#BookReview for Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy by Joshua Levy

Synopsis: PSS 118 is just your typical school--except that it's a rickety old spaceship orbiting Jupiter. When the school is mysteriously attacked, thirteen-year-old Jack receives a cryptic message from his father (the school's recently-fired-for-tinkering-with-the-ship science teacher). Amidst the chaos, Jack discovers that his dad has built humanity's first light-speed engine--and given Jack control of it. To save the ship, Jack catapults it hundreds of light-years away and right into the clutches of the first aliens humans have ever seen. School hasn't just gotten out: it's gone clear across the galaxy. And now it's up to Jack and his friends to get everyone home.
This title will be released on March 5, 2019.
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About the Author:  Joshua S. Levy is a husband, lawyer, father, and children's book author who lives in New Jersey. Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy is his debut novel.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review: This was a very fun book that my son loved.  He had a fun time with the characters and the ship. And he said it was just the right amount of over the top.  I could hear him laughing at times (sometimes when he was supposed to be sleeping) but that was ok since he was reading and still got up for school. This is going to be one of those books that you have to pry out of your kid's hands to get them to go to bed.

He said that he loved the humor and explanation of what is going on. I know that reading sci-fi sometimes has its issues with the terms they use. But he said he understood everything that was going on.  His favorite characters were the Queen who chewed gum and the ship.

The setting was great and he loved how everything flowed.  And he can not wait to get his hands on another book from this author.

He did say however that he took away a star because at times it was a little confusing to follow Jack and what he was doing. But by the end it was ok.

*Review is from Brian a 12-year-old boy who loves to read.*

"An exciting adventure full of humor and action that will make you wish you went to school in space." --Gareth Wronski, author of Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy 

--Other Print

"The good news: Jack's science teacher dad has discovered how to travel at light speed. The bad news: he's fired before he can get rich on his new technology. He secretly installs it aboard PSS 118 before being escorted off, leaving Jack to endure the scorn and bullying that come with having a disgraced father. But when the ship is attacked, this semi-sentient technology kicks in, and suddenly Jack, his best friend Ari, and his nemesis Becka have hurtled 400 light years away and find themselves face-to-face with an evil galactic overlord. Chases, alien mall scenes, and daring rescues abound. Sci-fi tropes are everywhere in this story: time travel, aliens, time travel with aliens! Jack is a funny, nerdy seventh grader, and there's even some character growth as he learns to trust others and realizes he doesn't always have to be the boss. Be warned: there's an obvious trail of bread crumbs leading to a sequel. VERDICT A perfect bridge for readers looking for a Percy Jackson-esque work of science fiction."--School Library Journal

--Journal

"Seventh-grade buddies Jack and Ari, along with the class bully T-Bex (Becka), are all that stand between their space-station school (P.S.S. 118) and the galaxy-controlling Elvidian Minister's brand of punishment for Jack's dad's tinkering with forbidden science. What was supposed to be the last day of seventh grade turns into the first day of saving the world. Reminiscent of writing by Chris Grabenstein, this middle-grade action-adventure space opera is just plain fun. Sassy ship computers, mean lunch-lady robots, a suitably authoritarian villain, and the freedom to roam the universe to save their families make this a story that will appeal to boys and girls alike, and there are hints of age-appropriate romance (spoiler alert, Ari has a crush on Becka) thrown in for good measure. There's plenty of STEM material as the kids must acquire fuel, repair the lightspeed engines, and escape the pull of planets. Levy's energetic debut will especially appeal to fans of Monica Tesler's Bounders series, David Liss' Randoms (2015), and Adam Rex's Smek books."--Booklist

--Journal

"When extraterrestrials impound a spaceship full of students and teachers 400 light-years from Earth, it's up to Jack and his buddies to get them all back home. Life on Public School Ship 118 has been hard for Jack ever since his science-teacher father was fired and kicked off, leaving him alone and outcast. It gets dramatically worse when the ship comes under attack. In the chaos, Jack's father texts him via communicator ring with directions to save the school--but implementing them strands the entire ship in Elvidian space, where they are swiftly imprisoned. While the Earth kids are forced to attend Elvidian school and wear Elvidian contact lenses, Jack discovers that his father had been fired for tinkering with the P.S.S. 118, illicitly equipping it with the means to get them home--if only they can figure out how to get all of them back on the ship. Fortunately, the Elvidians seem to be a touch hypochondriacal and do not recognize Earth diseases . . . Levy's series opener, festooned with futuristic tech, is aimed at action-oriented readers, but too much telling rather than showing, especially initially, may turn them off prematurely. Repetitive details such as frequent references to Jack's dad's firing further bog the plot down. Jack presents white on the cover; Ari, who is Jewish, is depicted with brown skin; and Becka has light skin and long, dark hair. Younger, less-sophisticated sci-fi fans who can get past the backstory-filled opening might find this just the ticket."--Kirkus Reviews

--Journal

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Carolrhoda Lab TM, Middle Grade, Review