Nathan has a huge secret, one he is dying to share, but nobody will believe him. Though he was born on Earth, his parents come from the planet Kast, which makes Nathan a first-generation, alien-born Earthling trying to fit in. When Nathan inexplicably begins growing a tail, however, the mysterious DPs come to take him to an indeterminate future. But after watching others like him disappear under similarly obscure circumstances, Nathan is justifiably nervous. Caught between the life he knows and the realities of his past, Nathan must determine which path to follow and which future he wishes to pursue. This engaging middle grade novel is gripping from the first pages. Questions collect in the reader’s mind as each brief chapter comes to a close, and answers do not always arrive as quickly as the reader would like. Told in the third person from Nathan’s perspective, the narrative gives readers a good sense of the inner turmoil of Nathan’s experience as it unfolds around him. While the circumstances in which Nathan finds himself are relatively precarious, there is a healthy amount of humor embedded within the narrative to keep the story light. Clever asides and unexpected moments reinforce the believability of the otherwise science fiction novel, and fans of the genre will appreciate these thoughtful additions. Though the surface premise of the book is fictional, Nathan’s experiences are very relatable, particularly for readers who have ever struggled to fit into their community. Nathan’s desire to be recognized for his inner human and his rich friendship with his companion Victor give Nathan an intrinsic drive that is compelling from the very beginning. Fast-paced yet thoughtful, this is an enjoyable addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

I really enjoyed this middle grade science fiction, and I think it will be a big hit with the young readers in my library

Lots of middle school students feel like their parents are from another planet. Nathan's actually are. They are one of ten families scattered across the US, part of an experiment to see if their people can blend in with humans long term. The answer seems to be no. The other kids in the experiment have been vanishing one by one and none of the adults will talk about it. Nathan just sprouted a tail, so it's his turn to visit the mothership. A fast-paced scifi mystery about family, identity, and growing up. Also, there are a lot of excellent cats.

I loved this one! But it’s Rebecca Stead, so of course I loved it. :)

She has the ability to create a fantastical premise and make it all seem so real and relatable. She writes “kid friendship” with accuracy, humor, and affection. I immediately recommended this one to my grown daughters, who are all Rebecca Stead fans too. And the minute I finished this one, I went back for yet another reread of my favorite Stead book, WHEN YOU REACH ME. Thanks for the opportunity to preview this one!

Both my 12 year old daughter and I read this separately and as always Rebecca Stead does not disappoint.
The book follows Nathan and all the twists and turns of his life as an alien. Not everything is quite as it seems though. It's fast paced aside from one middle section which I found a tad slow. My daughter did find a few explanations, or lack there of, confusing and we both found the ending to be a bit of a let down. My daughter did mention that she hopes there is a sequel.
The nods to Calvin and Hobbes throughout were delightful and nostalgic for me. Definitely recommend for a middle grade reader!

Nathan has grown up knowing his family is different. They are aliens, living on earth, and he must do everything he can to fit in. This includes brushing his teeth five times a day with a special pink toothpaste and having his mother track and record all aspects of his life. Now a 6th grader, he suddenly notices that he is beginning to grow a tail. Recalled back to their home base because of it, this sets in motion a series of events with unexpected twists. Another fabulous science fiction book from the amazing mind of Rebecca Stead! Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

I absolutely loved this premise--a kid who knows he's an alien, whose job is to blend in with other humans on earth as part of a grand experiment for his species. And Nathan is the loveliest kid! He and his friends all felt fully fleshed out and real, and I loved the care they showed for each other. I was eagerly turning pages as Nathan uncovers the big secret and sets off to protect his friends. I didn't think the ending totally worked, so I closed the book a little unsatisfied with the answers I'd been given. But overall, a great read!

"The Experiment" by Rebecca Stead. is a middle-grade, coming-of-age novel that releases in September, and I abandoned all my other current reads to finish it.

Nathan looks like a typical sixth-grader, except his family has been keeping a secret: they're from another planet, and their time on Earth might be ending. When other kids like him start disappearing, Nathan sets out to discover why. Along the way, he finds out some information that will change everything he thought he knew about his life.

It's funny and mysterious and light-hearted and serious all at the same time. Such a creative way to package a story about identity and belonging.

I loved Stead's book "When You Reach Me," and she's given us another quality story with big themes. Put this one on your to-read list!

4 stars

Like all of us, Nathan, in sixth grade, thinks his family is from another planet and that he is, too. However, his ideas are not hormonally and socially driven. They come from the simple fact that this is what his family has told him is their true origin story!

You may have thought your body went through some surprising changes at Nathan's age, but I can confidently tell you that (1) Nathan's are probably more unusual and (2) his parents are likely treating them in a different way than your parents or guardians did. After all, they're carefully cataloging his progress for otherworldly input!

As experienced readers of this author will expect, this is an inventive, engaging, and magical take on the typical coming of age tale. Nathan's journey is full of unexpected twists, but at its heart, it's a relatable adventure that everyone who was ever this age (and those who are approaching it) will appreciate. Added bonus? GREAT portrayals of friendship and family relationships.

This is another great read from this author, and I'll look forward to recommending it to students.

*Added note: I was able to engage with the audio version of this text through Libro.fm, and I hope that becomes available on NetGalley soon. It's great!

I absolutely loved 85% of this book. Up that point, it was an easy 5 stars. And then…

It just didn’t stick the landing. The last 15% was barely 2 stars. Once I learned what is really going on, I had so many unanswered questions. I don’t feel like the implications were well thought out. So many character decisions made less sense. Certain problems could have been solved in much easier ways.

The author is a very talented writer, but at least in this book, the ending could have been a lot better.

I am excited to see that Rebecca Stead wrote a new book! This one was a little hard for me to sink into at first but once I did the adventure was on. What’s not to love … friendships, cats, aliens living among us! This will be a hit with middle grades and teachers.

This is like nothing I have ever read. The concept seemed interesting, but I struggled to get into this book. I did keep reading it because I wanted to know what happened in the end. It wasn’t the book for me.

I loved this story about a boy who is part of an experiment. Having his food weighed, brushing with strange pink toothpaste several times a day, and weekly check-ins with other experiment families are part of his daily life. Until something unexpected happens and Nathan must question everything he has been told. The characters are loveable and you will be cheering them on from the very start. Refreshing!

This was so good. Our fifth graders will love this story about a kid, Nathan, who is keeping a big secret- His family is from another planet and they are trying to pass as earthlings. They are part of a big experiment. Then one day, Nathan grows a tail. What should his family do? When they are recalled to the mothership, Nathan questions all he has been told about his family and their purpose. There are plot twists all over the place!

I'm pleasantly surprised by this story - I like sci-fi, and this one doesn't dummy-down (i.e., over-explain) the plot to death. It was a smooth, fun, suspenseful alien abduction story. And I wouldn't say it's fantasy; it's definitely more sci-fi.

I enjoyed the inane, unexpected, but humorous connections to Calvin & Hobbes throughout the story.

The characters had well-developed personalities and delivered believable emotions and dialogue. The story flowed well. The settings were described well enough to follow what the characters were experiencing and doing.

I've given it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 stars and am looking forward to getting it for my school library.

The Experiment has all the quirky charm and weirdness you come to expect from a Rebecca Stead book. Kids are going to be so intrigued by the experimental details about how Nathan lives that are revealed at the start, and pulled in further by the tail, the disappearances , the "alien" of it all and the way the story progresses. I envision this being a real hit with my 3rd and 4th graders for sure. Will be adding to my library collection!

Rebecca Stead does it again! Her science-fiction books are my favorite, though this one is much more like her first middle grade novel, First Light, than any other. Yes, there is the theme of exploration, but like many of Stead's works, all is not as it seems. The story opens with Nathan and his family, aliens from another planet, a fact Nathan has known all of his life. His family and nine other families are part of "the experiment," but things seem to be going wrong. You'll have to read it to find out why because -- just like her other sci-fi stories-- the less you know, the better.

Do you like weird little stories? Maybe ones about friendship but they're also about aliens? Ones that seem pretty normal except for a few definitely strange elements? I do! And that is why I love Rebecca Stead. I would easily put her in my top ten authors, and her newest book is no different.

I think maybe my favorite part of The Experiment was the friendship between the two boys. They love each other unabashedly, and I just wanted to give them both a big hug (which they would be totally cool with).

I also loved that Nathan gets to learn a lot about grownups and what they do or do not need in their lives. Rebecca Stead just has this way of teaching beautiful lessons in her books while not really looking the lesson straight in the eye. Oh, adults don't always know everything and sometimes need support and love too? Let me teach you that with pink toothpaste and a tail named Tuck!

Fun story about aliens who have infiltrated Earth. Or have they? I love Rebecca Stead's writing and found this funny and easy to read, with great descriptions. Also, I'm pretty sure my cat is spying on me too! Solid kid fiction.

I've read other books by this author which I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I was excited to get the advanced reader's copy for this one. I have mixed feelings about this book. There is no doubt that Stead is a great writer and her ability to flesh out her characters is one of the many reasons I like reading her books, but I was disappointed when the plot took a strange, almost goofy turn. I'm sure there are many readers who will like this quirky book, but this one wasn't my cup of tea.