Thank you Netgalley for the audio opportunity to listen and immerse myself in this middle grade book. Our main character is faced with a dilemma - a creature not from Planet Earth has found themselves landing inside his barn. What comes is a group of middle schoolers determined to help their friend while the Texas government acts stranger and stranger. This is an eerie echo (the historical parts) on what is slowly occuring at the moment and I think kids and adults can relate to this diverse group merely trying to survive. I will definitely be picking up a copy for my classroom and implementing it as a class novel for Fall 2025/Spring 2026.

Adrianna Cuevas blends historical fiction and science fiction in What Fell from the Sky, a middle-grade novel set in 1952 Soledad, Texas. The story follows Pineda Matlage, a boy who just wants to pull pranks and get through the school year with his friends. However, his world is upended when American soldiers take over his town for a "training exercise." Pineda soon realizes their presence is more than just military drills—they’re searching for something. What they don’t know is that Pineda has been hiding a mysterious alien girl, Louisa, in his family’s barn, promising to help her reunite with her family.

One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its exploration of identity, prejudice, and belonging. Pineda, whose is Cuban American, constantly hides parts of his culture—he doesn’t correct people when they don't call him by his true name, avoids speaking Spanish in public, and tries to blend in to avoid unwanted attention. His struggles parallel Louisa’s, as she also grapples with feeling different and unwelcome in a place that doesn’t accept her because of how she looks. These themes make What Fell from the Sky thought-provoking and a great conversation starter for young readers.

I appreciated the dual perspective, allowing readers to hear from both Pineda and Louisa. This was especially effective for Louisa, as she doesn’t speak English when she crash-lands on Earth. Through her perspective, we still get insight into her emotions and experiences. The audiobook enhances this with two separate narrators. Another highlight was the historical element of Operation Long Horn, which could inspire further discussion or research for kids.

However, I had some mixed feelings. While the military exercise was engaging, younger readers who pick up this book expecting a fast-paced alien rescue may be disappointed. The "rescue mission" is brief, only occurring at the very end of the book. Additionally, while I heard a lot from Pineda and Louisa, I never felt deeply connected to the characters. Though I enjoyed the dual perspective, the sudden shift to multiple viewpoints near the end—jumping from Pineda and Louisa to the townspeople and soldiers—felt jarring and unnecessary. Lastly, while I liked that Pineda’s mother spoke Spanish throughout the book, I wish there had been translations for non-Spanish-speaking readers, as the meaning wasn’t always clear.

Overall, What Fell from the Sky is an enjoyable read with meaningful themes, but it doesn’t leave a lasting impact. The mix of historical and sci-fi elements makes it unique, but the slower pacing and lack of emotional depth held it back for me. That said, it’s a solid book for young readers interested in historical fiction with a light sci-fi twist.

This middle grade book loving girl was seriously overjoyed listening to this. What a spectacular story told in such a gentle & charming way.

Pineda is a cuban american boy living in a rural town in texas during the cold war. When a military operation blows into town, mimicking a communist military take over, Pineda & his friends have to learn to cope with new rules & and a new way of life. But that isn’t the only out of the ordinary occurrence. Pineda happens upon an alien girl in his family’s barn who crashed here & lost her parents. With the help of his friends, Pineda embarks on a quest to keep his new friend safe from the military surrounding them & reunite her with her family.

This was an incredible work of sci-if mixed with historical fiction. I had never heard of Operation Long Horn before & was so interested to look into more on my own. The idea of wrapping together the red scare with aliens & the fear of the other is, of course, a perfect metaphor. Combined with Pineda & his own struggle as a half cuban boy living in Texas in the 50s, this was an enchanting story about unity & the importance of loving all of our neighbors (even the outer space ones) as ourselves.

This was such a reminder for me of why I love middle grade fiction so much. There’s always such wonderful lessons and stories, told with the wit, humor & language that is accessible even to children. Was absolutely enamored with this read & hope it gets the love it absolutely deserves!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this ARC!

I binged this book it was so much fun! I loved how the book was placed back in history but also involved aliens crash landing into Earth. The mix between historical fiction and sci-fi aliens was a fun plot to follow.

Definitely adding this to the list for my kids to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!! What a great way for young readers to learn a bit of history in a unique way. While the books is fiction it is based in real events and apparently in the print copy of the book the author shares what the true events are. Unfortunately that part was not included in the audiobook.

The story has so much heart to it and is very apropos for todays going’s on in the US as the reader can compare the literal alien who is hiding from the authorities to undocumented individuals being rounded up up for no reason.

I liked how the author used the alphabet in the “strange creatures” learning of English as she is from another planet.
It’s a heartwarming and important story that I think middle grade readers with love. It’s also a great book to read/play aloud on a school setting as it is a perfect discussion book.

The audiobook is a multi narrator cast who all
Do a great job and speak at a typical pace. While I did speak it up, it wasn’t needed to make it listenable like so many others I’ve consumed lately.

I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Dreamscape Media through Netgalley and so I can leave my voluntary review.

My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but it has some value for young readers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! I would recommend for the age or reading level appropriate for the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs as a wide spread reading opportunity.

What Fell from the Sky is a heartwarming but fun romp of an adventure, that takes place during the 50s atomic scare and UFO craze. his nostalgic backdrop not only provides a fresh perspective but also highlights how, unfortunately, certain aspects of society have not changed enough.
A rural small-town is the perfect setting for this tale of military overreach, and search for belonging, which will take Pineda and his friends on a journey of self-discovery, facing questions about identity, how they are perceived by others, and how they in turn view people around them, including their peculiar neighbor who stands out in the rigid social fabric.
To help their new friend they will have to face the invading forces upending their town, and the daunting question of what home really is, and if you can keep a piece of it with you wherever you are, instead of being forced to leave everything behind.
The initial chapters are a bit slower, but the story gains momentum as the action kicks in, delivering fast-paced sequences where most tense situations are played for laughs. It manages to read more like a whimsical adventure than a heavy-handed moral tale, even as it makes clear points about acceptance and community..
If you're in the mood for a tale filled with deep friendships, daring escapes fueled by pranks, baked goods, and secret evil plots that beg to be thwarted—all wrapped in a warm message of acceptance and celebration—this book is definitely for you!