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Life on Mars
Twelve-year-old Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers' quest to find life on other planets seems at an end when his parents decide to move to Las Vegas, but while they look for a house he stays with his neighbor, an astronaut who soon becomes a friend.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2014
54 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Brown
33 books1,632 followersTwo-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006), Jennifer's weekly humor column appeared in The Kansas City Star for over four years, until she gave it up to be a full-time young adult novelist.
Jennifer's debut novel, HATE LIST (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009) received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. HATE LIST also won the Michigan Library Association's Thumbs Up! Award, the Louisiana Teen Readers Choice award, the 2012 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award, was an honorable mention for the 2011 Arkansas Teen Book Award, is a YALSA 2012 Popular Paperback, received spots on the Texas Library Association's Taysha's high school reading list as well as the Missouri Library Association's Missouri Gateway Awards list, and has been chosen to represent the state of Missouri in the 2012 National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Jennifer's second novel, BITTER END, (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011) received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and VOYA and is listed on the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults list and is a 2012 Taysha's high school reading list pick as well.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.
Jennifer's debut novel, HATE LIST (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009) received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. HATE LIST also won the Michigan Library Association's Thumbs Up! Award, the Louisiana Teen Readers Choice award, the 2012 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award, was an honorable mention for the 2011 Arkansas Teen Book Award, is a YALSA 2012 Popular Paperback, received spots on the Texas Library Association's Taysha's high school reading list as well as the Missouri Library Association's Missouri Gateway Awards list, and has been chosen to represent the state of Missouri in the 2012 National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Jennifer's second novel, BITTER END, (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011) received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and VOYA and is listed on the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults list and is a 2012 Taysha's high school reading list pick as well.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
May 2, 2015
Some BAD Science within the story so readers beware!!!
So to understand my review you need to know a little about where I'm coming from and my perspective and you might understand why I rated this book the way I did:
First off, I could be Arty... I'm a 3rd grade Teacher, member of the National Science Teachers Association, Planetary Society, Astronomy League and NASA's Night Sky Network and I teach at a NASA Explorer School. I'm in my 30s and I've been an amateur astronomer since I was about 12 years old Arty's age roughly. I even have a private observatory in the Texas hill country that I established some years ago.
This book was a fun read and I liked that it touched on the issue of light pollution which is something I'm passionate about educating people on, as a member of International Dark Sky Association.
So as you guessed I enjoyed the space aspect of the book. My 3rd graders liked it as well but I did have to correct some science within the book (continue to read my review and you'll see what I'm mean).
I must say that I really personally felt a connection to Arty because it was a neighbor who lived down the street in a creepy old house that invited me to look through his telescope and became my astronomy mentor when I was about Arty's age. Also, just a few years ago my local astronomy group that I'm a board member of worked with NASA to be the first humans to contact astronauts on board the I.S.S. by flashing a light at the ISS as it passed over head, we had our own CICM moment just Like Arty, we where successful. We became the first humans to talk to "life" outside of Earth using only lights (to astronauts on the ISS not Mars). Read more about there: http://www.universetoday.com/93987/am...
This link includes a video to our version of the CICM on the day of contact with the ISS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UoY1...
A word or two of caution to the readers is that even though I enjoyed the story there were two major issues with the science in the book worth mentioning:
In the beginning of the book when Arty talks about his first experiences with space; specifically the constellation of Orion, Arty says he and his dad saw the Horse Head Nebula (a.k.a. Barnard 33 or NGC 2023) naked eye. This is impossible because it's entirely too dim to see without the use of a large telescope (18" diameter objective or larger) and even with a large telescope one needs a special hydrogen beta filter to have a hope of seeing it visually, it's more easily seen when imaged with a CCD camera than with the human eye.
A good science editor would have caught this and suggested the author refer to the Orion Nebula (a.k.a. Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) instead of the Horse Head Nebula. The Orion Nebula is in the dagger of Orion and is completely visible from even most small to medium towns like the setting of the story the Horse Head is not. One can easily spot the Orion Nebula without the use of a telescope. So it would make perfect sense to say that it was the Orion Nebula that they saw and not the faint and extremely hard to see visually even with a larger telescope in ideal conditions Horse Head Nebula.
Another point that really had me so upset about the bad science editing of this book was at one point in the last 1/2 of the book the author was clearly referring to the science of astronomy and used the term Astrology to describe it. Astronomy is a science and Astrology is a belief system or religion. The two are worlds apart (pun intended). As an astronomer I get miffed when I'm out a schools showing people things in my telescope and they referred to what we are doing as Astrology. (Once while helping with an event at a State park here in Texas a woman told her kids "hey don't believe anything these people tell you because they believe in horoscopes, etc.")
I'm afraid the lack of the author or the editor to catch this will only cause the young readers to learn that what Arty, Tripp, Priya, Cash and Arty's dad where into was Astrology and not Astronomy! I'm sorry but this mistake by the publisher/author/editor made me almost put down the book in disgust because it only adds to the miss information in young readers and adults who will read this book. If you are one of those that didn't catch this in your read through or you don't know the difference between Astronomy and Astrology here is a link: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astron...
The book was a fairly easy read and I corrected the science when reading it aloud to my 3rd graders. In my opinion the Horse Head issue I could muster but I had to get out a pen and write the word astronomy above astrology in the book for future readers.
Lastly, As a licensed ham radio operator I will confirm that at least the morse code in the last chapters of the book was in fact correct.
The plot was enjoyable despite the lack of a science editor looking at this book closely. One issue I had was how Prya seems to drop out of the story line for so long then re-appearing again. I would have liked to seen more of her in the story. I also felt some of the star folklore about the constellations went over the heads of my 3rd graders (8-9 year olds).
Would I recommend the book to you... well.. Yes and No... do you have a reluctant reader who loves space... well this book will be enjoyable but they are sure to moan about the inaccuracies like I'm doing in this review and if they don't, I worry that they will take them as fact. Even here on good reads I see reviews that state how much people enjoyed the space facts... well, not all of them are correct in this book so don't use it as a teaching tool.
So to understand my review you need to know a little about where I'm coming from and my perspective and you might understand why I rated this book the way I did:
First off, I could be Arty... I'm a 3rd grade Teacher, member of the National Science Teachers Association, Planetary Society, Astronomy League and NASA's Night Sky Network and I teach at a NASA Explorer School. I'm in my 30s and I've been an amateur astronomer since I was about 12 years old Arty's age roughly. I even have a private observatory in the Texas hill country that I established some years ago.
This book was a fun read and I liked that it touched on the issue of light pollution which is something I'm passionate about educating people on, as a member of International Dark Sky Association.
So as you guessed I enjoyed the space aspect of the book. My 3rd graders liked it as well but I did have to correct some science within the book (continue to read my review and you'll see what I'm mean).
I must say that I really personally felt a connection to Arty because it was a neighbor who lived down the street in a creepy old house that invited me to look through his telescope and became my astronomy mentor when I was about Arty's age. Also, just a few years ago my local astronomy group that I'm a board member of worked with NASA to be the first humans to contact astronauts on board the I.S.S. by flashing a light at the ISS as it passed over head, we had our own CICM moment just Like Arty, we where successful. We became the first humans to talk to "life" outside of Earth using only lights (to astronauts on the ISS not Mars). Read more about there: http://www.universetoday.com/93987/am...
This link includes a video to our version of the CICM on the day of contact with the ISS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UoY1...
A word or two of caution to the readers is that even though I enjoyed the story there were two major issues with the science in the book worth mentioning:
In the beginning of the book when Arty talks about his first experiences with space; specifically the constellation of Orion, Arty says he and his dad saw the Horse Head Nebula (a.k.a. Barnard 33 or NGC 2023) naked eye. This is impossible because it's entirely too dim to see without the use of a large telescope (18" diameter objective or larger) and even with a large telescope one needs a special hydrogen beta filter to have a hope of seeing it visually, it's more easily seen when imaged with a CCD camera than with the human eye.
A good science editor would have caught this and suggested the author refer to the Orion Nebula (a.k.a. Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) instead of the Horse Head Nebula. The Orion Nebula is in the dagger of Orion and is completely visible from even most small to medium towns like the setting of the story the Horse Head is not. One can easily spot the Orion Nebula without the use of a telescope. So it would make perfect sense to say that it was the Orion Nebula that they saw and not the faint and extremely hard to see visually even with a larger telescope in ideal conditions Horse Head Nebula.
Another point that really had me so upset about the bad science editing of this book was at one point in the last 1/2 of the book the author was clearly referring to the science of astronomy and used the term Astrology to describe it. Astronomy is a science and Astrology is a belief system or religion. The two are worlds apart (pun intended). As an astronomer I get miffed when I'm out a schools showing people things in my telescope and they referred to what we are doing as Astrology. (Once while helping with an event at a State park here in Texas a woman told her kids "hey don't believe anything these people tell you because they believe in horoscopes, etc.")
I'm afraid the lack of the author or the editor to catch this will only cause the young readers to learn that what Arty, Tripp, Priya, Cash and Arty's dad where into was Astrology and not Astronomy! I'm sorry but this mistake by the publisher/author/editor made me almost put down the book in disgust because it only adds to the miss information in young readers and adults who will read this book. If you are one of those that didn't catch this in your read through or you don't know the difference between Astronomy and Astrology here is a link: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astron...
The book was a fairly easy read and I corrected the science when reading it aloud to my 3rd graders. In my opinion the Horse Head issue I could muster but I had to get out a pen and write the word astronomy above astrology in the book for future readers.
Lastly, As a licensed ham radio operator I will confirm that at least the morse code in the last chapters of the book was in fact correct.
The plot was enjoyable despite the lack of a science editor looking at this book closely. One issue I had was how Prya seems to drop out of the story line for so long then re-appearing again. I would have liked to seen more of her in the story. I also felt some of the star folklore about the constellations went over the heads of my 3rd graders (8-9 year olds).
Would I recommend the book to you... well.. Yes and No... do you have a reluctant reader who loves space... well this book will be enjoyable but they are sure to moan about the inaccuracies like I'm doing in this review and if they don't, I worry that they will take them as fact. Even here on good reads I see reviews that state how much people enjoyed the space facts... well, not all of them are correct in this book so don't use it as a teaching tool.
September 26, 2016
M-a zguduit mai mult decât aș fi crezut. Recenzia : http://cititoriferoce.weebly.com/magi...
April 8, 2025
„Viața pe Marte” nu este doar o poveste – este o aventură emoționantă printre stele, vise și curaj! Jennifer Brown ne aduce un personaj adorabil: **Arty**, un băiat pasionat de spațiu, care vede în Marte nu doar o planetă, ci o speranță.
Ceea ce m-a fascinat cel mai mult este felul în care autoarea împletește umorul cu emoția. Arty este un visător, un explorator al necunoscutului, dar și un băiat care trebuie să facă față realităților dure ale vieții de zi cu zi. Nu este deloc ușor să-ți urmezi visul când lumea pare că se prăbușește în jurul tău.
Cartea transmite un mesaj puternic: **visele ne pot salva**. Cu fiecare pagină, simți cum inima ți se încălzește, iar curajul lui Arty te inspiră. Este o carte despre familie, pierdere, prietenie și dorința de a merge mai departe, chiar și când pare imposibil.
Stilul este simplu, dar profund, cu replici care te fac să zâmbești și momente care îți pot aduce lacrimi în ochi. Este o carte care te învață să nu renunți, chiar dacă totul pare pierdut.
Recomand cu inima această carte tuturor celor care iubesc poveștile sincere și visurile mari!
Ceea ce m-a fascinat cel mai mult este felul în care autoarea împletește umorul cu emoția. Arty este un visător, un explorator al necunoscutului, dar și un băiat care trebuie să facă față realităților dure ale vieții de zi cu zi. Nu este deloc ușor să-ți urmezi visul când lumea pare că se prăbușește în jurul tău.
Cartea transmite un mesaj puternic: **visele ne pot salva**. Cu fiecare pagină, simți cum inima ți se încălzește, iar curajul lui Arty te inspiră. Este o carte despre familie, pierdere, prietenie și dorința de a merge mai departe, chiar și când pare imposibil.
Stilul este simplu, dar profund, cu replici care te fac să zâmbești și momente care îți pot aduce lacrimi în ochi. Este o carte care te învață să nu renunți, chiar dacă totul pare pierdut.
Recomand cu inima această carte tuturor celor care iubesc poveștile sincere și visurile mari!
July 11, 2014
Skillfully constructed middle-grade novel unusual in its casting of a boy protagonist with such depth of character and emotion. The planetary motif runs through this story about a constellation of family and friends. Arty, short for Arcterus (a star), lives with his parents and sisters Cassi (short for Cassiopea) and Vega, and forms a trio of best friends with boy Tripp (so called because of his klutziness) and girl Priya (whose mother dresses in her traditional Indian garb). He follows passion for astronomy, doggedly pursues his mission to discover Life on Mars, including the construction of a communication device, the Clandestine Interplanetary Communication Module (CICM), until his dreams are nearly dashed. The witty dialog and quirky characters are reminiscent of a Daniel Pinkwater story, but it is also a heartrendingly beautiful portrayal of deep love between friends and family. I can’t wait to recommend it to some of my strong readers. Good pairing with One for the Murphys, which I also recently completed. I really like the bold, graphic cover art, even though it seems a bit incongruous with the mood of the book (read ARC in NetGalley).
August 2, 2014
Life on Mars by Jennifer Brown – Realistic Fiction, 4th grade and up – Publ. August 2014- Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect about this book but I just fell for it hard. Couldn’t stop reading. What a quirky, touching story packed with humor and wonderful family interactions. I’ve read another book that also has a slightly obsessed about space character but this one takes the cake. Loved how a relationship developed right through the story, with barely any words but so powerful and important. Just fantastic. Plus the fact that this book deals with economic downturn, moving, sibling rivalry, boys breaking the mold, girls breaking the mold, morse code, and more really kept me reading. I see this book being quite popular! Highly recommend.
August 1, 2014
It's refreshing to read a book that talks about space but isn't science fiction. Arty (short for Arcturus, middle name: Betelgeuse) is obsessed with signaling to Mars, wanting to be the first person who discovers signs of life there. His dad has always encouraged this, and works at the local observatory. But when his dad loses his job, and they are faced with a cross-country move, Arty's world starts to fall apart. Each member of the family seems caught up in their own private drama over the move, leaving Arty on his own. Is it worth finding life on Mars if your life on Earth is going so wrong?
January 22, 2015
I am surprised at how much I liked this book. It is about a boy who loves space. A grouchy, old man moves next door and he ends up being a good, space friend of Arty's. This is a really good story.
April 12, 2025
„Viața pe Marte” – Jennifer Brown
Cartea spune povestea lui Arty, un băiat pasionat de spațiu și de planeta Marte. El visează să devină astronom și își petrece nopțile privind stelele și căutând viață în univers. Dar, când familia lui este nevoită să se mute pentru că tatăl își pierde slujba, Arty se teme că își va pierde prietenii, telescoapele și legătura cu tot ce iubește.
În noul loc, îl cunoaște pe Trent, un vecin misterios, și pe măsură ce timpul trece, descoperă lucruri importante despre prietenie, familie și cum să-ți urmezi visele chiar și când viața se schimbă.
Este o poveste amuzantă, emoționantă și plină de curaj, perfectă pentru copii care visează la stele!
Cartea spune povestea lui Arty, un băiat pasionat de spațiu și de planeta Marte. El visează să devină astronom și își petrece nopțile privind stelele și căutând viață în univers. Dar, când familia lui este nevoită să se mute pentru că tatăl își pierde slujba, Arty se teme că își va pierde prietenii, telescoapele și legătura cu tot ce iubește.
În noul loc, îl cunoaște pe Trent, un vecin misterios, și pe măsură ce timpul trece, descoperă lucruri importante despre prietenie, familie și cum să-ți urmezi visele chiar și când viața se schimbă.
Este o poveste amuzantă, emoționantă și plină de curaj, perfectă pentru copii care visează la stele!
March 17, 2017
Arcturus, or Arty for short, comes from a long line of stargazers and loves all things space. He's currently working on a long term project to make contact with any life that may be inhabiting Mars. But his plans are turned upside down by the arrival of a new mysterious neighbor and the news that his father got a job in Vegas and the whole family has to pack up and move. I laughed out loud regularly, but needed tissues by the end. This is an excellent middle grade novel with lots of fun space facts balanced by some truly spectacular fart jokes.
April 29, 2020
When I chose this book to read aloud to my students, I had no idea what a gem I had found. First of all, there is a male protagonist who likes science and goes through a range of emotions while dealing with a range of problems. Second, this book is full of humor! The story is way deeper than I had expected and was great for my fifth graders.
April 11, 2025
Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers,zis Arty la vârsta de 12 ani voia să afle dacă se află viața pe Marte.
În cele din urmă,Arty află de la tatăl său că se vor muta în Las Vegas (orașul luminilor, în care abia se văd stelele),dar cu toate aceste aveau un vecin înfricoșător (care credea că e defapt un zombi),dar cu timpul el află că e defapt astronautul Cash Maddox.Împreuna ei construiesc mașinăria HUEY.
Dar din păcate Arty și familia sa s-au mutat....
Și el află că Cash murise din cauza cancerului la plămâni..
Dar el nu se dă bătut și continuă să afle dacă este viața pe Marte.
În cele din urmă,Arty află de la tatăl său că se vor muta în Las Vegas (orașul luminilor, în care abia se văd stelele),dar cu toate aceste aveau un vecin înfricoșător (care credea că e defapt un zombi),dar cu timpul el află că e defapt astronautul Cash Maddox.Împreuna ei construiesc mașinăria HUEY.
Dar din păcate Arty și familia sa s-au mutat....
Și el află că Cash murise din cauza cancerului la plămâni..
Dar el nu se dă bătut și continuă să afle dacă este viața pe Marte.
October 24, 2018
I was looking for a story to read my youngest when I stumbled upon Life on Mars. I'm not much for juvenile lit; I am selective. I have the same overall expectations for juvenile stories as I do for adult literature. Too often, I'm disappointed, as most children's stories are plot heavy, and I tire from stories that depend on plot. Life on Mars sounded promising, and to its credit, it served up a tale that focused as much on character development as it did moving the story forward. But there were some surprises, good and bad.
The good is that this story does not shy away from being real. In the beginning, it's easy to imagine how things will work out for young Arcturus (Arty), a child who has clearly never experienced much adversity. Up against a move that will forever “ruin his life,” Arty is in a position and a genre where you know that even if events don't go as he hopes, they'll work out for the best. And it feels like this is going to be the story for quite some time, but then Jennifer Brown throws the story into an unexpected direction. She piles the burden on. These are the kind of variations that can help a children's story rise above the rest.
Also wonderful are the characters themselves. Yes, they're a bit dimensionally thin, but they're well crafted. Aside from Cash, not much is really revealed about any of the characters. Vega obsesses over her boyfriend, who eats and speaks in monosyllables. Cassi has let her new love of cheerleading overshadow her appreciation for astronomy. Priya is the cute Indian girl next door. And Tripp trips. But they’re wonderful characters for a middle-grade novel with dialogue that matches each.
What didn't work so well throughout Life on Mars, something else I hadn’t expected, was the saccharine laden details of the story. In an attempt to make every pun possible about space, the novel dips too often into little witticisms that are lost on small children, and not all that funny to those who understand. The fact that this family names all their offspring after stars is cloying. Are we really to believe that every sibling and every cousin for at least three generations is on board with this space obsession? Highly unlikely. Also grating was all the childish talk of zombies and all that. If they’re kidding around, sure, it works. But I got the impression that Arty was genuinely scared, especially when he was without his friends, so for all his thoughts about brain-eaters, I was annoyed. Children’s books do not have to be so juvenile.
Okay, I admit it. I’m an old fart. So what? I still liked the novel. I just wish it hadn't been quite so... childish, at times. For being childish, however, this is a children's book with some maturity.
The good is that this story does not shy away from being real. In the beginning, it's easy to imagine how things will work out for young Arcturus (Arty), a child who has clearly never experienced much adversity. Up against a move that will forever “ruin his life,” Arty is in a position and a genre where you know that even if events don't go as he hopes, they'll work out for the best. And it feels like this is going to be the story for quite some time, but then Jennifer Brown throws the story into an unexpected direction. She piles the burden on. These are the kind of variations that can help a children's story rise above the rest.
Also wonderful are the characters themselves. Yes, they're a bit dimensionally thin, but they're well crafted. Aside from Cash, not much is really revealed about any of the characters. Vega obsesses over her boyfriend, who eats and speaks in monosyllables. Cassi has let her new love of cheerleading overshadow her appreciation for astronomy. Priya is the cute Indian girl next door. And Tripp trips. But they’re wonderful characters for a middle-grade novel with dialogue that matches each.
What didn't work so well throughout Life on Mars, something else I hadn’t expected, was the saccharine laden details of the story. In an attempt to make every pun possible about space, the novel dips too often into little witticisms that are lost on small children, and not all that funny to those who understand. The fact that this family names all their offspring after stars is cloying. Are we really to believe that every sibling and every cousin for at least three generations is on board with this space obsession? Highly unlikely. Also grating was all the childish talk of zombies and all that. If they’re kidding around, sure, it works. But I got the impression that Arty was genuinely scared, especially when he was without his friends, so for all his thoughts about brain-eaters, I was annoyed. Children’s books do not have to be so juvenile.
Okay, I admit it. I’m an old fart. So what? I still liked the novel. I just wish it hadn't been quite so... childish, at times. For being childish, however, this is a children's book with some maturity.
December 24, 2022
Life on Mars by Jennifer Brown was such a pleasant surprise. I'm glad I just happened to stumble on this middle grade novel at a thrift store. I'd never heard of it before at all, but if you're at all interested in MG contemporary stories and/ or space it is a must read. I found myself invested in this cast, even though the novel might have been slightly overlong. Arty's Fun Facts About Mars at the very end can't be missed.
January 30, 2017
This book was fun to read, but I would have liked to see more things happen on mars. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a science book but not a science fiction book. When I started reading this, I was judging the book by it's title. I was expecting some cool space stuff and perhaps the discovery of something on mars, but all I got was a shoe eating dog and a face eating zombie. Don't get me wrong, this book was fun to read but just not what I expected.
July 17, 2014
Is there life on Mars? Twelve-year-old Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers, named after a star, is on a mission to find out. But when his father loses his job and his family must move from the only place Arty has ever known to Las Vegas, his important mission is threatened. Now Arty, and the world, will never know. But then a new neighbor moves in next door and helps Arty stay the course. This a very funny, and at many times beautiful story. I’m a total sucker for the child/adult friendship. We have so much to learn from each other. In this pairing, one is just getting started and one is ending, but both could use a little help from each other, and the stars. Is there life on Mars? Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers (and Jennifer Brown) has me believing there is!
June 15, 2016
This book actually surprised me. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I ended up loving ever second of it. Quirky, humorous, and touching are just a few words to describe this book. The author used space facts throughout the WHOLE entire story, which I actually liked. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author was able to create a story with comedy as well as deep feelings and ideas without it seeming overly complicated or forced. I would honestly recommend this book to everyone, even though I believe it was more marketed as a middle school read. I loved every second of it, and I just couldn't stop reading until the end. I enjoyed this book completely, and I believe anyone else who would like to read it will too.
January 3, 2016
This was a fun read, and I'll be adding this book to my middle school classroom library. The characters and relationships were well developed and interesting. I really enjoyed all the random astronomy facts and stories about constellations that were included. It had a good balance of intellectual information and middle school humor. In addition to the humor, it tackled some very realistic struggles for readers about friendship, family change, and loss.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
December 30, 2016
3.5 stars...if I was a little more knowledgeable about space and stars (I know only a few constellations), it probably would have been a solid 4 stars. I'm a sucker for a good middle-school-kid-becomes-friends-with-an-elderly-person-book, and this one had the kind of humor and emotion that I appreciate. I wish there had been a little bit more character development and interaction (a lot of the book is simply Ary's narration), but I still enjoyed the story.
July 4, 2014
**I received an ARC of this title through Netgalley.**
I loved this book. It surprised me how much I loved the characters and the story. Despite the cover, there is so much more to this story. Highly recommended.
I loved this book. It surprised me how much I loved the characters and the story. Despite the cover, there is so much more to this story. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2015
I read this book over the course of a few weeks every evening with my 10 year old son. The story was wonderfully written, at times hilarious and others beautifully touching. We enjoyed this book immensely.
May 29, 2014
I thought this story was very funny, touching and sweet. I think reluctant readers who love space will adore this book!
January 20, 2016
Evan and I have been reading this together for quite awhile. The longer I read it, the more it endeared me. Just a simple book about a boy who loved space.
December 19, 2023
Don't be fooled by the cover -- this isn't a science fiction book. It does get a little dodgy with its science, but it's intended to be a realistic book about a boy obsessed with space. But it's still a surprisingly sweet read about a space-loving boy, his cantankerous neighbor, and the unlikely friendship that grows between them.
Arcturus, aka Arty, loves space and hopes to discover proof of life on other worlds someday... and he's NOT thrilled that his family is moving to Las Vegas, away from Dad's old job at the observatory and to a city full of bright lights that will obscure the stars. But he's distracted from his self-pity by the sight of his cranky, creepy neighbor disappearing into the forest every night. Is he a zombie? Is he burying evidence of crimes? Arty may have a chance to find out... because when events force him to spend the night at his neighbor's house, he discovers his neighbor used to be an astronaut, and an unlikely bond springs up between them.
Like a lot of books aimed at middle-graders, this one gets goofy at times and is obsessed with the sort of humor young boys are fond of -- making fun of Arty's older sisters, bodily humor, etc. And though my knowledge of space is rusty, some of the science does seem a little janky (there's no way a regular boy can build a light source visible from space). Despite this, this is a fun read, and the relationships between Arty and his family feel believable, if slightly exaggerated at times.
The best part of this book is the intergenerational friendship between Arty and Cash, his neighbor. Their relationship feels believable and well-built, and though they quarrel and have their disagreements its heartening to see them share their interests, worries, and dreams. And Arty's worries about being uprooted and moved to a new town are portrayed well, and kids who have been suddenly uprooted from their own lives will feel a kinship with him.
Life on Mars is a funny and touching novel about friendship and change... and outer space. If nothing else, it might inspire kids to look up at the night sky every now and again.
Arcturus, aka Arty, loves space and hopes to discover proof of life on other worlds someday... and he's NOT thrilled that his family is moving to Las Vegas, away from Dad's old job at the observatory and to a city full of bright lights that will obscure the stars. But he's distracted from his self-pity by the sight of his cranky, creepy neighbor disappearing into the forest every night. Is he a zombie? Is he burying evidence of crimes? Arty may have a chance to find out... because when events force him to spend the night at his neighbor's house, he discovers his neighbor used to be an astronaut, and an unlikely bond springs up between them.
Like a lot of books aimed at middle-graders, this one gets goofy at times and is obsessed with the sort of humor young boys are fond of -- making fun of Arty's older sisters, bodily humor, etc. And though my knowledge of space is rusty, some of the science does seem a little janky (there's no way a regular boy can build a light source visible from space). Despite this, this is a fun read, and the relationships between Arty and his family feel believable, if slightly exaggerated at times.
The best part of this book is the intergenerational friendship between Arty and Cash, his neighbor. Their relationship feels believable and well-built, and though they quarrel and have their disagreements its heartening to see them share their interests, worries, and dreams. And Arty's worries about being uprooted and moved to a new town are portrayed well, and kids who have been suddenly uprooted from their own lives will feel a kinship with him.
Life on Mars is a funny and touching novel about friendship and change... and outer space. If nothing else, it might inspire kids to look up at the night sky every now and again.
January 31, 2024
When Aidyn P handed this book to me and told me that it was one of the only books he liked, I decided I had to read it immediately. I made assumptions about it. I figured it was going to be a goofy tweenager book with jokes about farts and awkward blushy moments with girls. I thought that Martians were going to show up and take this kid away on a silly adventure.
I was mistaken. The first half of the book is much like a sitcom: light hearted encouraging parents, annoying sisters, and cheap but cute gimmicks like "everyone in the room is arguing at the same time and then one person drops a bomb (they are moving across the country) and the whole room goes silent." Brown hooks you with chuckle jokes and recognizable tropes.
And then Cash invites Arty into his heart. The old cranky man becomes a mushy puddle. And we love Cash&Arty. The space loving duo ! The adventures of old and young ! And then CASH HAS CANCER ? And he yells at Arty because he's sad and depressed ! It's poetic and heartbreaking and beautiful and circle of life and end of life and happycry and sadcry.
Recommend.
I was mistaken. The first half of the book is much like a sitcom: light hearted encouraging parents, annoying sisters, and cheap but cute gimmicks like "everyone in the room is arguing at the same time and then one person drops a bomb (they are moving across the country) and the whole room goes silent." Brown hooks you with chuckle jokes and recognizable tropes.
And then Cash invites Arty into his heart. The old cranky man becomes a mushy puddle. And we love Cash&Arty. The space loving duo ! The adventures of old and young ! And then CASH HAS CANCER ? And he yells at Arty because he's sad and depressed ! It's poetic and heartbreaking and beautiful and circle of life and end of life and happycry and sadcry.
Recommend.
November 29, 2017
“Life on Mars”,by Jennifer Brown has a lot of character development on the story's main protagonist, a twelve year old boy named Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers who is named after a star and is into space.At the beginning of the story Arcturus or Arty finds out his father lost his job at the observatory and decides they’d move to Las Vegas for his new job. Arty couldn’t understand why his dad did this to him and his family. He’s upset at his father because he doesn’t seem like he wants to be involved with space anymore. Arty wanted to be in seventh grade, he did not want to leave his friends and could not lose space.Also Arty noticed his creepy neighbor go outside and stared at him sometimes, and went into the woods behind his house.At first Arty thinks his neighbor is a creep when he looks at him while Arty is trying to find life on mars.As the story progresses Arty becomes closer to his father and he realizes he’s not giving up on space he just needs to separate it from job and hobby. Arty realizes he can still be with space and friends through his neighbor who he learns loves space as much as him. His neighbor was a former scientist named Cash and the two of them went with each other in the woods and helped each other try to contact mars Arty found out Cash had cancer and while He broke Arty’s dreams he said he’ll always be with him and to never give up. Arty’s character developed from being upset at his father and creeped out by his neighbor then to coming closer with his dad and being to never give up on space from Cash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2020
Great story about life, following your passion, friendship, and keeping your dreams alive.
Arty - real name Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers - comes from a family that loves space and gazing at the stars. His dream is to discover life on Mars and he sends messages from his rooftop nightly in hopes of getting an answer. But life throws some curves Arty's way - they have to move so his father can work, the mysterious man next door is actually a former astronaut, and his best friend is suddenly not as available as he use to be. What will become of his contraption to contact Mars? How will he keep in touch with his friends? Will his next door neighbor get better?
Arty - real name Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers - comes from a family that loves space and gazing at the stars. His dream is to discover life on Mars and he sends messages from his rooftop nightly in hopes of getting an answer. But life throws some curves Arty's way - they have to move so his father can work, the mysterious man next door is actually a former astronaut, and his best friend is suddenly not as available as he use to be. What will become of his contraption to contact Mars? How will he keep in touch with his friends? Will his next door neighbor get better?
August 16, 2017
This is the story of an 11-year old boy (or so) who is completely enamored with sky watching. In particular, he has built a contraption to try to contact any life on Mars. He climbs onto the roof of his house to run his machine every night.
Then two things happen -- his dad loses his job and finds a new job, but in Las Vega (far away) and a weird old man moves into the house across the street.
The boy wrestles with having to move, losing his friends, gaining a new friend and being a boy.
I really liked this book -- it was well written, suspenseful w/o being ridiculous. I recommend it.
Then two things happen -- his dad loses his job and finds a new job, but in Las Vega (far away) and a weird old man moves into the house across the street.
The boy wrestles with having to move, losing his friends, gaining a new friend and being a boy.
I really liked this book -- it was well written, suspenseful w/o being ridiculous. I recommend it.
February 22, 2018
3 quarter 2nd choice book:
Life on Mars doesn't actually take place on Mars. Arty's dad lost his job, but theirs a job offering in Las Vegas, and know they have to move to Las Vegas. A new neighbor is an astronomer. Arty becomes good friends with him, I think that it's cool that children and adults can be friends. When I picked this book to read for my 2nd choice book I thought there would be some cool things in space. But not really. I think this was a good book to read it had a lot of funny jokes and I can see why Jennifer Brown has won Bombeck Global Humor awards. Good read.
Life on Mars doesn't actually take place on Mars. Arty's dad lost his job, but theirs a job offering in Las Vegas, and know they have to move to Las Vegas. A new neighbor is an astronomer. Arty becomes good friends with him, I think that it's cool that children and adults can be friends. When I picked this book to read for my 2nd choice book I thought there would be some cool things in space. But not really. I think this was a good book to read it had a lot of funny jokes and I can see why Jennifer Brown has won Bombeck Global Humor awards. Good read.
January 22, 2019
I'm sure I'm the last to know that the author of this William Allen White award-winner book is Jennifer Brown, who grew up in Lees Summit and still lives in the Kansas City area. I always enjoy books with local references.
This "Juvenile" book (read for work) was a bit slow to start but finished fast. I found it slightly predictable in the plotting but the dialogue and characters seemed genuine and true to their middle-school selves.
As usual, the fun facts at the end of the book were the best part.
This "Juvenile" book (read for work) was a bit slow to start but finished fast. I found it slightly predictable in the plotting but the dialogue and characters seemed genuine and true to their middle-school selves.
As usual, the fun facts at the end of the book were the best part.
October 14, 2019
I read this book with my son. The premise was fairly interesting, and I enjoyed the friendship between the main character and his neighbor. However, I couldn't get past the really gendered stereotypes that the author kept inserting into the plot. The main character, Arty, is a boy who loves space. His sisters Cassie and Vega, however, find him nerdy and refuse to talk with him about space, because they like boys and cheerleading. Eye roll. The book would have been a lot better without the gender garbage.
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