Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock, Harriet Walsh and Hal Junior (MG) series. He divides his time between writing fiction and computer software, with the occasional bike ride thrown in for a laugh.
I really enjoyed going on this adventure with Hal Junior. This is the first of the series, and the first one I've read. I've enjoyed the Hal Spacejock series, by Simon Haynes, and picked this up when the author offered the Kindle edition for free.
Hal Junior is a likable character; a sort of Dennis-the-Menace in space. He fantasizes of living the life of his hero, Hal Spacejock. (Yes, the Hal Spacejock of the author's other series.) Unfortunately for Hal Junior, his life is full of the mundane aspects of any young boy living on a space station -- school, chores, etc.
The story moved along quickly. The world-building is satisfactory, though lacking in some of the details found in literature written for adults.
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys space adventure stories written for young people.
Hal Junior is unlikely hero. He's just a little bit naughty, a tiny bit confused, and a bit behind on his schoolwork, but that doesn't stop him from saving the day like his own hero Captain Spacejock, the protagonist from Haynes' earlier novels. Hal Jr is educated by a robot, his home is a space station, his homework has just been sucked into the recycling hatch, his mother has just been promoted to head of research, and trouble is brewing. What follows is a fun, lighthearted, lightning fast adventure with a sci fi twist that children will love.
Reluctant readers of all ages will enjoy this book because it's full of cinematic action and as many sound effects as a comic strip or Matthew Riley novel (without the exploding heads and continual expletives): "zzingg", "gadoinnnggg!" "Clatter clatter crash!". Younger readers from about 8 or 9 will also enjoy it, identifying with Hal's perfect combination of insouciance and curiosity. There are all sorts of fun things in the book, from morse code to a mysterious watch recovered from the junk heap, a reverse canon that shoots garbage, and even a guide on how to build Hal's homework paper plane.
Though Hal himself is quite funny, additional humour and lightness is provided by captioned drawings throughout the book, including a running pun around "this page has been left intentionally blank". The space station setting is well depicted, and readers will share Hal's excitement as they tour the Tiger supply ship. The relationship between Hal and his best friend, brainiac Stinky provides a strong humourous thread blending Hal's courage and bravado with Stinky's problem solving ability. Readers will want to hear more about these two and the inevitable scrapes that they get themselves into.
With Hal Junior, clearly anything goes, there are endless adventures to be had on the space station. This is a charming book full of wacky, innovative fun that can be read quickly and easily by readers of all ages. It's a perfect way to encourage readers to keep reading.
I loved this book! It had everything a 8-12 year old boy would want - adventure, comedy and awesome future gadgets. Hal Junior is a young boy with aspiring dreams of becoming an astronaut, with a bit of a habit of causing trouble. He goes to school in a space station, with his best mate Stinky - together they are unstoppable!
A school trip to the spaceship leads to trouble straight away, as Hal and Stinky discover everyone is in danger. Can they save everyone, crack his Mum's Morse code message, persuade the talking spaceship to help, destroy the enemy and get his chemistry homework correct? Doubt it!
I knew as soon as I started reading that I was wrong to finish this is one sitting - and I did! Haynes writing is gripping, and he has the created the perfect characters to fit in with the story. I felt like I was there; holding my breath when Hal landed in danger and witnessing his adventure.
I can't write this review without telling you how funny this book hi - Hal is hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud when he messed up, or Stinky says something ironic. There is one chapter of which Hal is answering the teacher's questions in class and he says really stupid (but logical...I guess) and he cannot understand why the class are laughing!
Overall, this book is a must-read for boys who enjoy sci-fi aged 8-12 years old. I found it entertaining as a light read for myself (being a 13 year old girl) so I pretty much recommend this to everyone. Bring on book two!
Hal Junior: The Secret Signal Hal Junior lives aboard a futuristic space station. His mum is chief scientist, his dad cleans air filters and his best mate is Stephen 'Stinky' Binn. As for Hal ... he's a bit of a trouble magnet. He means well, but his wild schemes and crazy plans never turn out as expected! Hal Junior: The Secret Signal features mayhem and laughs, daring and intrigue ... plus a home-made space cannon!
Written for independent readers aged 9+, The Secret Signal will appeal to kids with a sense of humour and a taste for adventure.
my review by Lucas Lawrence
HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL should be renamed Dennis the Menace in Space. What a fun story. Loved the interaction between Hal and his friend Stinky. Hal is different than other kids, he's the class clown, and he's not afraid to be different. I like people like that. Hal is funny and smart. Hates doing his homework but is smart just the same. He lives on a cool space station. The only part I didn't like was the explanation of how food is made. I understand why Stinky's face turned green.
Hal Junior uncovers a threat to the space station and everyone on board. How will he warn them? With a Secret Signal, of course!
Ten-year-old Hal Junior lives aboard an orbiting space station, where his mum is chief scientist, his dad cleans air filters and his best mate is Stephen 'Stinky' Binn. Everyone in class is excited, because they're getting a guided tour of a visiting space ship. But during the tour, Hal discovers a secret which threatens the space station and everyone on board. Unfortunately, Hal's a bit of a troublemaker, and even if he manages to get the message out, there is absolutely no guarantee anyone will believe him.
Hal Junior 1: The Secret Signal: science fiction for ages 8-12 Hal Junior 2: The Missing Case: science fiction for ages 8-12 Hal Junior 3: The Gyris Mission: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Spacejock 1: A robot named Clunk Hal Spacejock 2: Second Course Hal Spacejock 3: Just Desserts Hal Spacejock Omnibus One {Hal Spacejock Omnibus One Hal Spacejock #1-3, PLUS a bonus short story: Hal Spacejock Visit/4.2} Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch Hal Spacejock 4.1: Framed Hal Spacejock 4.2: Visit Hal Spacejock 5: Baker's Dough Hal Spacejock 6: Safe Art Hal Spacejock 7.1: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.2: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.3: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.4: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.5: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.6: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.7: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.8: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.9: Big Bang Hal Spacejock 7.10: Big Ban Hal Spacejock 8: Double Trouble
A wonderful story. I loved it and since its in my Kindle I will be reading it many time. Half Junior is a great character for this book and I hope he survives all.
How is life aboard a space station? Just ask Hal Junior, who lives on one! Hal's mom is a head researcher, his dad is a maintenance worker, and Hal - well, he's a bit of a trouble-maker - to the annoyance of his fellow space-neighbors. But, the "trouble" part isn't always his fault, most-times "trouble" seems to find him! Whether he accidentally reverses the ships gravity field, or loses his homework in a space trashcan, Hal always seems to be surrounded by mischief. So when a teacher is replaced by the mysterious Mr. Thimp, Hal must find a way to save his classmates, himself, and ultimately his space-station - without getting grounded.
Review:
I never expected to enjoy Hal Junior - The Secret Signal as much as I did. I love children's books, but many of them are written strictly for kids, with no aim towards older readers. This particular book could be enjoyed by kids 5 and older - much older. I am in my twenties and I thought that this 175 page book was a quirky, smart, and fun little riot for boys and girls of all ages. Simon Haynes' characters are great! I loved Hal's personality and his knack for getting into all things mischievous, but I also liked the bad guys - even Mr. Thimp. The writing style was very enjoyable, the plot had me laughing-out-loud one second and shaking my head the next, and the dialogue, although easy for kids to read and understand, was just as fun for me. Being a scientist, I really appreciated the amount of technical jargon about ship computers, robots, and space cannons, and I know that younger kids will love it too. This fast-paced read will have kids excited about science, especially space, and will leave them begging for more Hal Junior adventures! The cartoons and diagrams were fun too, a great way to get kids involved! I will definitely be reading Simon Haynes' Hal Spacejock series, (ages 15+), after seeing how fun the kid-version was! Hal Junior - The Secret Signal is highly recommended to children of all ages and the people that read to them!
Rating:On the Run (4.5/5)
*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I’m not used to reading a lot of children’s fiction, but I do enjoy diving in every so often when I think a certain story or author is worth it. Simon Haynes, the author of the popular Hal Spacejock ebook series, was kind enough to send me the first book in his children’s series, Hal Junior. I read the book, pretty excited to read something fun, and I wasn’t really disappointed. Everything on the table this was a very fun book that killed an afternoon and let me take a break before diving back into some heavy reading.
Hal Junior lives on a space station and is apparently prone to trouble. From the first chapter we see him, and his friend Stinky, getting into all sorts of mischief. As the story progresses, however, Hal soon learns that the fate of the space station and his mother’s precious research lies in his ten year old hands.
This would be great for little kids just getting into the swing of reading. I think my problems with this book are because it is a children’s book. I know that Haynes is a writer of much more mature talent, and you can just see his real writing style poking through the edges of this book. Personally I think it held him back, but that could be just me. Also, there was room for expansion and detail. “But they’re just kids!” you say. Yeah, well that doesn’t mean they can’t start expanding their reading a little early.
Lots of fun, though. I want to thank Haynes for sending me a free copy for a review. I hope in the future I get to read more!
HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL is such a fun book! Hal is a curious, mischievous boy living on a space station. When his classmates and mother are kidnapped on a docked spaceship, Hal has to use all his tricks and the help of a computer AI to try and save the day.
Hal is such a typical kid. He gets into more scrapes that should be possible and yet always seems to come out on top. He’s endearing and funny, exasperating and brave and earnest. Hal is quite likeable and you find yourself both cheering and groaning at his antics. The writing kept a good pace and was quick and easy to read. The mystery surrounding the spaceship and kidnapping unfolds with some fun action scenes and a few twists and turns to keep things interesting. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of the novel and the mentions of things past that play an important part in the story – namely, Morse Code.
I think HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL is a book that will really appeal to younger readers searching for a fun, adventurous sci-fi story. It’s a nice introduction to the genre, with memorable characters and a tone of writing that is serious and yet also kind of cheeky. I think Hal Junior has very many adventures in his future and I would happily read any subsequent books.
Concept/World The story is set on a space station which felt realistic and industrial.
Story The story zips along with lots of laughs, mysteries and adventure. It’s like Dennis the Menace in space, great fun!
Characters Hal Junior is great as the hero. I howled with laughter at his chemistry homework. Stinky Binn is good as the nerdy genius sidekick. The villains are suitably cartoony. I enjoyed the Teacher robot, too.
Presentation I liked the cartoon cover of this book and loved the illustrations. They worked well even on kindle and added a new dimension of humour to the story. It’s just the right length for younger readers.
Overall I bought a kindle copy of this book because I’d enjoyed the “Hal Spacejock” story so much. I liked The Secret Signal so much that I’ve bought a paperpack version of it too for our class library. I had to buy it on the Amazon US site and pay shipping to the UK, but I know that the kids in my class will just love this. It doesn’t come any more highly recommended than that!
I received this book from a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.
Hal Junior lives on a space station with his parents. His best friend is nicknamed Stinky and his teacher is a robot. Hal is a bit of a trouble maker with arriving late to class and hardly remembering to do his homework, so at first he has some trouble trying to convince people of the threat to the space station. The Tiger supply ship is holding Hal’s mother and friends hostage in exchange for some amazing scientific research. It’s up to Hal to save them.
While this book is written for ages 8-12, the humour can also be well appreciated by adults too. The story flows incredibly well and each concise chapter leaves you wanted to read on. I’m really glad I won this n the Goodreads giveaway, as I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to read it otherwise. This would definitely be a good Santa stocking filler this Christmas!
Hal lives somewhere in the not too distant future on a space staion with his parents and others. Hal is basically 'Dennis the Menace' in space. He does not intend to cause trouble, but it happens, and generally he is in close proximity of the epicentre.
This is a funny, action-packed, smart but easy to read story, aimed at 10 year olds plus. Hal provides some very founny answers to a science quiz, which had me laughing out loud. There is elements of physics, environmental science and more throughout the book, which would grab the attention of those who are science buffs, as well as those who like a good story.
This book must of been good cos I managed to finish it in a day. Did enjoy reading the adventure of Hal, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Kids are going to love this book. I always buy books as part of gifts for kids, this one will definitely be added . (I did receive a free copy from Goodreads First Reads) which I am very happy about because I have never heard about Simon Haynes and now one of his fans.
Hal is back in Junior form. No Klunk, but other friends and family see him through. I may love Junior better than the adult version. Now Hal needs a sister or close female friend who can star in her own series.
I liked Hal Spacejock. I liked the second Hal Spacejock (Second Course) better. So I read Secret Signal (Hal Junior) when I saw it. I like it also (yes, I'm an adult and it is labeled as a kids book). I just looked at Amazon and see there are plenty more.
A great Sci/Fi intro book for elementary students! A very fun read, and the level is just right for late-early readers. Full review coming on Novelnaut.com