6th grader Nathan is not your typical middle schooler. He and his parents are from another planet sent to observe humans. They live normal lives except for a few things required by the experiment. Once a month, all the families meet virtually to discuss their findings. As time passes, Nathan notices that the other children are starting to disappear. When Nathan grows a tail, he and his parents head back to the mother ship. Things on the mother ship are not as they seem, and Nathan isn’t sure who to trust. What really happened to the children? What is the experiment?

The plot is engaging, full of mystery, and a great introduction to the science fiction genre. The characters are engaging, well developed, and believable. The world building is well done and draws the reader into Nathan’s world. Readers who like science fiction, mystery, and alien fiction will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Gr 4 to 8.

Stead, Rebecca, The Experiment. Pgs. 288. Macmillan Children’s Books, 2025
Nathan and his family are from another planet. They are on earth to learn about humans, but their time on earth may be coming to an end. They as well as 12 other families live normal lives. Once a month, they all get on a virtual call. As they get on the calls, Nathan notices that some of the children have disappeared. When Nathan grows a tail, he and his parents head back to the mother ship. Things on the ship aren’t what they appear. Nathan isn’t sure who to believe. Are they truly from another planet? What has happened to the other children?
The plot is well written, engaging, and full of mystery. The characters are well developed, realistic, and enjoyable. The world building is well done and draws the reader into the story. Readers who like science fiction, mystery, and aliens will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Grades 4 to 8.

Nathan feels different from everyone else. He works really hard at fitting in – really hard. He’s been told he’s an alien, like the kind from another planet, and some of the other almost 12-year-olds from his alien zoom group are starting to disappear. What will this mean for Nathan and his tail?
Wonderful and enjoyable book about growing up, changing and realizing what you really are. A great adventure with relatable characters. Loved every word of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
#TheExperiment #NetGalley

The Experiement by Rebecca Stead was a delightful and thought provoking read for readers ages 11-13. I enjoyed this look into science fiction and who the aliens might be. This book makes us think about who the aliens really might be and how we should treat every living thing. I give this book 5 stars.

I opened this one expecting to knock out a chapter or two and ended up reading it all in one sitting! The short chapters made it very easy to fly through and the way it thrusts the readers directly into the weirdness of these alien kids on earth was super gripping. The framing was a great way to explore more mundane, relatable feelings tweens have and the mid-book twist reminded me a lot of Running Out of Time--one of my childhood faves. The ending slowed things down a bit for me but, on a whole, a worthwhile read.

Stead’s “The Experiment” kept me riveted all day. I truly had no idea what to expect from each page flip. This story was heartfelt, suspenseful, and quite humorous. A fun and thought provoking read.

Nathan has known his whole life that he's an alien disguised as a human. It's hard hiding a secret from the entire world. It becomes even more challenging when he starts growing a tail with a mind of its own.
This was a fun entry into the middle grade sci-fi genre. The subject matter was not heavy, but immediately engrossing. There's nothing wrong with messaging built into middle grade books. In fact, I usually love it. However, in my experience, kids do not love it. This book had high stakes without making any deeper environmental, political, or emotional statement. I know many kids who would be sitting at the edge of their seat to find out how Nathan will get out of a seemingly impossible situation. The plot was not overly complex and I'm normally not surprised by plot twists, but I didn't see this one coming.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Nathan from New York has always had to keep secrets from his friends. When a new development threatens to reveal everything that his family has tried to hide, Nathan finds out that even he didn't know the full truth about who he is and where he came from.
Rebecca Stead is a genius author for young readers. The Experiment has every ingredient it needs to be a huge hit with kids: short chapters, fast moving plot, cats, aliens, and friendship. I can't wait to put it in the hands of 3rd-5th graders in September.

What a fascinating, clever, action-packed, and unique new science fiction middle grade novel from one of my favorite authors of all time! This book sure made me think, it made me question a lot about humanity, it made me wonder what to believe, and I devoured it in a single day. But it was also so entertaining and enjoyable!

First of all, the originality was top tier. This is an idea that is so clever, and yet I can't talk much about it without giving away some of the book, which includes some surprising reveals throughout. So let me highlight the themes and why I couldn't put it down.

The book starts off with main character Nathan revealing that his family is from another planet. They are on Earth to learn about humans, and if the aliens from their home planet can habituate Earth in the long-run. They are part of an Experiment of 12 families, and live fairly normal lives, except for a few things that they must adhere to as part of the Experiment. Every month, Nathan and his parents do a virtual call with the other families in the Experiment. But Nathan starts noticing that some of the kids have disappeared.

The action is nonstop in this book. From the moment Nathan shows symptoms different than the other kids in the Experiment, it is clear that something big is happening. He starts to question everything he's been told, and with the help of some friends, including a surprising addition, sets off to uncover the truth. The details are vast and fascinating.

Aliens may be a big part of the story, but above all, The Experiment is a book about family and friendship and what it means to be human. It's also a story about propaganda and beliefs, and what happens when we start questioning everything that has ever been told to us. Lots of layers woven in that will make for an excellent discussion.

Recommended for ages 9+.

I love science fiction and dystopian books with a setting to which I can relate. Nathan is in sixth grade in New York City, and his family is slightly different. His mom manages everything in Nathan's life like a science experiment. The weird things their family does get weirder when Nathan discovers he has a tail. This is where this book starts to feel like "A Wrinkle in Time." This is a fast-paced middle-grade novel about aliens, family, friendship, and adventure. If you enjoyed "The First State of Being", you will enjoy this novel.

An alien boy who just wants to be normal, but that's pretty difficult when you grow a tail one day. The parents are keeping secrets, his friends could never understand, and even his cat is spying on him. Sounds like normal life for a middle schooler. This title has plenty of action and mystery to keep kids reading.

Sixth-grade Nathan from New York knows he and his parents are aliens. He hates that he can’t divulge more to his soul-brother, Victor. Each month, he meets with his nine”friends” until some of them start disappearing, alarming Nathan especially when his “girlfriend” Isabel from Illinois goes missing. When Nathan starts to grow a tail, the D.P. (Decommissioned Parents) come for him to return him to the Wagon. Nathan desperately wants to find Izzy, and in his pursuit, he discovers everything is not as it seems. This middle-grade novel has twists and turns to keep readers interested, with the bonus of great writing.

Nathan and his parents are from another planet and he has been raised on Earth as an experiment to see if the they can survive and pass as human. His mom keeps careful notes on his behavior and everything he eats so there is exact data to work with. As other kids in the experiment start to go missing and Nathan has an unexpected development in his own life, his family goes back to the ship where his parents grew up.

This book keeps the reader engaged in trying to figure out what is going on and who to trust. I enjoyed reading it and its exploration of the concept of questioning what you have always believed and accepting new truths. I would have liked some more at the end fleshing out how everyone feels and deal with the events of the book but overall it was well wrapped up.

This was a fun read about a 6th-grade alien living as a normal kid on Earth. But is Nathan an alien? Are Nathan and his parents all part of an experiment? Nathan seeks to find the truth with the help of his best friend, Victor, and other kids who are part of the experiment. References to Calvin and Hobbes and the amazing cats Nathan encounters add some levity and fun. Fans of Stead will not be disappointed. Thanks NetGalley for sending it my way.

6th grader Nathan has always known that he and his parents were not human and their purpose was to stay undetected and simply live life along with the other families just like his, scattered in various places in the US. But something is happening. Several of the almost teen aliens, called Kast have disappeared and are no longer attending the regular Zoom meetups and more alarming, Nathan is growing a tail. This alarming event has been reported, along with how often Nathan uses the special pink toothpaste, how much he eats, sleeps and poops, to Hester aboard what is referred to as “The Wagon.”

What follows is a fast paced journey of discovery for Nathan, his parents and the tail now being called Tuck. Author Rebecca Stead keeps her book to under 300 pages but still fully develops a close friendship between Nathan and classmate Victor, a supportive parents and even a distinct personality in the family cat! There are touches of humor, plenty of warmth and so, so much speculation and mystery surrounding the experiment begun by the alien Kast race, and Nathan’s tail…which, by the way, resembles that of Calvin of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, a particular favorite of Nathan and Victor’s.

Representation: Nathan’s mom reports that all the aliens posing as humans have different shades of skin just like in the human population but the physical characteristics of most characters are not described. Victor’s family includes a wonderful grandmother who lives with them. One of the pre-teen aliens lives with her widowed father.

Great choice for libraries serving grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Suggested for those who enjoyed Aliens on Vacation & the other two in the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast series by Clete Smith and Gibbs’ Moon Base Alpha.

I loved this book. It was a fun read and made you think about what it means to be human and the importance of friendships and loyalty. While I am not the target audience for this book I think even adults would enjoy this book.

Nathan is a more-or-less typical 6th grader who loves Calvin and Hobbes and hanging out with his friends. But he and his family - and nine other families spread out across the United States - have a secret: they're from another planet. They're part of a long, ongoing experiment run by Hester, a mysterious and apparently ageless woman in red. Nathan and his family have been living on Earth for years as part of this experiment, until the day Hester calls them back to the Wagon - their spaceship. Nathan has no idea what is going to happen once they reach the Wagon, but he knows it has something to do with him.

This is a really wonderful and fast-paced coming-of-age adventure story. The kids in the story act and talk like real kids, and the alien element of the story is pretty original and fun. Highly recommended for middle-grade children who like light science fiction with quirky, relatable characters.

A delightfully weird story with a lot of heart from an author that I've always loved. Highly recommended!

I. Needed a book that could take me to another world. This book did that for me. It was a crazy mixture of realistic and bizarre in the best ways. I loved that it made me think even after it was over.