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.