Journey to Juno

Galaxy Zack #2

by Ray O'Ryan, Colin Jack (Illustrator)

Join Zack as he takes a trip to the planet Juno, makes an amazing discovery, and learns the importance of teamwork!

In Journey to Juno , Zack joins his school’s Explorer’s Club and visits Juno, a newly discovered planet of crystals. The group is split into pairs as they begin exploring, and Zack is less than thrilled when he is partnered with Seth Stevens, the Phase 2 bully! Seth is happy to let Zack do the work while he goofs off, so when Zack stumbles upon a really cool object, he hides it so he can show it to the Explorer’s Club himself. But when the time comes for Zack to accept praise for his discovery, will he decide to share the credit?

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Galaxy Zack chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Chapter Books, Childrens, Aliens, Middle Grade, Adventure

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2013

Reviews

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Journey To Juno is the second book of the Galaxy Zack series. It is just as good as the first one. It’s awesome! Zack joins the Sprockets Academy Explorers Club at school. They fly on a special trip to Juno, a new planet no one has ever visited. Zack gets paired up with Seth, the class bully, and that’s dreadful but Zack is excited when he finds a huge galaxy gemmite. A gemmite that large had not been found in 100 years! Kids will love this book! Boys and girls will both like it. It’s an easy chapter book with pictures on every page. I love the illustrations. I think ages 6-8 would like this but younger kids would like the story being read to them.

My favorite parts are the galactic blast game (it is similar to baseball except there are robots playing), recess at Zack’s school where everything is 3-D holographic images, the rainbow river in a crystal cave on Juno, and the galaxy gemmite that Zack finds on Juno. I also loved when a life-size holographic image of his Earth friend appears in Zack’s room because he calls him on a hyperphone. I give this book one hundred stars! There is a “to be continued” at the end so you have to read the next book see what’s in store. I can’t wait to find out what happens!!!

Review by Young Mensan Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

[Mahmoud Deeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really entertaining. I liked the book. Seth was bullying Zack because he is an earth boy. The story kept going and Seth was still a bully but then Zack's dad invited his boss who was Seth's dad. He came and saw Zacks dog Luna he was scared but then he liked his dog and then became friends. This story tells us treat somebody the way you want to be treated. I gave this story0l 5/5 I really enjoyed it.

[Jessica Jang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read this to my little boy. We both really enjoyed it.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has a lot going for it. It's pretty fun and silly with some top notch illustrations. They do a really good job of communicating all the space stuff without getting bogged down. It's just silly enough. Think Star Trek: the original series.

Also this particular title was picked out for me by a 3 year old library regular. Two is one of the 3 numbers she can recognize visually and this book is the second in the series. A+ number recognition!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zack is super excited when he gets the opportunity to join the exploration of newly discovered Juno. The only drawback to the trip is that class bully Seth is planning to use Zack to do all the exploring and take all the credit himself. Can Zack find a way around Seth's evil plans and maybe find a way to get the bully to back down?

I really liked that even after Seth treated him mean, Zack gave Seth another chance at kindness. He provides a great role model for kids to respond with kindness instead of just continuing the cycle of meanness. At the end of the book Zack's family hosts a traditional Earth-style BBQ for their new Nebulon friends and I love the way this realistically displays a class of cultures that eventually works into a better understanding of each other. As an expat I've experienced many such gatherings and know that this will resonate with all the kids at our international school.

[Todd R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not normally like science fiction books but this book was a really entertaining read. The story is about a boy named Zack that has moved from planet Earth to Nebulon. Zack is missing his friends back home and is trying to get accustomed to life on a new planet. As Zack begins to make new friends on Nebulon, he encounters a bully, Seth who picks on Zack every chance he gets. To try to make more friends, Zack joins the Explorer's Club at his new school. On the day of the first meeting he sees that Seth is there. Worse yet, he gets partnered with Seth on the clubs field trip to Juno. Read this book to see if Zack and Seth can finally get along and complete their project. This is a great book about relationships and accepting of others. The book is appropriate for grades 2-4. This would be a good book to use in a guided reading group (Level P).

[Andrew J · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many sequels that are actually as good as the original. It's a feat that not many authors actually pull off, but Ray O'Ryan and Colin Jack make a great team to bring this to life in the imagination. In this sequel, Zack and his classmates go on a field trip to the planet Juno: a planet of crystals. Zack also has to deal with a bully named Seth Stevens who just happens to be the son of his father's boss. 4 stars. The back of this book says it's perfect for beginning readers and I find this a little amusing since I'm a grown adult reading these. They say there's a kid in everyone, I guess.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just completed reading the second volume of this series with my youngest daughter. She is really enjoying the series and I feel the subtle moral stories also are great for kids. While it is not a graphic novel, there is a healthy amount of art work which I feel keeps her engaged. This adventure finds Jack getting more acquainted with his school and even joining a club. With a chance to go explore a newly found planet, opportunities as well as trials awake Zack. Overall a good read that flows and does an excellent job tying the first volume to this one without truly needing to have read volume 1.

[Saravanadharsan Premkumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zack joins his school's Explorer's Club and visits Juno, a newly discovered planet of crystals. The group is split into pairs as they begin exploring, and Zack is less than thrilled when he is partnered with Seth Stevens, the Phase 2 bully! Seth is happy to let Zack do the work while he goofs off, so when Zack stumbles upon a really cool object, he hides it so he can show it to the Explorer's Club himself. But when the time comes for Zack to accept praise for his discovery, will he decide to share the credit?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Galaxy Jack series. This time out, Jack joins a school club that plans to explore the planet Juno; he wants to make a significant, amazing discovery that will make him famous. He deals with a bully who happens to be the son of his father's boss, and he gracefully shares the credit with the rest of the Explorers Club when he discovers a gemmite crystal with enough energy to power Creston City for a whole year.
Another fun read in a series for early elementary sci-fi readers, with winning illustrations and simple, easily readable text in short chapters.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

So formulaic and empty. A plucky blond boy, an entitled bully, a mom who does laundry while the dad watches sports on t.v. and two twin sisters excited about pink dresses. On the upside this is set on an alien planet and Zack makes one valid scientific observation - the rainbow hues in the water can't be the result of sunlight as they are in a cave. Otherwise a snore.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story with good lessons about making friends and being friendly. I read this aloud to my kids, but it didn't really make a good read aloud story. It would probably be a great book for a kid to read to himself.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like Galaxy Zack books. I did not like this book because I did not like the part when Seth and Zack became partners to explore Juno (Seth is actually kind of like a bully).

[Krishang Udasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Galaxy Zack- Journey to Juno was a great book for middle readers. I really liked the part when Zack found the glowing stone which was actually was the (well that is something I am not going to tell you)! Read the book to find out!

[Heather Gunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Staff Pick

Zack is adjusting to life on Nebulon fairly well. He's excited to join the Explorer's Club and investigate the newly discovered planet, Juno. What will Zack find? And will he claim credit for his discoveries, or will the class bully claim Zack's hard work for his own?

[Patricia Pappas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on the Golden Duck 2014 award winners for Children Science Fiction texts. I like Science Fiction and Space in particular, and so do my students after I read this book to them. I have never read a Science Fiction book aloud and took the opportunity to that with this text. The relatable storyline as well and the ability to learn about science facts was engaging to students, as mentioned in the class readings as positives of Science Fiction texts. It allows them to escape, but connect. The story is about a boy named Zach. His father accepts a job on a new planet. He is totally frightened that his friends will be icky, slimy aliens, that he won't be able to communicate with the students, and that the food at the school will be terrible. As we know, these are typical experiences that students go through when coming to a new school. Zach ends up making friends with the school bully and ends up forming a deep friendship with him and some other classmates that understand and relate to his situation. The use of space and intergalactic words is very fun for young readers. The larger size font, adequate amount of graphics, and nice spatial elements makes this a perfect beginning chapter book. There is not much diversity expressed in the book. The stereotypes of new or different people being scary or icky does come through at the beginning, but that is overcome quickly, which can provide a nice lesson for kids.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, the kid is not disprespectful, which is what I was looking for. Lots of humor, great boy book, great first chapter book, good imagination, word puns, this one dealt with bullying and friendship.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zack found a rare gemite. He was scared that he had to go to the BBQ party. He overcome his fear of dogs. He and Luna are now friends

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I liked that he got the gem. I did not like when the bully took his seat.” -Parker

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Galaxy Zack because his friend shows him everything and he learns a lot of new words. They use different words on Nebulon. I like that he wanted to go to Juno.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read. I appreciate the talk about bullying. It helped me have a conversation with my 4 year old on how to identify bullying, and how to respond to it.

[Zazie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story from Galaxy Zack! I would recommend this to any child who loves space.

[Santhanalakshmi Vivek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool

[ELamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stories, exciting settings, great lessons.

[Grayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan, books all about this Zack guy

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3 year old son would like to rate this book 8 stars, please.

[Fenco Chen]

Lexile®: 520L, 4664W, 100%, 6y4m

[Kayleena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it with my son. He said he liked it but would rather read something else.

[Samia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of details. Favourite part when he became friends with Alien.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was amazing. I love the part when Zack found the crystal and hid it from the bully Seth.I like stories about space.