Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this DRC.
Bell lives on Mars, cut off from the other settlement. A health crisis forces Bell to contact the other children in the other international habitats. They break down the barriers between and work cooperatively to try to save the adults and make positive change for themselves.
Excellent middle grade book. Great Mars adventure.
#TheLionofMars #NetGalley

This was a cute story with a sci-fi twist. My students love it, as well as other books by Jennifer L Holm! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Another great book by a master storyteller. Love all her books!
Every middle school library should have this book.

Holm hits the sci fi button and doesn't look back. This "what if" book of space exploration and life on other planets is a hit in my library. A bit slow to start, the novel picks up and I couldn't put it down.

I loved the concept of this story. It’s a futuristic story about a boy who has grown up on Mars. Then, a virus makes only the adults sick and the kids have to figure out how to help them. I think kids could really relate with this book. I thought the beginning was a little flat, but the ending came together well. It was a great middle grade sci-fi that I think a lot of kids will find interesting and relatable

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
After reading The Fourteenth Goldfish I fell in love with Jennifer Holms. When I had the opportunity to read The Lion of Mars, I jumped at it. This is a book gives us a glimpse of what life would be like if we ever colonized Mars.
However, it's not just about living on Mars, it's about friendship and the need for cooperation and compassion amongst the humans of the global society. No one person and no one country is alone. As this Covid virus pandemic shows us, we need to work as human kind, not as solitary countries. The Lion of Mars is a book with a lot of heart and life lessons. One would think having said all that, this book is dark, depressing and boring. That is the exact opposite. Both kids and adults will be able to find themselves in the cast of characters. Each character unique in their own way, but figure out a way to work together for the greater good.
In the end, my final verdict is I LOVED IT and can't wait to recommend it to the kids that visit my library.

A new look at the future. The thought into how to survive on Mars is one that would interest young readers. The combination of author and topic will make this one a hot item for fans of science fiction.

This is maybe the best thoughtful science fiction I have read for kids in years...or maybe ever? Bell is on Mars in a habitat, mostly cut off from everyone including other countries' colonies on Mars. Adults are getting older, the cat is getting older, the kids are hitting adolescence and pre-adolescence. And the communication with Earth is hard because it's so far away--we see it in messages from the commander.

It's all about growing up and making connections and finding your way. I ate this one up. Like all great science fiction, it takes the sci fi setting and uses it to explore bigger questions--What is friendship and how does it change as you grow? Who is an authority over you? How do you know who to listen to and which instincts to listen to? What happens if your ideas and those of adults clash? All of these are explored with Holm's trademark thoughtfulness and the right number of words (not too long, not too short).

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging adventure story that brings middle grade readers to Mars. The protagonist, an 11 year old, cat-loving boy raised in America’s Mars settlement, is surrounded by a close-knit, collaborative yet small, community of adults & children, who are mysteriously forbidden from contacting other international settlements on Mars. The adults suddenly fall gravely ill and one dies. As a result, the children are forced to problem-solve and bravely seek help. Holm provides clear world-building that is science-based and fascinating, along with endearing characters whom readers will relate to in spite of the futuristic setting.

Bell is a boy living in the first human settlement on Mars. His positive outlook and perseverance breathes new life into set-in-their-ways adults and brings positive change to his community.

Jennifer Holm writes such a great variety of middle grade books! Younger elementary school readers begin with her Baby Mouse graphic novels and as they get a bit older, they move on to the Baby Mouse: Tales From the Locker “chapter books,” and when they want something a bit deeper, I hand them Turtle in Paradise or The Fourteenth Goldfish. The Lion of Mars has the realistic drama found in those but adds a measure of science fiction with a colony on Mars that truly feels like it could happen in our lifetime. Main character and tween Bell narrates the daily routines of the American group living in Martian lava tubes and begins to reveal that all is not well in the hearts and souls of the colony’s inhabitants. Loneliness and isolation is taking its toll and maybe kind-hearted Bell can help reunite the American colony with neighboring Finland, France, and Russia. This is a must-have for libraries serving readers in grade 4 -6 and maybe a bit higher. Free of profanity, sexual content, and violence.

I have loved Jennifer Holm's books. This was another fantastic book. Both my son and I loved it and recommend it to everyone.

Once upon a time on Mars, several counties worked to build a world far and away from the usual wars on planet Earth. All thrived by sharing and respecting one another's cultures, until one tragic event causes a schism which leaves the USA colony isolated. Sci fi for the middle grades is hard to come by, but this title fills the bill, with the curiosity of the younger members facilitating the reunion.

This was a great book! So many kids and parents dream of going to Mars or the Moon so this book fills that space. My daughter will love it. I think it was very well done but not too technical for the age group. I will definitely be recommending this to my patrons and buying it and reading it with my daughter.

I loved how Bell related all of the people to animals and the author created realistic characters, I think that is very important.

Bell and the other kids of the American settlement on Mars have grown up living a life separate from the other international settlements, with only the few people on their own settlement for companionship. But when the adults of their settlement start getting sick, and help from Earth doesn't seem to be forthcoming, they have to reach out for help. What they find is that the things they've been told about the dangers outside are not necessarily true. Holm creates likable characters and has something to say about communication, community and out of control pride. I was distracted by the details of Holm's idea of life on Mars--why are the settlements so small? If supply ships come regularly, why don't new settlement members arrive too? Why does all of the tech seem so primitive? Holm obviously did some research and includes an afterward that didn't really answer my questions. Additional resources provided might help readers with motivation to research further. Review from e-galley.

Great sci fi atmosphere for younger middle school readers since there’s none of the terrors of space aspects of so many sci fi books. I was sure of what the final resolution would be for this colony but I was completely wrong. The final wrap up was too quick and easy given how stubborn one of the players in that situation is but that’s the only thing I can think of to criticize.

I really enjoyed this! Bell is a wonderful narrator and I loved seeing the world through his eyes. While I will definitely be recommending this book to science fiction fans , this would also be a great read for those who enjoy realistic fiction. Yes, it takes place in the future on Mars but the story is about friendship and family and how people relate to one-another and doesn't get too into the nuts-and-bolts sci-fi of living on Mars. It is full of heart and packs quite an emotional punch.

As an aside, I do wonder how it might read differently in non-covid times than now in 2021 considering the isolation that much of the target audience has experienced over the past year. Can a 10 year old in their 8th month of virtual school who has only been able to interact in person with a very small group of people see themselves in Bell? Do they experience his isolation and loneliness more acutely?

Bell has only know life on Mars. He lives in the American colony with a small group of people. When an unidentified objects lands nearby Bell and the other kids want to know what it is. They sneak out in a rover and wander by the French colony. Soon, they realize that their life on Mars is precarious and to survive they must depend on others.

Holm creates a vibrant setting of life on Mars. A timely read and one kids will adore.

One of my favorite Jennifer L. Holm books. Bell has been raised on Mars in a very small group of Americans who are cut off for some “mysterious” reason from the other nations’ settlements. The daily life of the dozen or so settlers is extremely fascinating and adventurous, but things get truly nail biting when a virus infects the group and help is needed. Politics, community, family, and finding yourself are all explored in this funny and heartfelt story.