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Stars Wars meets Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers in this high-stakes intergalactic adventure! The Moon Platoon is the first book in an action-packed series for tweens that's perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Lisa McMann.In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first-ever resort on the Moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life.Benny can't wait to fly his very own Space Runner, practice reverse bungee jumping, and explore craters on the dark side of the Moon. But he gets more than he expected when he and the other kids discover the Moon has secrets no one else knows about. Benny is a long way from home—and soon there might not be an Earth to go back to.
In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first-ever resort on the Moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life.Benny cant wait to fly his very own Space Runner, practice reverse bungee jumping, In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first-ever resort on the Moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life.Benny can’t wait to fly his very own Space Runner, practice reverse bungee jumping, and explore craters on the dark side of the Moon. But he gets more than he expected when he and the other kids discover the Moon has secrets no one else knows about. Benny is a long way from home—and soon there might not be an Earth to go back to.
Space Runners #1: The Moon Platoon In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first-ever resort on the Moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life.
Good Space Fun - and Way, Way Better Than ExpectedI didn't think that the souped up Chevelle-in-space that was on the cover was a good sign. Then we met the really decent poor kid, the spoiled Senator's kid, the shy techy girl, and the hot shot racing girl, all on the way to space camp on the Moon, and I figured this was going to be a campy or cartoony cavalcade of cliches. Well, please excuuuuse me for being such a snot. Turns out that this book, in my now very humbled opinion, was a clever, Good Space Fun - and Way, Way Better Than ExpectedI didn't think that the souped up Chevelle-in-space that was on the cover was a good sign. Then we met the really decent poor kid, the spoiled Senator's kid, the shy techy girl, and the hot shot racing girl, all on the way to space camp on the Moon, and I figured this was going to be a campy or cartoony cavalcade of cliches. Well, please excuuuuse me for being such a snot. Turns out that this book, in my now very humbled opinion, was a clever, well written, entertaining and engaging hoot of a middle grade space actioner.Our hero, Benny, is in fact a decent poor kid.
But you know what? That mostly comes across in his appreciation of the neat things he's getting to see and do, and he comes across as steady, resourceful, grounded and practical. He is a remarkably appealing character, with a deadpan sense of humor, and fine as the center of the story. The spoiled kid is not a caricature. Well, he is, but he develops some depth and grows up during the course of the adventure. The shy techy Jazz has some real backbone. Hotshot Grace is girrrrl power with a sense of humor and real skilz, not just a nod to a few girl readers.
This is a well conceived and well presented team, and watching them get used to each other and begin to trust and like each other was enjoyable, (and carried an appealing subtle message about friendship and teamwork).The tech angle was handled well. The reader is perfectly willing to buy the whole mega resort on the Moon set up, and the bigger than life genius-billionaire-adventurer-guru who ran the place was often the butt of sly humor. The supporting characters at the resort, composed mostly of heroic master of the universe types, were also gently sent up. More interesting, though, were all the technical thingies. This is a sort of motor-heads in space story, so that Chevelle wasn't too far off.
And all of the other tech that's described or just off-handedly acknowledged should spark the imaginations of most young readers.There is more of a plot than just 'who's the best camper?' , what with aliens and invasions and that whole saving the Earth thing, but it's suspenseful and rollicking and action packed and over the top, and so just the thing to spark a high end space adventure. JUST A MILD SPOILER - think along the lines of 'Star Wars' and that darn Death Star.My bottom line was that I thought the whole project was a hoot. I liked the characters and their style; the tone of the book was generally upbeat, (there is some look-how-we-messed-up-the-Earth monologuing), and sort of breathless, and under the hood the engine just purred along.
This is in many ways an old-school friends adventure, updated with high tech and space blarney, and isn't that a nice find?(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.). Benny is super excited he was chosen to be a scholarship winner for a two week visit to Elijah West's Lunar Taj on the Moon. He's hoping that this experience and the money he's promised after the trip will get his family a more permanent home so they can get out of the Drylands. After landing on the Moon, though, some strange things happen. Benny could leave things in Elijah's hands, but his new friends are also curious and dissatisfied with Elijah's responses. They start to do some Benny is super excited he was chosen to be a scholarship winner for a two week visit to Elijah West's Lunar Taj on the Moon.
He's hoping that this experience and the money he's promised after the trip will get his family a more permanent home so they can get out of the Drylands. After landing on the Moon, though, some strange things happen.
Benny could leave things in Elijah's hands, but his new friends are also curious and dissatisfied with Elijah's responses. They start to do some investigating themselves and stumble upon a find that will rock their worlds and challenge them like never before.This starts off like your typical camp story, only it is set on the Moon and the experiences all revolve around cool tech/space cars. It soon escalates after an accident with one of the Space Runners and a strange asteroid that seems to have brought it down. Benny and his friends are quite the curious crew.
They all have their own gifts. Benny is a good leader who cares about others. Drue is the spoiled rich kid who bought a scholarship, but may secretly have some good qualities. Jasmine is a science genius.
Hot Dog is a driving champ. And Ramona is a tech genius. The five of them manage to get in trouble together more than once, but it proves to be a good thing they are so curious. The climax gets a bit more serious as the secrets they uncover have major ramifications for everyone on Earth and the Moon. I liked the imaginative setting and the spectrum of characters. Kraatz built in surprising depth to several characters. Most readers will be able to guess some of the big secret but maybe not all, and there's still some tantalizing hints of secrets untold yet to keep readers interested in the next book.
I wasn't always happy with the ways the kids went about uncovering secrets but I'm sure younger readers will find it more exciting.Notes on content: About four minor swear words (I'm not sure if that's because this is the British version and that word isn't considered as bad there, but to American readers this edition will have some minor swearing.) No sexual content. There are a few perilous situations but just scratches on page, and there are likely deaths after one situation (but you aren't sure). This is an average book. I didn't like it as much as by Stuart Gibbs, but it will definitely appeal to the same crowd. Sci-fi is the weak spot in my library, so I'm definitely considering.Benny, Drue, Hot Dog, and Jasmine are four of the exceptional kids who have been selected to attend a training school at the famous Taj resort on the moon. Earth is on an environmental death spiral and entrepreneur Elijah West is thinking ahead with his resort and fleet of space runners (aka This is an average book.
I didn't like it as much as by Stuart Gibbs, but it will definitely appeal to the same crowd. Sci-fi is the weak spot in my library, so I'm definitely considering.Benny, Drue, Hot Dog, and Jasmine are four of the exceptional kids who have been selected to attend a training school at the famous Taj resort on the moon. Earth is on an environmental death spiral and entrepreneur Elijah West is thinking ahead with his resort and fleet of space runners (aka souped-up cars). Once the kids have met their idol Elijah and toured the resort, they are placed into competitive groups to test their intellectual prowess and team-building skills. There's Benny, the poor kid from a trailer park, Drue, the intellectually inferior Senator's son, Hot Dog, the video game queen, and Jasmine, the engineering prodigy. The first competition is a race between Drue and Hot Dog.
Hot Dog wins but gets stranded in an asteroid shower. The other three sneak out to rescue her and end up bringing back a piece of asteroid.
![Runners Runners](http://FullFathomFive.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/spacerunners-cover.jpg)
Something is off about the asteroid and the kids are determined to find out what.A little sleuthing and science gets them to the bottom of the mystery. Elijah is forced to reveal everything and before you know it, a bunch of souped-up cars, driven by kids, is on a mission to save Earth. It's like a scene out of Star Wars. I liked the characters, although they are a bit stereotypical, especially Drue drooling over the hot girls. Hot Dog is a girl and that name almost ruined the book for me. Such an easy fix too.
The idea of a resort on the moon that attracts celebrities is cool. The space cars are a little much for me, but with Elon Musk launching a Tesla into space, I guess anything is possible. In 2085, Benny lives in the Drylands.
His father didn't come back from a scouting mission, so he lives in a caravan with his grandmother and two younger brothers. When he is picked for the elite academy at the swank Lunar Taj, he knows that the way to better the circumstances for his family is to go. Once there, he meets the other students, including the obnoxious Drue, the daredevil Hot Dog, and the techie Jasmine. When Hot Dog goes out in a Space Runner and crashes, Benny and Drue go out In 2085, Benny lives in the Drylands.
His father didn't come back from a scouting mission, so he lives in a caravan with his grandmother and two younger brothers. When he is picked for the elite academy at the swank Lunar Taj, he knows that the way to better the circumstances for his family is to go. Once there, he meets the other students, including the obnoxious Drue, the daredevil Hot Dog, and the techie Jasmine. When Hot Dog goes out in a Space Runner and crashes, Benny and Drue go out looking for her. Theyfind her, but uncover a mystery as well.
Could it be that Elijah West has brought the 100 children to the moon for other reasons?Benny is a great character who is trying hard to fit into a new environment. Life in the Drylands is hard, so he appreciates all of the amenities of the Lunar Taj in a way that Drue does not.
Drue is a spoiled brat, but not beyond redemption. Hot Dog throws caution to the wind, but can back up her actions with excellent skills- and she's described as a pretty blond. I loved that Jasmine was the tech guru instead of some stereotypical geeky boy!The Lunar Taj is a solidly described setting.
Will technology progress that far by 2085? Children who read this book today could conceivably live long enough to find out! I'm not entirely sold that a Chevelle could be retrofitted and made space worthy, but it's a fun concept. This bore a small resemblance to Reilly's 2007 Crash Course, but has a lot more going for it.Kraatz's The Cloak Society also offered tweens saving the world; as much as this concept gives me pause, middle school students love the idea.
Pair this first book in the Space Runners series with Fry's Jupiter Pirates, McDougall's Mars Evacuees, and Kloepfer's Galaxy's Most Wanted for readers who like Star Wars, Star Trek, and traditional space adventure rather than dystopian worlds. (4 1/2 stars. I liked this WAY more than I expected to!)Benny Love is one of this year's 100 scholarship winners to spend two weeks on the moon at the Lunar Taj, the first off-earth resort. It is owned by trillionaire Elijah West, who made his fortune inventing cars that can fly in space.
Each year, Mr. West brings 100 of the best and the brightest to the moon for two weeks, then sends them back to Earth with enough money to change their lives forever. Benny is grateful to have received the (4 1/2 stars.
I liked this WAY more than I expected to!)Benny Love is one of this year's 100 scholarship winners to spend two weeks on the moon at the Lunar Taj, the first off-earth resort. It is owned by trillionaire Elijah West, who made his fortune inventing cars that can fly in space. Each year, Mr.
West brings 100 of the best and the brightest to the moon for two weeks, then sends them back to Earth with enough money to change their lives forever. Benny is grateful to have received the scholarship. He and his brothers live in a caravan in the Drylands, where there is never enough water, barely enough food, and always dirt and sand. On his first day on the moon, he and his new friends (which include some very NOT stereotypical girls!) discover something out of the ordinary. As they continue to explore more, they discover the secret Elijah West doesn't want anyone to know. A thrilling space adventure, including plenty of car chases and live action video game sims.
Fans of the Bounders series will enjoy this one as well. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up. This wasn't deep nor profound, but it was fun and it did stress looking out for each other.
Our hero reminded me a teeny, tiny bit of Ender Wiggin, except for a younger crowd.Benny genuinely cares for others and wants what's best for the team, so even though he may not be the smartest of them, they're willing to follow because he touches their hearts and draws out what is best in people. Yes, I know with the exception of Bean, Ender was actually the smartest of his group, but Benny seemed to This wasn't deep nor profound, but it was fun and it did stress looking out for each other. Our hero reminded me a teeny, tiny bit of Ender Wiggin, except for a younger crowd.Benny genuinely cares for others and wants what's best for the team, so even though he may not be the smartest of them, they're willing to follow because he touches their hearts and draws out what is best in people. Yes, I know with the exception of Bean, Ender was actually the smartest of his group, but Benny seemed to inspire others to follow him in somewhat the same way.If you're on the look out for a fun, sometimes a bit silly, but still pretty cool sci-fi, then you're in the right place. I liked this enough that, were the next audiobook available, I would probably have immediately listened to the next in the series. I work in a library and I will definitely recommend to the middle-school crowd or the older crowd who's looking for a light read. I really enjoyed this book, smashed it over two nights as i just kept reading on.
Love the group of friends especially Benny. It really felt like i was taken on a ride myself, the only down side is i didnt realise it was a trilogy the second is now on pre order delivery 8th of March, so excited to get my hands on the next installment. But the down side is i have bit of a wait till the third one is out to get to the conclusion. I can definitely see me happily re reading this set of books in the i really enjoyed this book, smashed it over two nights as i just kept reading on. Love the group of friends especially Benny. It really felt like i was taken on a ride myself, the only down side is i didnt realise it was a trilogy the second is now on pre order delivery 8th of March, so excited to get my hands on the next installment. But the down side is i have bit of a wait till the third one is out to get to the conclusion.
I can definitely see me happily re reading this set of books in the not so distant future. If you like childrens fantasy/adventure stories i highy reccomend you reading the 'the space runners'. We loved this series. There's a fourth book out, that we haven't read yet, but it's on the TBR pile.The first book reads like watching my son play Forza but with hot rods on the moon!Right off the shuttle, the main character Benny and the motley cast of teen winners of Elija West's Scholarship for Courage, Ambition and Brains are saving each other - and eventually Earth. Benny drives a 4-wheeler souped up for moon conditions to rescue Jazz, whose space runner vehicle crashes, and the Taj We loved this series. There's a fourth book out, that we haven't read yet, but it's on the TBR pile.The first book reads like watching my son play Forza but with hot rods on the moon!Right off the shuttle, the main character Benny and the motley cast of teen winners of Elija West's Scholarship for Courage, Ambition and Brains are saving each other - and eventually Earth. Benny drives a 4-wheeler souped up for moon conditions to rescue Jazz, whose space runner vehicle crashes, and the Taj space resort is bombarded by alien asteroids.The scholarship winners work together as a team led by a reluctant Benny to fend off an attack by the Alpha Maraudi (a play on the word marauder, perhaps?), who want to take over Earth and resettle it for their own people.Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips.
I really liked this book. It is a middle grade novel, so the action is non stop, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am not a science person or a fan of sci-fi in general, but Kraatz does not beat you over the head with the science elements, and I appreciated that as someone who is not into things like that. I found the characters funny and relatable. I did not like the adult main character of Elijah, but he redeems himself at the end. What did Elijah think was going to happen when he brought a I really liked this book. It is a middle grade novel, so the action is non stop, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I am not a science person or a fan of sci-fi in general, but Kraatz does not beat you over the head with the science elements, and I appreciated that as someone who is not into things like that. I found the characters funny and relatable. I did not like the adult main character of Elijah, but he redeems himself at the end. What did Elijah think was going to happen when he brought a hundred kids to the moon? Shenanigans were going to ensue.
Overall, I think this is a great middle grade read. A great start to an action packed sci fi adventure. Sure to appeal to reluctant readers. It really kicks off the last part of the book, but the beginning is important to build background, get to know the characters and the setting. My only complaint is there needs to be more explanation about why Elijah built this station on the moon and kitted it out with virtual reality games for the kids he invited.
Did he simply want to entertain them or was there another reason? Why put them in teams?
If he A great start to an action packed sci fi adventure. Sure to appeal to reluctant readers. It really kicks off the last part of the book, but the beginning is important to build background, get to know the characters and the setting. My only complaint is there needs to be more explanation about why Elijah built this station on the moon and kitted it out with virtual reality games for the kids he invited.
Did he simply want to entertain them or was there another reason? Why put them in teams? If he didn't want to defend the Earth, what was his end game? Maybe these questions will be answered in the next in the series. 2085 - Earth is changed.
Everyone lives in the cities.until they can't afford it anymore. Benny and his family were forced out when they were unable to maintain the cost of living. He loves his family very much.
He is a strong character with a great background. I enjoyed reading about him and his adventures when he was selected to go to the moon base for a week-long educational trip.There were small flaws with the characters, and perhaps minor oddities with the storyline- but I didn't really 2085 - Earth is changed. Everyone lives in the cities.until they can't afford it anymore. Benny and his family were forced out when they were unable to maintain the cost of living.
He loves his family very much. He is a strong character with a great background. I enjoyed reading about him and his adventures when he was selected to go to the moon base for a week-long educational trip.There were small flaws with the characters, and perhaps minor oddities with the storyline- but I didn't really care. I enjoyed this book and will gladly put it in my library because it will get read.
Space Runners: The Mood Platoon is a fun middle school read. Benny Love finds himself on a space shuttle to the Moon after winning a contest. He and a hundred other young scholars are going to learn about life in space and hone their technology and piloting skills under the leadership of the legendary Elijah West. But when suspicious asteroids begin hitting the protective dome of the Lunar Taj, Benny and his friends feel like they have to investigate, and soon find themselves on a mission to Space Runners: The Mood Platoon is a fun middle school read. Benny Love finds himself on a space shuttle to the Moon after winning a contest. He and a hundred other young scholars are going to learn about life in space and hone their technology and piloting skills under the leadership of the legendary Elijah West.
But when suspicious asteroids begin hitting the protective dome of the Lunar Taj, Benny and his friends feel like they have to investigate, and soon find themselves on a mission to save Earth. Characterization, imagination, description, plot, creativity all spot on and total 5 star rating. I can't wait to read the second book. My only critique (that dropped it to a 4 star) is the dialogue: all too often characters would not finish sentences. There were so many dashes and ellipses from characters being cut off, or in some way not finishing. This is an okay technique to use occasionally, as that's real life, but it was so overdone to the point of borderline irritating. Other Great book!
Characterization, imagination, description, plot, creativity all spot on and total 5 star rating. I can't wait to read the second book.
My only critique (that dropped it to a 4 star) is the dialogue: all too often characters would not finish sentences. There were so many dashes and ellipses from characters being cut off, or in some way not finishing. This is an okay technique to use occasionally, as that's real life, but it was so overdone to the point of borderline irritating. Other than that, loved the book! Im Jeramey Kraatz. Thats like cats with an R in it, by the way. I wrote THE CLOAK SOCIETY and SPACE RUNNERS series from Harper.I grew up in Odessa, Texas, studied advertising and English at TCU, and graduated from the MFA program at Columbia University where I studied nonfiction writing.
In the past, Ive worked as a snow-cone maker, barista, mannequin dresser, and intern in the X-Men Editorial Hi! I’m Jeramey Kraatz. That’s like “cats” with an “R” in it, by the way. I wrote THE CLOAK SOCIETY and SPACE RUNNERS series from Harper.I grew up in Odessa, Texas, studied advertising and English at TCU, and graduated from the MFA program at Columbia University where I studied nonfiction writing.
In the past, I’ve worked as a snow-cone maker, barista, mannequin dresser, and intern in the X-Men Editorial Department at Marvel Comics. When I’m not working on books, I write English dub scripts for various anime series, like Seraph of the End and My Hero Academia. You never have to grow up, kids.I like bad horror movies, comic books, queso, and music that sounds like laser pistols. I live and work in Texas with, predictably, my cat: Loki.
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