Ambassador
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Complex adventure mixes immigration issues, space travel.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
Eleven-year-old Minnesota kid Gabe Fuentes thinks he's in for a really boring summer of watching his toddler siblings while his parents and older sister work -- that, and staying out of trouble after he and his best friend Frankie survive their first attempt at launching a rocket from the yard, with fatal results for Frankie's mom's lawn furniture. Unbeknownst to Gabe, a transparent purple being called The Envoy is about to arrive from outer space, presenting him with what may be a world-saving mission as Earth's AMBASSADOR to other planets -- just as a fateful traffic stop threatens the entire family, as Gabe's undocumented parents and sister face deportation back to Mexico with little hope of return.
Is It Any Good?
Heartfelt moments, appealing characters, and thrilling adventures abound here, as the author and protagonist play with the concept of "alien," from today's immigration woes to sci-fi space travelers. The two plot threads -- the family's predicament with Dad in jail, and Gabe's mission to the spacefarers who just blew up his house -- intertwine, not always smoothly, but it's never boring. Many parents will find the treatment of complex political issues one-sided, but this can lead to some interesting, age-appropriate discussions about seeing things from various viewpoints -- an important theme.
Not unlike its two predecessors, Ambassador feels like the introduction to a series, and this volume ends especially abruptly, with many issues unresolved and new, intriguing possibilities emerging.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss science fiction and why it's appealing. Do stories and characters set in outer space or alternate universes have anything to do with us? What might that be, in this story or other science fiction you know about?
Gabe's family has emergency plans for everything including alien invasions. Does your family have a plan for natural disasters and other emergencies? What is it?
Do you know the story of how -- and why -- your family, or your ancestors, came to America? What challenges did they face at the time? What's different today?
Book Details
- Author: William Alexander
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
- Publication date: September 23, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 19, 2019
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