Girl out of time

Science-minded eighth grader Anna Armstrong has always longed to explore space. She believes her dreams are forfeit when her parents' deaths force her to leave Boston to live with her uncle Jack on his farm in Smartt, Ind. But it turns out that Uncle Jack doesn't simply grow crops. He also employs an international team of researchers dedicated to combatting climate change and soil erosion, stoking Anna's curiosity. Eventually, Anna starts experiencing supernatural phenomena such as bizarre noises and lights coming from the sky, heralding the arrival of Mara Banjoko Lee, a time traveler from the future. Mara persuades Anna to become her partner in closing wormholes that have begun popping up across Smartt and tracking down the mysterious shadow creature that's lurking around town. Driven by a mutual love of technology, Anna and Mara bring out the best in each other, placing friendship at the center of their adventure and elevating their rapidly paced narrative with rich internality. Boyer forefronts imaginative inventions such as antigravity boots and cloaking devices, and astute meditations on fate and environmentalism, to devise a dynamic speculative romp that is both thoughtful and timely. Most characters are coded as white. Ages 13--17. (Mar.)

Science fiction with an environmental message. Eighth grader Anna Armstrong's dreams of space travel seem remote after her parents die in an accident. That is, until she moves from Boston to her Uncle Jack's Indiana farm and meets an international crew of farmers and scientists dedicated to growing ideas in addition to food. Science-minded Anna is drawn to their work in sustainable agriculture, and her aptitude for applied science is quickly put into action as she adjusts to her new life and school. But strange lights and noises from the sky lead to her surprising discovery: Mara Banjoko Lee, an unexpected visitor from the future who is a time traveler on the run. Mara begins to train Anna, and their tentative bond grows during their boot camp--style sessions. While dealing with the ambiguous threat of aliens Mara calls the Others, the fallout of Mara's time travel, portals to other worlds, wormholes, and potential damage to the timeline, the stakes are high, but the author's tendency toward observation and description over action results in uneven pacing. Accessible language, a young protagonist, and center-stage warnings about Earth's precarious future could make this STEM-themed read appeal to middle-grade environmentalists, but the slow plotting requires patience and may deter less advanced readers. Anna is cued as White; Mara's middle name may indicate some West African heritage. More ambitious than adventurous. (Science fiction. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.