Tag Archives: Mars

Elem./MG – Unboxing Libby

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Cherrywell, Steph. Unboxing Libby. Little, Brown and Company, 2025. 978-0-316-57709-0. 310 p. $17.99. Grades 4-7.

Max was designed to be cheerful, sweet, and always agreeable, just like every other Libby model in the A.I.Cademy Girl line of lifelike social robot dolls. But Max doesn’t always feel sweet and agreeable. In fact, she doesn’t feel like a Libby at all. Everything went off-script the day she came online. She yelled at her assigned mom, shattered her favorite snow globe, and tried to befriend a Roxanne. And everyone knows Libbys never mix with Roxannes because they are troublemakers. Libbys follow the rules, especially on the Mars colony where Libby and the other human-made android dolls are expected to be perfect little droids and run simulations in the colony before the human inhabitants move in. But Max’s so-called malfunctions let her do things no other android can, like cross forbidden Boundaries. As she starts questioning why she doesn’t fit the mold, Max uncovers troubling secrets behind their picture-perfect community. With the looming threat of being scrapped, Max must defy her programming and embrace her real identity to protect her friends and herself.

THOUGHTS: Cherrywell’s heartfelt, thought-provoking novel is American Girl Dolls re-imagined with a futuristic edge. Blending social insight with the journey of a self-aware AI tween, the story explores identity, friendship, and defying expectations. Faux ads and commercials sprinkled throughout add a layer of satire, poking fun at consumer culture while furthering the narrative and rounding out characters. A must-read for middle grade students who love stories about friendship, courage, and breaking the mold.

Science Fiction

MG – A Rover’s Story

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Warga, Jasmine. A Rover’s Story. Balzar + Bray, 2022. 979-0-063-11392-9. 294 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

Mars rover Resilience, Res for short, was built to explore Mars. As he learns how to do that, he begins to think that maybe he was built for more. He begins to develop human-like emotions which he knows he is not supposed to have. As Res goes to Mars with his helicopter drone, Fly, he ends up learning more about himself than he ever knew before. The story is also told through letters by a young girl who is connected to Res in ways that he does not know. They both develop throughout the story in surprising and wonderful ways.

THOUGHTS: This is an amazing book that looks into human emotions and what it means to have courage, resilience, and strength. Even though this story is fictional these characters felt like they were real, and if I searched I could find a Mars rover who had done the things that Res does in the book. This is a wonderful book that would make an amazing read aloud. A must have for every middle grade collection.

Science Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises

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Slade, Suzanne. Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises. Peachtree Atlanta. 978-1-682-63188-1. 51 p. $19.99. Grades K-3. 

Sand dunes, craters, volcanoes, canyons, lava flows, cliffs, and ice are only some of the amazing landforms covering the surface of Mars. In this oversize book, each double page spread consists of a full-page landform photo that is complemented by large-scale descriptive text and a smaller, more detailed caption. One spread features “sandy, windswept dunes” and describes how Mars’s winds blow the sand into mesmerizing ripple and wave patterns. Another highlights the “stark slopes” of an impact crater formed by an asteroid or meteorite collision. The full-color images in the book were taken with NASA’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera. The camera was launched into space in 2005 and has been sending images back to Earth ever since. Detailed backmatter include sections titled “Launching the Mission to Mars,” “HiRISE: The Spectacular Space Camera,” “More About Mars,” and “Highlights of the Exploration of Mars.” 

THOUGHTS: This title is reminiscent of April Pulley Sayre’s books which present brief and poetic nonfiction tidbits complemented by beautiful full-page photographs. Although there is not enough information in this title to support research reports, students will be drawn in by the breathtaking photos of the Red Planet. It also will be useful as an introduction to science units about the solar system and outer space. 

523.43 Planets          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Elem. – Mars! Earthlings Welcome (Series NF)

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McAnulty, Stacy. Mars! Earthlings Welcome. Henry Holt and Company, 2021. 978-1-250-25688-1. $18.99. 40 p. Grades Pre K-2.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years. 2017. 978-1-250-10808-1.
Sun! One in a Billion. 2018. 978-1-250-19932-4.
Moon! Earth’s Best Friend. 2019. 978-1-250-19934-8.
Ocean! Waves for All. 2020. 978-1-250-10809-8.

The fifth book in the “Our Universe” series is about Mars. This nonfiction read, disguised as a fiction book, is a fun and informational read for those that love the solar system and the planets. All of the books in this series are told from the perspective of the subject, so in this case Mars is the author of this book, with the help of McAnulty (of course!). This book is attractively illustrated and reads like a fiction picture book but is filled with informational text. This series is terrific for those reluctant non-fiction readers.

THOUGHTS: I LOVE this series! Sun! One in a Billion was a PA Young Reader’s Choice Award selection this past year, and the students loved it. They really enjoyed reading all of the books in this series. Lovers of books about space will enjoy these books, but they will also appeal to all readers.

523.43 Mars          Krista Fitzpatrick, PSLA Member