Far Out! Tour Review #LoneStarLit

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the author of Blue Skies comes a lively middle grade novel set in 1960s Texas about a young, alien-loving girl trying to clear her grandmother’s good name in this mystery that has humor, hijinks, and heart in equal measure.
It’s 1964, the Space Race is well underway, and eleven-year-old Magnolia Jean Crook and the other residents of Totter, Texas, are over the moon about UFOs.
The whole town is gearing up for the First Annual Come on Down Day—in just one week, they are hoping to host any and all space aliens who would like to visit Earth. But right before the kick-off party, a meteorite goes missing—and MJ’s beloved grandmother Mimi, who is the vice president of the Totter Unidentified Flying Object Organization, is the prime suspect.
MJ is desperate to show the town that this Crook is not a thief. The only problem is that there is a lot of evidence against her, and Mimi herself isn’t helping things. She’s acting suspiciously, pulling disappearing acts, and worst of all, can’t seem to answer any questions about where she was or what she was doing.
But much like UFOs, extraterrestrial visitations, and sending people to space, the impossible has been known to happen.

Far Out!

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 Julie’s Review:

I initially wanted to read Far Out! with my son, but after a few chapters realized it wasn’t quite a good read-aloud for us as it was advanced for him. So I devoured it quickly on my own. The main characters are fifth graders, and there’s a big difference in reading level with my lower elementary kiddo. Plus, these fifth graders seem super mature! I would say this is more of a middle-grade or advanced upper-elementary read.

Our main character is MJ, and her best friend Nick mows Mimi’s lawn – Mimi is MJ’s grandmother. When I was 12, was I mowing other people’s grandmother’s lawns? NOPE! I was collecting Lisa Frank binders and playing with my dolls still. It’s also the mid-60s, so maybe the kids during those times had different expectations. So yea, mature kiddos. And not only are they great helpers in their families, they also do a lot for their community. And, the best part – they are amateur sleuths.

As a kid, I devoured kid sleuth novels, so this one was a good read for me. Especially with the space aliens theme, and the Come On Down Day, and all the town celebrations of an infamous brother and sister pair who tour sharing their alien encounter story.

I also loved the characters’ names. We have MJ Crook and Nick Lawless of the newly formed Crook and Lawless Detective Agency. How adorable! The story begins with the theft of a meteorite from the museum, and poor forgetful Mimi is the prime suspect of the theft. MJ and Nick set off to prove it wasn’t her, running into roadblocks from adults, as kids always seem to do.

MJ’s dad is the town Sheriff, and I didn’t like him at first. He seemed way too strict – arresting his own mother! But it made sense in the end, with many secrets being held between the grown-ups. I’m a grown-up now, and I remember hating the trope of parents keeping secrets. There should be no secrets, it’s safer for everyone that way. When parents keep secrets, it teaches kids to keep secrets and could put them in danger. Anyway, off my soap box and back to the story.

While it was Nick and MJ who finally figured out who the true thief was, I’m not sure they would have if someone else didn’t tell the truth first. There were some deeply held lies and repeated stories going on. Can’t trust anyone these days. Sheesh!

I also liked how this book introduces dementia in a gentle way and shows how the entire family rallies around Mimi. What a great lesson for kids to understand and relate to if someone in their lives is showing forgetful signs.

One more thing to add – I really liked the illustrations at the beginning of the chapters. They kind of give you a hint of who the main players in that chapter will be.

A fun read, I would recommend it to kids who enjoy kid detectives and believe in – or want to believe in – space aliens.

Anne Bustard is the former co-owner of Toad Hall Children’s Bookstore in Austin, Texas, and an MFA graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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