When Sky and and her pet hedgehog Spike are sent to live with Uncle Anish, she didn't know what to expect. She had never met the man, so why had he agreed to take her? She has so many questions! One thing she never expected was the out-of-this-world adventure she would have!

I found The Area 51 Files to be a delightful read. Sometimes I thought Buxbaum stretched the funny names too far, but even I chuckled at the man named Fartz and the aliens called Peeyou from the planet Peeyouranus. I mean, for sure middle school humor.

Overall, I would recommend this book not only for its humor, but for touching on subjects like bullying, judging, feeling alone, and family. Those subjects come up in the story very naturally and subtly so the kids won't even know they might be learning something!

#TheArea51Files #NetGalley

This was a fantastic read! My son and I had a blast with this book! We started it on a Tuesday and we were done with it by Thursday evening! There were moments we laughed so hard our stomachs hurt! The writing is wonderful and the illustrations are just as good! The friendship and bonds that were created between the characters was sweet! Such a great read!

I received an eARCof this book so I could read and review it. Thank you for the opportunity.

Sky Patel goes to live with her uncle-in Area 51, with a wide range of alien species.

This is a silly, funny book with a combination of cartoons and text. It will appeal to fans of James Patterson and Dav Pilkey. There are a lot of punny names, some gross out humor, and, basically, everything kids love. I suspect that this will be the start of a popular series, and a highly motivating one for reluctant readers. Well done!

I love this book so much! The art is great, and the humor is so on point for middle grade. the idea of having aliens living happily in Area 51 is also a great idea and so adorable! This is a great friendship book, a great sci-fi book, a fun mystery, and just a great read all around. 5 Stars!

**I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own**

This book seemed like it would be really cute. I loved the author's note at the beginning of the book (not sure if that is an ARC thing or if it will be in the final copy). It told readers why the author wrote the book and I had hoped that that would have set the tone for the book. Unfortunately, it didn't and that's where a bit of disappointment comes in.
I will start off on a positive note though and say I did love the concept. It was very cute and I love a good bit of science fiction. I also loved the relationships that formed in this book, specifically the friendships. The kids in the book because friends so fast, but it's one of those friendships that'll last forever. The illustrations were also really cute and helped with visualizing what the Break Throughs (aliens) looked like.
On to the not-so-good part, I think what ruined this book for me was all the potty talk and the weird names for things. I get that it is a book for kids, but it honestly seemed waaaayyyy too excessive. And I think all the weird names and potty talk (some of the names are part of the potty talk) make things a little confusing too.
Overall, I think it's a cute story. I think that kids who enjoy reading things with potty humor would enjoy it, but it just wasn't entirely for me.

This is a super cute book, that I think people of all ages, and especially middle graders would really enjoy. It's funny and sweet, the illustrations are adorable!

Sky is moving in with her uncle to Area 51, When she gets there it's like a whole new world. literally. Humans or Norms live in harmony with Aliens (break-throughs) in an adorable little community. However, once you get to Area 51 you aren't allowed to leave, which causes a problem when a group of aliens goes missing. Both Sky and her uncle are under suspicion as the Breakthroughs went missing on the same day she arrived

So Sky, her breakthrough friend Elvis, Spike and Pickles (animal companions extrodenair), and their classmate Zane who is slowly becoming a new friend must work together to uncover who is really behind the disappearances.

I really loved the immediate friendship between Elivs and Sky and Spike and Pickles. Also, this is totally how I'm going to imagine that Area 51 actually is from now on! If there are more in this series I will definitely be reading them.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Buxbaum introduces readers to the hidden world of Area 51 where humans and aliens from a wide variety of planets live in harmony. Twelve year old Sky arrives to live with her uncle and is introduced to the community there. Almost immediately, she meets Elvis, a Galzorian, who takes whatever shape the person viewing him sees. Together, they work to solve a kidnapping that happened at exactly the time Sky arrived on the base. Along the way, they make another friend, Zane, and the three of them work together to find the missing aliens and prove Sky's uncle did not kidnap them.
Plenty of humor and enough compassion to draw in middle grade readers with varying interests. Who doesn't want to meet friendly aliens from so many places. Lovely reminder to look beyond the surface when meeting new beings. Plus, an ending sure to make readers impatient for the next book.
Looking forward to more in this series.

A quick, fun read for kids in intermediate grades. I had funny looking for clues as the characters worked as detectives to save the day. This would be a zany addition to any classroom library!

The Area 51 Files by Julie Buxbaum was such a cute story. The images and drawings also brought the story to life. This is a middle-grade/science fiction & fantasy novel but can be for all ages.

The Area 51 Files was a nice afternoon read.

#TheArea51Files #NetGalley @RHCBEducators

Rated PG15 for potty humor, frequent crude references to farts, etc., and openly making fun of others (including adults in positions of authority).

This story begins as the fun and interesting adventure of a middle-school girl who's used to being a loner. Sky is a young orphan raised entirely by her grandmother. Her pet hedgehog, Spike is her best friend. And they're about to have a close encounter with a very tall dark stranger!

With little prior warning (and less accurate information), Sky has to go live with Uncle Anish (whom she had never met), just before age 12 when Grandma moves to a retirement home.

Uncle Anish has an unusual job in a particular place...Area 51. No phones (even landlines), email, internet, snail-mail (post), or leaving. No shopping malls, or online orders, and only waffle fries at the drive-in on base. Life with visitors to Earth will be confusing, and fraught with mistakes. But to be fair, Sky thought the handbook was merely "very important," not "life-or-death-vital."

Sky finds that living with aliens is a different culture, and fortunately, she meets someone friendly enough to teach her how different her life can be. The story drags on a bit toward the end, but to a happy ending, and it appears that this is the first book of a series.

I was very unhappily surprised when the book suddenly devolved into potty humor and crude references about farts and feces. It even implies that Sky is horrified by a public toilet, but it's only for shock effect. It's sad that some authors feel this type of content ensures popularity with children of a certain age.

Sky, her friends, and an adult make fun of other people in a mocking and crude manner, and continue with a string of jokes.

My objection isn't that they are having fun, it is that they are being mean and openly mocking. At one point, they are demeaning to a person of authority in public, and do it with the support of other adults.

What's the big deal? This is where prejudice, disrespect, and bullying begin. Laughing at a person because they don't like them, or think their name is like a similar word. It encourages cruelty--not friendship or understanding, or compassion. That's a big deal.

Because these two issues were without warning (on the cover and in the description), I am unable to recommend this book to children under the age of 15.

2/5 Stars

Thanks to Delacort Press and NetGalley for the preview of this ebook pdf; the review is voluntary.

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The first in a new middle grade series! When Sky’s grandma moves into a retirement community, Sky has to go live with her uncle. The weird part - her uncle lives and works at Area 51. When she gets there, she realizes aliens (or as they prefer, Break Throughs) are real and they come in many shapes and sizes! As she tries to adapt, there’s a bigger problem - some of the break throughs have gone missing. Sky and her new friend, Elvis, start to investigate to find out what happened.

I found this book delightful! I loved the pictures and the whole concept is just great. I can’t wait to read the future adventures of Sky and her friends!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.