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There's a Spaceship in My Tree! Review by Susan K. Marlow
By Robert West 5300 Patterson Ave. SEZonderkidz
5300 Patterson Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
616-698-3332
http://www.zondervan.com/
TIn There’s a Spaceship in My Tree, we meet thirteen-year-old Benson (Beamer) McIntyre, who definitely feels like an alien. He and his family have recently moved from Southern California to the Mid-west, and his unfamiliarity with the local “customs” make him a target for--you guessed it--the school bullies. He teams up with unlikely and equally “alien” companions Scilla (Priscilla) and Goulie (Garfunkel), and together they explore the strange spaceship-shaped tree house in Beamer’s backyard. Imaginations are ignited, plans made, and the bullies are sent packing in a humorous but effective way.
There’s a Spaceship in my Tree is the first book in a new series geared for ages 9-12. It’s an easy read at 130 pages and 12 short, fast-moving chapters. It’s pure, simple fun, especially if there is a young science fiction reader in your home. There’s not a lot of depth here, but Beamer’s family is intact and they seem to get along. They’re Christians, and Beamer does try to make good choices most of the time. It’s a nice change to read about a young main character who is unburdened by the usual contemporary issues (other than the “bullying” issue). The mention of something strange growing in the attic adds a hint of mystery to the plot, and the bully’s “weakness” is touching.
It may not be a problem for young readers, but the one difficulty I encountered with the book was not in the content but in the formatting. While exploring the tree house, our intrepid heroes often find themselves “transported” to what they believe is an actual spaceship, and they begin giving and taking orders as crew members. When this happens, the text changes to a font I found irritating to read.
But all in all, There’s a Spaceship in My Tree accomplishes a story’s first responsibility to the reader--to entertain. The writing is light and snappy, and the characters are fun to follow. The next book is sure to toss them into another adventure, and I’ll be ready to go along with them.
