The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm is a juvenile fiction book for 4-6th graders.
Eleven-year-old Bell, has spent just about all of his life on Mars. He came to Mars as a baby and has lived in the US colony along with a handful of other grownups and children. Bell loves cats and like any other curious budding tween, he has questions. Questions like, why all communication has been banned between the US and the other colonies on Mars? Why must they remain so alone?
When a mysterious illness begins to hit the adults, Bell and the rest of the kids in the colony don't know what to do. And suddenly, it is up to Bell to uncover the truth and save the day.
This was a good read. I don't know why, but I just love juvenile space fiction. Probably harks back to my Space Camp days. The Lion of Mars has a lot of heart for a quick read. The comrade between the adults and children feel true and the sadness and harsh realities of life in general are dealt with. But I think most of all, Bell makes this book.
Bell is smart, sincere and real. He isn't your usual protagonist. He's not strong or brave, super smart or quick witted. He's has a little of each of these qualities. Bell feels sort of like the glue of the colony and he's someone I would want to be friends with.
I liked the mystery of the book and there is a lot of content to discuss with the kids. Themes like, mortality, miscommunication, the definition of family, the science, the friendships and more.
I definitely think I will use this one for my book club. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-
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