What Happened on Planet Kid

Written by Jane Leslie Conly

Narrated by Kate Forbes

At her aunt and uncle's farm in the summer of 1958, 12-year-old Dawn and her new friend Charlotte create their own private world: Planet Kid. Away from whiny brothers and nosy neighbor boys, they pass one carefree day after another. But as dark secrets from the adult world creep into Planet Kid, Dawn must make some tough choices-choices that could mean life or death for her friend. In this moving, insightful novel, Newbery Honor author Jane Leslie Conly captures both the innocent simplicity and the haunting complexity of growing up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470354602

Reviews for What Happened on Planet Kid

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hint: neither cover is quite right.  The big secret is not racism, and the SF element is only a small bit of the kids' imaginary play.  It's mostly realistic fiction, set inVirginia, in the relatively recent past of 1958.  Children will be interested to see what life was like back then, when many folks had TV, some communities were integrated and others weren't, most everyone had cars and phones, and girls could wear dresses or jeans as they preferred.  That is to say, teachers could do a lesson in 'what's the same, what's different' and then kids could get to know more about how their grandparents grew up... maybe another lesson could be to interview a grandparent or a resident of a nearby care home for seniors.

Anyway, never minding all the historical relevance, it's also an exciting story.  And what is Dawn going to do about the challenges those in her tribe face?  Can she do anything, or does she just have to process her feelings herself?  

But never minding all that 'issues' stuff - in the first place it's a fun adventure, about kids who sneak out at night, and play tricks on each other, and make new friends....

I almost gave it four full stars, but knocked off 1/2 because I just didn't love it.  Nothing whatsoever wrong with it, but I didn't 'feel' it.  Possibly just me, but still, 3.5 is enough.