Parents' Guide to

Space Taxi: Archie's Alien Disguise

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Fast-paced third book centers on princess, electricity.

Book Wendy Mass , Michael Brawer Science Fiction 2015
Space Taxi: Archie's Alien Disguise Poster Image

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What's the Story?

It seems like just another night in the space taxi, picking up new and interesting customers such as the goo-covered Bloppy, when Dad and Archie receive word that Princess Viola needs rescuing. In SPACE TAXI: ARCHIE'S ALIEN DISGUISE, it's a race against time fighting the evil crime syndicate B.U.R.P. as Archie and Pockets track down the princess on their own, while Dad makes repairs to the taxi. Can they find her in time? Will Archie's disguise be discovered?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This third installment in the Space Taxi series keeps the momentum going by staying light, fast-paced, and fun, with the same infectious energy about space, science, and other worlds. It combines an imaginative, silly view of space and aliens while keeping the story grounded in real science facts that make learning seem effortless. Kids learn about photons while imagining an alien made entirely of goo, a princess with three eyes, or a cat with endless pockets.

Here, Archie and Pockets strike out on a crime-fighting mission on their own, which gives Archie a chance to put to use some of the map reading and troubleshooting Dad mentored him through on earlier missions, and the book has fun with a space-inspired version of a princess and video-game-style rescues in castles with knights and swords. There's very mild fighting with some lasers fired and a small resulting explosion, but it's quickly remedied and fairly cartoonish. Perfect for kids who need a spark to get interested in science.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about books set in space in the future. Why do you think they're so popular?

  • How is this princess story different from other princess stories you've read?

  • Does this Space Taxi book depict space the way you imagined it? How is it the same? How is it different?

Book Details

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