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sdramsey's review
5.0
Like most anthologies, this one is a mixed bag--there are always some stories you'll like better than others--but overall I am happy to give it 5 stars! It deserves the high rating for the sheer volume and breadth of ideas, settings, styles, and young protagonists who fill its pages. This anthology does a wonderful job of living up to its aspiration to make science fiction more accessible, diverse, and representative for all young readers. If you have a young reader (or are an older one) with a keen appreciation for the sense of wonder in science fiction, you should definitely check out this book! Looking forward to next year's volume already.
kirabug's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I'm one of the 24 authors. So let me tell you a little about the other 23 stories.
First of all, many science fiction subgenres are represented here. There's steampunk (and wild west steampunk), battles, space ships, hard sci-fi (Main Character against their environment mostly), soft sci-fi (learning to learn, learning to trust, etc.), space dragons, LOTS of robots, and terraforming, just to name a few.
Lest you think it's all light fun and games, know that while these stories are written for middle-grade readers and up, the collection tackles some universal topics. There are stories that will make you think about long-term effects of racism or ableism. There are stories that will make you think about loneliness, about death of a family member, about working together in the depth of tragedy.
And there's also a story of a mechanical monkey stealing a valise, so it's also not a book I'd call gloomy or too heavy.
In fact, one of the things I love about this book is that pretty much every story ends on an up note. There are plenty of things to think about, yes, but our heroes and heroines succeed. (Well maybe not Pluto.) (It's not a spoiler when the planet was demoted in 2006!)
As always I am honored to be included around such wonderful stories, but believe you me I'd be reading this thing even if I wasn't published in it. The Young Explorers Adventure Guides are so good a friend's non-sci-fi kid devours them every year. I took a copy into work and it disappeared off the swap shelf immediately. This is a good book.
First of all, many science fiction subgenres are represented here. There's steampunk (and wild west steampunk), battles, space ships, hard sci-fi (Main Character against their environment mostly), soft sci-fi (learning to learn, learning to trust, etc.), space dragons, LOTS of robots, and terraforming, just to name a few.
Lest you think it's all light fun and games, know that while these stories are written for middle-grade readers and up, the collection tackles some universal topics. There are stories that will make you think about long-term effects of racism or ableism. There are stories that will make you think about loneliness, about death of a family member, about working together in the depth of tragedy.
And there's also a story of a mechanical monkey stealing a valise, so it's also not a book I'd call gloomy or too heavy.
In fact, one of the things I love about this book is that pretty much every story ends on an up note. There are plenty of things to think about, yes, but our heroes and heroines succeed. (Well maybe not Pluto.) (It's not a spoiler when the planet was demoted in 2006!)
As always I am honored to be included around such wonderful stories, but believe you me I'd be reading this thing even if I wasn't published in it. The Young Explorers Adventure Guides are so good a friend's non-sci-fi kid devours them every year. I took a copy into work and it disappeared off the swap shelf immediately. This is a good book.
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