From Earth to Dad is a great introduction to science fiction for children. It's set in the future where the sun is way more harmful than beneficial and Jameson, the main character, is trying to solve some fishy circumstances surrounding his father's trip to Mars. With the help of his friend, Astra, Jameson uncovers a lot more than he bargained for.

At times I felt like Jameson and Astra acted and spoke a lot older than I think they were intended to be. Usually I explain this away because in the future kids are going to be smarter since they have more interaction with technology than the kids of today...? Yeah, that's it. It's something that often irks me but I deal with it and it's not a complete turn off.

There is plenty of mystery to keep kids (or adults!) turning pages.

This book deals with grief, friendship, loss, and family.

There were a couple of directions that the plot of this one could have taken that would have worked for me. THe one we got was not one of those. It was the obvious direction, not an interesting one. I could have accepted the plot if it had been a bit more character driven.

Um, was boring to me. Sorry. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Note to Author: But do continue to write. The imagery in the beginning (dystopian, dying earth, mission to Mars, life on earth, etc.) is good.

Earth to Dad by Krista Van Dozler is not at all what I expected it to be. Set in a dystopian future where the sun is our biggest enemy, Jameson’s father is on Mars and his mum is acting weird, especially after a new family moves onto Base Ripley. And this is how a story of friendship and loss starts.

This book is a great introduction to science-fiction for younger children, and while it is not really hard on the science, nor full of laser guns and other exciting adventures, I think it highlights an important part of science fiction and that is humanity and what makes us human in spite of what happens around us and how the future might look.

I feel like the pace of the story was changing suddenly, but it always made sense in the story and it did not bother me - maybe towards the ending a bit, things seemed to happen a bit in a hurry, but even then it made sense for our characters and the story.

I hope a lot of middle graders are going to read and enjoy this book!

Not all fantasy/sci-fi stories have to be epic adventures full of action. They can also tell ordinary stories, everyday problems that we can all identify with, and Krista Van Dolzer has done this masterfully. Earth to Dad might take place in a dystopian future changed by global warming, but the story focuses on Jameson and Astra’s friendship and how they help each other. They both have to deal with the absence of one of their parents, though for different reasons, and even if they do so in different ways, they’re both willing to go to the end of the world to support each other.
The novel is narrated in first person from Jameson’s point of view, so we see his world from a child’s perspective: a child who doesn’t quite understand what’s going on around him and with infinite imagination that makes him come up with implausible plans. He never gives up despite the difficulties, and though he’s pretty shy, he isn’t afraid when it comes to helping his loved ones.
On the other hand, Astra is a kid with an attitude, very direct and who never smiles. Her mum died three months before and she’s tired of everyone feeling sorry for her and reminding it to her constantly, so she isolates herself and closes down. But Jameson turns out to be the support she needs, as difficult as it can be for her to admit it, and that’s how they’re both there for each other.
I don’t want to say much more because there’s a little plot twist that I don’t want to spoil (though the reader will guess it easily, even if Jameson is too innocent to realise), but, put simply, it’s a story about grief and friendship that I’d recommend to people of all ages.

Eleven-year-old Jameson is excited when new neighbors move in next door and yells to his mom, “they have two kids and a Dad;” the girl’s his age and the younger kids is a boy. His mother dips into her sugar rations and starts making cookies to welcome this family. The program community was made up of people who somehow are involved in the space program.

Jameson is fascinated by his new neighbor as he spy’s Astra Primm leaving her house late one night. He decides to follow her. What is she up to? He’s not a brave soul but wants to help this newbie learn the rules of this community. Then something falls on his head, freaking him out. Jameson narrates, “I squeeze my eyes shut and pray, I’m on the verge of promising to always eat my Brussel sprouts if I can just survive tonight when something whacks me in the face and a gruff voice says, “Grab on”. Then the adventure begins.

Before Jameson’s Dad went to Mars (almost 2 yrs. ago) they built a communication devise called the JICC – Jameson’s Interplanetary Communication Console so him and his dad could talk while he journeyed to Mars. They talked every day until recently when his machine went on the fritz.

Astra Primm is smart and interested in his communication device. They become fast friends. She wants to use his machine to contact her mother; she wants to make sure they’ve given her the correct information about her mother. He gains respect for his new friend after finding out Astra’s mother died in an explosion on Mars. He understands her desire to know the facts. It’s not like they are going to send her mom’s body home for burial.

These two set out on a mission to fix the machine so they can discover the truth. The two soon find themselves in a world of trouble. It looks like they won’t be getting the equipment needed to fix the broken communication machine as quickly as they had hoped. Jameson says to Astra, “At least your mom lived a good life. A worthwhile life, you know?”

“I thought she was living a worth – while life when she was just my mom.”

“This response surprises me who wouldn’t want a program hero for a parent?” “You didn’t want her to go to Mars?” Jameson asks.

“Did you want her to hitch a ride to some far away planet in a tin can powered by a string of nuclear explosions? I’m going to mark that as a No.”

Jameson hasn’t a clue about the outside world and all that they face. He’s been protected by the program all his live. This is what has happened to earth,
…” Temperatures sky rocketed, the great plains shriveled up and morphed into the great waste, and the North Pole began to thaw – in the middle of December. Since the Antarctic ice sheet also lost ½ of it’s volume, the oceans rose by 90 feet. No one can say for sure, but the program estimates 49% of earth’s inhabitants died in the first year alone.”

This story is not what I expected it to be. I didn’t expect the earth to be in shambles for Jameson and his mom to live in a protected environment which reminded me of the Truman Show movie. I didn’t realize they’d be dealing with heavy topics as losing a parent in a space explosion and the end of the world as everyone know it.

I liked the characters, the premise of space travel to Mars and I found the story interesting to a point. This story doesn’t have a happy ending just a realistic one, I had imagined it would turn out differently. Even though I wasn’t a fan of this story, I would read another book by this author. She is a good writer.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://tinyurl.com/y9lwbfrs
SVP Promotion

I enjoyed it but the age of the main character did not feel realistic.
Full review:
http://evelynreads.com/review-earth-to-dad/

This is easily a 5 star book! This is a book you can get right into! Fast paced, real life subjects! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

I am seriously wowed.

With a unique premise and complex characters, Earth to Dad absolutely blew me away,

One of the main things I noticed was that this book focuses on many real world issues, conflicts, and controversies. In my opinion, this is significant because I believe that the youth (this is a middle grade novel) should be more educated on the important things that are going on on our planet.

Overall, this book was heartwarming, captivating, and inspiring. Well done, Krista Van Dolzer! I am looking forward to seeing more of your work!

While taking a ride to futuristic Earth, this book battles the questions surrounding a dying world, people's hopes, and, most importantly, learning to live with the loss of a loved one.



Eleven-year-old Jameson lives on an Earth, which has been forced out of its orbit and is slowly approaching the sun. While his father is one of the heroes selected to head for Mars to work on a plan to save the human race, Jameson and his mother live in a governmental supported community. Although Jameson attends a normal school, he's a bit of a loner. The most important thing in his life is his JICC, a device his father built with him shortly before he left, which allows Jameson to send and receive communications from his father on Mars. When a new girl moves into the house next door, one whose mother recently died on a similar Mars mission, Jameson decides its time to make his first friend. The results change his life, especially when his JICC breaks and she agrees to help him repair it.



This is a story which requires a box of tissues. . .maybe even two. The setting itself already sets a melancholy atmosphere; the Earth is on a crash course with the sun. Although life is fairly similar to our own modern world, there are distinct differences—dying vegetation, deadly UV rays, hoverboards, and more. The author does a fantastic job at building a realistic world, which is easy to settle into and picture the surroundings through every scene. It's futuristic but still familiar enough for readers to easily identify with.



The characters are true to life, each one taking on a distinct role and personality. They act realistically, carry their own flaws, but still, are very supportive and kind in their own way. This secure foundation lays the perfect buffer for the tough topics addressed in the book and keeps it from growing too depressing.



Jameson is a great kid. He's pretty separated from the rest of society, although he lives in the middle of the compound and attends school. At first, this appears to be a result of him trying to remain off the radar, since his father is very well known. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear that much of this has to do with his mother's over-protectiveness. While Jameson comes across very natural, at times, he behaved younger than eleven. Still, his other genius side balances it out and makes him easy to connect to.



This is not a happy story. While there are many adventurous moments, a sad tone hangs like a nearing storm. There is hope, friendship and many, many emotional moments that make a reader sigh. It's well written. Very well and, for most of the tale, flows smooth and holds the reader in the pages. But as the last chapters roll through, the pacing changes a little. Jameson is very naive when it comes to the world outside, which could be a result of his overly protective circumstances. Still, he's slow to take obvious hints. When the moment of his big action strikes, the ending is a little rushed. It also becomes clear that information surrounding the Mars project and background is still missing to make things clearer.

This is a touching read, and extremely well done. While entertaining, it's one that will make readers think and leave a touch of sadness behind. The ending wraps things up nicely, but there is still many things left open to let the mind wander with its own fantasies. Part of me simply wishes there would have been a deeper sense of hope offered at the end.

The earth has suffered a major catastrophe - water is scarce, the sun is really dangerous and mankind's only real hope is colonizing Mars. Fortunately people like Jameson's father have gone to Mars to do the prep work. While Jameson really misses his dad he is fortunate to have a satellite communication system and he can send and receive messages every few days. But then his dad starts acting strange - lies about a mission, says he's run out of time. And there is a new girl living next door whose mother recently died on Mars. She starts acting weird and Jameson's mom is flirting with Astra's dad - yuck.
Can Jameson figure out what is going on and maybe help his dad in the process. No spoilers but I figured out the main issue pretty early on. As the book got near the end I worried that it was going to leave on a cliffhanger waiting for a sequel but it actually ended pretty well. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Guess who’s crying?

Alright...review time

This book took me longer than I’d like to admit to read, but nonetheless it was a very good book.

I saw the book on NetGalley, and it sounded interesting, so I requested it, and a few days later, I got the confirmation email to download it. So, I did. And I instantly fell in love with it.

EARTH TO DAD is one of those books that perfectly blends contemporary issues with the sci-fi genre, and therefore, is a perfect book for me (seeing as those are my favorite genres).

Will I buy a copy of this book when it gets released?

Absolutely.

Earth to Dad came very close to being added to my classics kid's lit shelf. In fact, for the first two thirds of the book, I was certain I'd be ranking it beside my all time faves "Bridge to Terabithia", "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler", and the amazing "The Girl Who Drank the Moon".

Like all of the above-mentioned books, Earth to Dad is not afraid to tackle tough topics in a way that treats the reader intelligently. It touches on grief, privacy, being different, and the power of love. I was also thrilled that it works as a great intro to the sci-fi genre -- something that's not as easy to find as you might think.

Unfortunately, I hit a hiccup in chapter 22 when our main character, Jameson, is just too darn naive about the world outside of the sheltered base where he lives. I didn't find it believable, and it pulled me out of the magic of the story. I got settled back into the story again, but then the ending just snuck up on me and felt very rushed. I would have appreciated a bit more explanation about how things ended up happening the way they did.

Overall, I thought the world building here was excellent and I really connected with several of the characters in this book; even some of the more secondary characters are more fleshed out than is often the case in a middle grade book. Both Jameson and Astra felt very real to me and I thought the author accurately captured that point in a child's life when they are on the cusp of shedding their innocence.

Even with the quibbles I had with the plot, I'd still wholeheartedly recommend this book to fans of middle-grade fiction, and to readers looking to move into the sci-fi realm. I'd definitely read more set in this world, especially if it involved Jameson and Astra.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for a free electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of friendship being tested in challenging circumstances. This will also make readers think about what needs to be done to protect our planet. This was okay and may be good to consider for younger readers

Set on a disturbingly easily believable future Earth where the sun is our cruel enemy and we have extended our reach to station research colonies on Mars, this world is explored through the children of astronauts, eleven-year-old Jameson and Astra. The story centres around the emotional complexities of family and friendships in relationships strained by the epic separation of people separated by millions of kilometres.

At times I felt Jameson and Astra in their actions and thoughts felt older than their 11 years. This is easily reconciled by imagining the necessity of growing up quickly in a world where you can't leave your house without risk of death from the extreme climate, where food supplies are rationed and long-life imitations of fresh foods.

There were points in the narrative when I wanted to know more detail about the social complexities of this future Earth they inhabited through Jameson and Astra, but they were promptly whisked away by an adult.

With an interest in astronomy, I enjoyed the story and particularly a story where young girls and women are included as astronauts and technologists. This suits a Middle Grade age group perfectly, hinting for older readers in that bracket about some darker themes., such as the cloistered currency-free world of Base Ripley and the tensions of the others outside the base. There were also hints of the complexity of some intriguing characters they fleetingly encounter. I already feel that I want to read a next book, and would gladly follow Jameson and Astra as they grow up, revealing more about this imagined future as they journey into young adulthood. A great short read, portraying an imagined future for Earth, that might make you wonder deeply, next time you pause to look up that tiny pale red dot of Mars in our night sky.

A sweet story about grief and friendship and learning to move on. I didn't like Astra, I thought she was annoying, but she was a good friend to Jamie and I'm sure other readers will like her. I'm fascinated by the world Krista built and I'd read more books set in it. There's plenty more to explore, even though this novel ended in a really good place.

Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.

I enjoyed this story about a young boy who was able to talk to his father who was stationed on Mars by using a communication device. The boy, Jameson, lives on an Earth which is hotter than usual because Minnesota’s weather stays in the 90s and everyone has to wear solar jackets to protect themselves from the blistering sun.
Only astronauts families can live on their base because the people are protected and they have enough to eat.
Jameson’s life changes when Astra and her family move across the street and she and Jameson become friends. Astra is the only non-family member who knows that Jameson can talk to his Dad on Mars.
But one day the communications device stops working and Jameson and Astra have to get it fixed.
You will have to read the story for yourself to find out why the communications device stopped and what it is like to live on an overheated Earth..