Galactic Battles.

Harrison, Zac.  Galactic Battles.  (Hyperspace High)  Capstone/Stone Arch     2014  288p  $25.99  ISBN 978-1-4342-6569-2  ms/jr  Science fiction  VG-BN

John Riley was sent to a boarding school on Earth but he managed to get into Hyperspace High, which is light years away from Earth.  Now he is faced with his first challenge, and he has been made leader of his alien group.     In Hyperspace High the students come from across the galaxy.  John is the only human, and the Galactic counsel is still considering whether he was a good choice.  However, John is blossoming and making good friends.  The school is preparing for the annual Space Spectacular show, and this just means that parents are invited to the school to see how well their children are doing -- except that John’s family will not be present because they are not allowed entry, at least not yet.  The school is elegant and has many modern facilities, and the students are no different from those on Earth; they even have bullies.  The only difference is that they are aliens.  For the show the students are placed onto teams, and John is picked for the Galactic battle team.  On his team there are only five, and the team has chosen him to lead.

This is a big responsibility that John must face as they begin to train.  At first it looks dismal, but gradually John begins learning how to lead his team.  Then the big day comes and they are ready, but they encounter big problems, and those problems escalate as the team takes the stage.  When everything goes wrong, it looks like John truly will have to lead his team to success because failure may mean their death.      

Space ships-Fiction                                   --Magna Diaz

Harrison, Zac. Crash Landing.

Harrison, Zac.    Crash Landing.    Capstone/Stone Arch  2014  288p  ISBN 978-1-4342-6306-3     elem/ms    VG    Science fiction    

Young John Riley leaves home on a bus to go to boarding school.  He gets to boarding school all right -- but it’s Hyperspace High, the premier boarding high school in the galaxy.  Now he has to find a way to stay there.  The large type-face and campy book cover made this reader feel a bit leery.  But, once past the first five pages, I was caught.  The premise is not a new one -- mistaken identity leading to a unique opportunity -- but the use of a galactic, class A boarding school for youngsters gives it a new twist.  Young John is a bit of an over-achiever to begin with, and he finds his strengths in science, math and gaming to be a serious asset in his new school.  He makes friends fast and easily passes muster with the headmaster of the school.  Of course the school has bullies, but they are eventually shown up by the “good guys.”  Remember - all of this takes place on a huge space station with an intergalactic cast of students.  Again, a tad hokey, but still a fast, imaginative read.

Summary: Young John Riley leaves home on a bus to go to boarding school.  He gets to boarding school all right -- but it’s Hyperspace High, the premier boarding high school in the galaxy.  Now he has to find a way to stay there.        

School stories, Science fiction                          --Lynn Fisher    

Harrison, David L. Cowboys.

Harrison, David L.  Cowboys.  Boyd's Mills/Word Song  unp     $17.95    978-1-59078-877-6 VG-BN Poetry    

In Cowboys, poet David Harrison and illustrator Dan Burr team up for the second time to create a companion piece to Pirates.  Cowboys is a collection of 22 free-verse poems that brings the gritty experience of herding longhorns on the Chisholm Trail to life.  Cowboys drove cattle over the 1000-mile Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene, Kansas, for several decades, before the railroads, refrigeration, and increased numbers of settlers made this method of getting steers to market obsolete. The slim volume presents a fascinating first-person narrative about the hard life cowboys faced on the open trail.  Each poem offers a brief glimpse, often poignant or humorous, into a bygone era.

Burr’s compelling artwork encourages readers to pore over the illustrations’ nearly photographic details.  Grizzly bears, bunkhouses, dusty cattle, freezing rain, and rattlesnakes populate the pages. Portraits of the leather-skinned, weathered characters (as well as a few bargirls and a feisty cowgirl) will satisfy those who dream of the romantic, Wild West.  While stereotypes persist throughout the book, would-be wranglers will be pleased with it anyway.

“I loved the chance to write about decent people doing a dangerous job,” states Harrison in a recent interview (http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com...). Saddle up for some fine storytelling.                                       --Hilary Welliver