Such a fun science fiction! I love a good alien story, and man did this book deliver. A perfect adventure for the middle school level and one I cannot wait to recommend for reading lists in our state!

In ENCOUNTER AT OWL ROCK, aspiring filmmaker Cy is filming his brother Oak and their best friend Jaz at an abandoned theme park. In the middle of an amazing stunt on Owl Rock, a rock formation at the center of the park, Oak disappears into a portal where he meets an alien who needs his help. As Cy frantically searches for his missing brother, he finds that Orion Industries, a company that has been buying up property in their town, including the land that Owl Rock sits on, seems unusually interested in his brother’s disappearance. Unraveling from the brothers’ alternating points of view, the pair learn what Orion Industries is plotting. They will need to work together to foil the plan—and save the world. The fast and furious sci fi adventure incorporates themes of friendship, family, and community while telling a story with undertones of the impacts of gentrification. With its mix of epic skateboarding stunts, alien encounters, and brotherhood, readers will race to find out how this one ends.

Rucker Moses’ newest middle-grade science fiction adventure, Encounter at Owl Rock, pits urban teens against unseen alien invasion in the Atlanta suburb they call home.

Rucker Moses is the writing team comprised of the Emmy-nominated duo Craig S. Phillips and Harold Hayes Jr., along with Theo Gangi, a novelist and director of the creative writing MFA program at St. Francis College.

We talk about writing as a team (both duo and trio), the fun of writing science fiction (and the conversations amongst themselves that start with arguing about movies and television), their different story-telling views on science fiction and fantasy, the inspiration for using an abandoned theme park as the centerpiece of this story, and so much more.

Listen to the interview with the writing trio Rucker Moses, on the podcast Writers, After Dark:
https://www.writersafterdark.com/writers-after-dark-146/

Reviewed by a 11 year old. The book was fun and I like the adventures. I was shocked by the kidnapping and did not like that portion of the book. My favorite character Cy, he protected his friends by breaking free and helping them escape. He was also very smart. I would recommend this book to a friend. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC

We’ve been needing more quality sci-fi for kids and Encounter at Owl Rock hits the spot perfectly! The themes of family relationships, the power of music, willpower, and being a kid are impressive. The story is fastpaced and captivating. Readers are going to love this intense adventure!

This book was definitely made for me, aliens, space, and skateboarding. In a small town, we're everyone knows everyone. You are following twins and their best friend Jazz. They are filming this video for fun, and Oak, the main twin, does this amazing jump and gets taken by an Alien........ I will definitely be buy this book for myself and rereading it. And hopefully my kids will read it and like it.

Cypress and Oakley Young are polar opposites and if it weren’t for being identical twins, no one would ever guess they were related. Cy is a budding film director and this summer, he’s filming his latest movie at the abandoned theme park with Oak and their best friend Jaz as his actors. He loves directing, because being the director means calling the shots, being in absolute control of how the story turns out. Except Oak’s wild imagination can’t be contained. Tired of hearing about his brother’s dreams and alien conspiracy theories, Cy snaps at him. But before he can patch things up, Oak vanishes into Owl Rock, this huge otherworldly granite formation at the center of the park, leaving only his skateboard behind.

This story was mysterious, and fun! I liked the characters and the storyline. I look forward to the release of this book as I will be reading it again!

Brothers Oakley and Cypress, and their best friend, Jaz, are angry that Orion industries have taken their home and neighborhood by eminent domain. The loss of the neighborhood water park is especially hard, and the fact that the Youngs have been in their home since the 1960s makes the loss crushing, especially since the boys have also lost their parents. The boys and Jaz have been looking for shards of meteorites, thinking about UFOs, and filming their exploits. When the brothers argue, Oakley disappears into the Owl Rock formation, and Cypress and Jaz must find him. Readers who enjoyed Smith's Project Mercury or Dao's Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena will enjoy this fantastical romp. Bonus points for an abandoned water park, skateboards, and fantastic grandparents.