, but Celeste realizes Ren has already sacrificed a lot to be with her; as a child of privilege, Dominic struggles with feeling weak and useless against the threat; wealthy passengers monopolize the escape pods and leave the others trapped. Gruesome deaths and the paranoia of Walking Dead–style body-snatching form fairly standard horror tropes, but Johnston has established such authenticity that readers will never question the urgency as the pages just seem to turn themselves.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Junior Junior, a young boy with blond hair and ruddy cheeks, lives on a rugged mountainside. He enjoys shouting self-affirming songs into the valley and hearing "Junior Junior is the greatest in the world!" echoed back by his only friend, an agreeable, unseen boy who lives across the valley. An unflappable girl named Sandy moves in next door and tells Junior to stop shouting; he is dismayed by the newcomer's lack of interest in his brilliant chants. Salvaging his pride, Junior boasts that one day he will travel to the brightest star in the night sky. Sandy matter-of-factly states that his "star" is actually a planet, specifically Mars. Skeptical Junior expects Sandy to apologize for her inaccuracy, but she remains resolute: "There's nothing wrong with being wrong...I admit it when I am." Humiliated, Junior resolves to run away to be with the boy across the valley. But spending time with his echo is less rewarding than Junior anticipated. Rex's (On Account of the Gum, rev. 1/21) digitally painted illustrations incorporate dramatic speech bubbles and command light and shadow to create a moody atmosphere, a reflection of Junior's temperament. Rex smartly avoids didacticism in favor of employing humor to highlight the social skills of respectful disagreement and admitting when you're wrong, making Junior's plight both pertinent to our time and timeless.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. "Old MacDonald had a farm" until a spaceship arrives and beams up his animals: "With a ZERP ZAP here, / and a ZERP ZAP there." Now space alien Old MacMartian and his doglike pet have all those animals on their ship—with humorous results. Initially perplexed, the cow, pig, cat, and sheep proceed to wreak havoc in close quarters ("With a GLOOP GLOOP here / and a GLOOP GLOOP there / ...Old MacMartian needs a bath"). After failed attempts at corralling the creatures, the exhausted would-be extraterrestrial farmer tries for sleep—but these sheep aren't the counting type. Old MacMartian proceeds to expel this onboard barnyard back down to Earth, to both farmers' relief. The humorous pencil and digital illustrations center goggle-eyed characters—earthlings with two eyes, extraterrestrials with three—with funny facial expressions recalling Sandra Boynton's menagerie. Details on the spaceship, among all the cheerful chaos, will have listeners looking closely to track the destruction. "But they CLEANED UP here / and they CLEANED UP there," and by the end, the Martian protagonist concludes, "IT'S NICE TO BE ALONE" with a loyal doglike sidekick and a lesson learned about alien abduction.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 The "dalmartians," depicted as canine-esque creatures with green spots who walk on hind legs, arrive in Stephen's backyard via spaceship one night. Upon being spotted by him, they make a rushed getaway, leaving one of their number behind. "Stephen invited the guest into his home. The guest graciously accepted." The clever narrative works together with humorous, detailed ink and charcoal illustrations to develop a comedy of manners. The two learn how to cohabitate, with Stephen happily making most of the concessions. The guest might look like a dog, but his sensibilities are all human. Bacon ranks superior to dog food, as do beds to the floor. The guest finds the sniffing and bathroom behavior of the park dogs appalling, and though he and Stephen are getting to know each other, he misses those who left him behind. The art skillfully conveys pace through lines and composition and emotion through color, with sharp contrasts between light and dark and background hues heightening the mood and the growing relationship between the characters. This buildup creates an especially poignant moment when that spaceship finally returns on a rescue mission and Stephen awakes to find his "guest," now pointedly referred to as "friend," gone. Far away in space, the dalmartian experiences this same sense of loss, and the two reunite to tie up this sharp and appealing friendship story, which also gives the pet angle a new and enjoyable twist.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Estrela Lourenço. Santa's sleigh crash lands on Mars, and technicians from the Outer Space Rescue Division are called in to diagnose the problem: "Malfunctions are due to our cosmic conditions!" Working together, Santa and the Martian techs upgrade the sleigh ("The tinsel-trimmed turbines were programmed to MAX. / The runners were polished with peppermint wax") and provide "astro-style suits" for the reindeer. Now, Santa can fill Martian stockings with "celestial sweets" and "savor his snack / in the Christmas tree's glow." The rhyming "Night Before Christmas" style text gets a (rocket) boost from the energetic digital illustrations' slightly retro vibe.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 4-6 Dragonships series. Mars-born Lunar Jones is a salvager on the dying planet, trying to find enough old technology to sell to keep his fellow orphans fed. When rival scrappers attempt to kill him to steal his latest find, he flees into the forbidden military zone and discovers a tunnel that leads to a cave containing a young dragon. The planet has been without one since humanity killed Mars's "king-dragon," Ares, a century before, but the dragons of Mars's moons Phobos and Deimos still drive the spaceships that cross the galaxy. A new dragon would be a game-changer for the struggling colony, and the military wants to eliminate Lunar to keep his discovery a secret. The dragon -- Dread -- intervenes: he has chosen the fearless Lunar as his dragoon, the point person to lead his crew and his ship. So begins Lunar's training to captain a starship. With echoes of influences as diverse as Orson Scott Card and Anne McCaffrey, this innovative adventure effortlessly draws readers into Lunar's predicament. The story line provides a rich ground for interpersonal rivalries and loyalties among the other candidates for dragoon, while the action builds realistically from training exercises to real-life emergencies as the dragons' political conflicts become deadly. The pages turn so quickly that readers will get to the end almost without realizing it -- then wait eagerly for a sequel.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 A small scrap of unbleached muslin (typically used for underwear in the early 1900s) traveled to the moon and back with the Apollo 11 astronauts in the summer of 1969. Sixty-six years before the flight, that swatch was part of a fabric wing that made the most consequential flight in aviation history. Though the Wright brothers' Flyer traveled only 120 feet on the sandy beaches of North Carolina, it changed humankind's relationship with gravity forever. Fifty-two years after the moon landing, 118 years after Kitty Hawk, a smaller piece of fabric from that same scrap took another historic flight, aboard NASA's Ingenuity, the autonomous helicopter that made the first controlled flight from the surface of Mars in 2021. Combining historical photographs and NASA concept art with the author's cartoonish illustrations creates an enjoyable informational picture book that connects the past to the present. Roth's clear and compelling narrative follows the swatch's fascinating journey through the history of flight. An extensive author's note fleshes out the fabric's many "adventures."

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) PS Rabbit stands in the middle of her messy bedroom: "Uh-oh. This is a PROBLEM." In pops Porcupine Pete, "Your Problem-Solving Porcupine," who, in the tradition of many self-proclaimed helpers in children's literature, proceeds to escalate the problem exponentially. As ever, Thomas (The Chicken Who Couldn't, rev. 11/20) has her finger on the pulse of the storytime crowd. Pete tries to feed Rabbit's shirts to the goldfish, to flush toys down the toilet, and more. His "PROBLEM SOLVED!" refrain is as catchy as it is misleading, and kids will happily chant along. Rabbit begins to realize that she needs to get rid of Pete; she sees a newspaper report and tells him: "The scientists need a problem solver on Mars. They need you!" A coda reveals the Mars scientists' reaction to Pete (spoiler alert: not great). Thomas's digital illustrations are thick-lined, vibrant, and slick. This is a rollicking read-aloud, and with its straightforward language, repetitive vocabulary, and cyclical, predictable plot, it also serves the needs of beginning readers.­

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) 4-6 Warga (Other Words for Home, rev. 7/19; The Shape of Thunder, rev. 5/21) imagines a sentient space rover with human emotions who is embarking on a perilous one-way trip to Mars. Resilience (Res for short) narrates much of the book and has profound conversations about life with his companion drone and a nearby satellite. Interspersed throughout are letters written to Res by Sophie, the daughter of Rania, one of Res's programmers. Res sets off on an exploration that will thrill fans of both adventure and robot stories and also provide intellectual sustenance for the deep thinkers, with the novel asking existential questions such as: where do memories and experiences go when we die? Looking at the remains of a broken-down rover, Res wonders, "Are we all going to end up just like this?" Through the character of a robot who has feelings and self-awareness, Warga probes issues of identity, attachment, and the purpose of life, offering readers an unusual but heartfelt example of the importance of staying true to yourself, quirks and all.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Bell is the youngest resident of the American settlement on Mars. Along with the older kids--like Bell, all orphans transported from Earth--and the settlement's adult staff, Bell spends his days in a colony constructed within the lava tunnels of Mars, going to class, working on the algae farm, cleaning up dust, and staying far away from the French, Finnish, Chinese, and Russian settlements, which are firmly off limits following a fatal rover accident many years earlier. Bell is closest to Leo, the settlement's cat, and Phinneus, who oversees the farming operations, and he misses fourteen-year-old Trey, who seems to be avoiding him in an effort to fit in with the older kids. When a disease carried by stowaway mice on a supply ship infects all the settlement's adults, Bell and Trey team up to seek help from the other settlements, and discover that the Americans have cut themselves off from a vibrant international community of settlers over a series of misunderstandings. The kids' determination to stay in touch with their new friends brings fundamental changes to life on Mars. Although the messages are less subtle, and more pointed, than in some of Holm's (Full of Beans, rev. 7/16) previous books, the well-wrought setting, including thoughtful depiction of lowish-tech Martian life, and a strong cast of well-developed characters make for an intriguing and compelling read.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Graham Carter. For fourteen-and-a-half years, the Mars rover Opportunity, nicknamed Oppy, traveled over the surface of the red planet sending information back to scientists on Earth. Perhaps "her" most famous discovery was evidence of the one-time existence of groundwater on Mars. This cheerful picture book features an anthropomorphized Oppy, eyes wide open, magnifying glass in hand, doing scientific research until a dust storm ends her successful run. Digital cartoon-style illustrations use shades of red, pink, and magenta. McGowan's account of Oppy's work is accompanied by solid, accessible information about the NASA project. Back matter includes photographs, an author's note, and a list of sources.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Using photos sent to earth by the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera that has been orbiting Mars since 2006, Slade introduces readers to some of the extraordinary features of our closest planet. Each double-page spread includes a stunning, beautifully reproduced photograph with a phrase or word in large type: "Mars is shifting // and changing, // heaving..." and a paragraph of explanation in smaller type. The photographs are striking, though it's hard to discern scale. The accompanying text helps readers understand what they're looking at, but the book is most successful at creating a sense of curiosity and wonder.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 History Comics series. Four students and their teacher on Mars's Space Station Sagan (it's January 2386) mark the four-hundredth anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger explosion. In a graphic novel that's in turns funny, moving, elucidating, and riveting, the class takes advantage of twenty-fourth century technology in the presentations--including virtual-reality field trips, hologram appearances by the Challenger crew, and simulated space flights. Topics include space shuttle history, "the design and function of the space shuttle," crew member biographies, the launch and catastrophic aftermath, the subsequent investigation, and lessons learned. The subject is given respectful treatment in the appealing panel illustrations. "Additional Challenger Facts" and an author's note conclude the sci-fi/history offering.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Colin Jack. In this Dragons from Mars follow-up, young Nathaniel informs the two mythical visitors to Earth that it's their first day of school, too. Once again, Aronson's rhymes are rock-solid ("Maybe they've never seen dragons before. / What if they're frightened and run for the door?"), and the dragons, given an appealingly cartoonish mien, can stand in for anyone with new-situation anxiety.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Katherine Roy. An informative and surprisingly tender portrayal of NASA's most recent Mars rover. Poetic and personified text labels the rover as "curious," "thirsty," and even "lonely." Painterly illustrations are both scientifically accurate and emotive, often framing Curiosity as if for a portrait and subtly conveying human-like gestures. The narrator's reveal is a sweet surprise, enhancing this unusual space book's appeal. A detailed diagram of Curiosity, Mars facts, and additional information about Curiosity are appended. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Space Exploration series. Each volume profiles an aspect of space exploration, from the numerous Mars missions to the latest telescopes that see into deep space. There are profiles of relevant historical scientific efforts, in-depth explanations of the science and technology, and discussions of what missions and projects are planned for the near-future. A space image, artistic interpretation, or photograph of researchers is found on every page. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Space Exploration titles: Breakthroughs in Mars Exploration, Breakthroughs in Planet and Comet Research, Breakthroughs in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Breakthroughs in Deep Space Science, Breakthroughs in Space Travel, and Breakthroughs in Stars Research.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 American Museum of Natural History series. These volumes highlight the science and technology of the International Space Station (Life in Space) and rover explorations of Mars (Mission to Mars). Clear texts explain why these missions have been undertaken and how findings contribute to our knowledge of planets and human endurance in space. Striking images show the surface of Mars, a variety of spacecraft, and astronauts at work. Ind. Review covers these titles: Mission to Mars and Life in Space.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Sci-Finity: Redworld series. Illustrated by Tomislav Tikulin. By 2335, Earth's resources have dwindled, so Belle Song and her family immigrate to the newest frontier: Mars. People, homes, weather, and school are strange, but Belle's spunk earns her new friends. Collins superficially touches on timely issues such as refugees, diversity, and natural resource conservation in these facile but quick-paced sci-fi novellas. Full-page illustrations and diary entries appear occasionally. Glos. Review covers these Sci-Finity: Redworld titles: Asylum, Homestead, Legacy, Outcry, Raiders, and Tharsis City.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters