The Exchange Student

by Kate Gilmore

What a time for an exchange student to arrive, Daria thought, especially one from another planet! Daria is one of Earth's youngest licensed breeders of endangered species, and she has enough to do caring for her menagerie without having to cope with Fen. Besides his color-shifting and endless questions, there is something about the way the lanky alien looks at her animals and his stubborn, even hostile refusal to talk about the creatures of his own world that makes Daria nervous. Fen, on the other hand, can't be happier with his new Earth family. Hoping for one pet, he lands in a zoo. Not one of his fellow exchange students, living in homes scattered across the Earth, has been as lucky, but each has found at least one animal to love, and all cherish the same wild, mysterious dream. With a sharp eye for human, alien, and animal ways, Kate Gilmore has written a challenging tale.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Aliens, Science Fiction Fantasy, Animals

217 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 1999

Reviews

[Megan Dulong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my all time favorite book. 💕 I reread it quite alot. Incredibly written and has an important message that effects everyone, especially with how the world is becoming. Highly recommend.

[Mia Castro]

I really enjoyed all of the fantasy and science!

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having used this book as an example of aliens in children's science fiction, I figured that perhaps I should actually read it, especially as the subject sounded somewhat interesting. There are parts that I really liked, such as the suspense about the Chelans' fascination with the animals, although after a while that seemed pretty obvious as to what the problem was and how they were going to try to solve it. I also really enjoyed the idea of possession and ownership, where the Chelans have a more fluid interchange of items. However, this was not really developed into a meaningful contribution to the end. Rather, the ending was quite disappointing with everything wrapped up in a nice neat bow, in a way that seemed way too easy. The shifting perspectives from human to alien were interesting. I think what I liked most was the environmental theme that underlies the book.

[Stephenie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the Exchange Student is an interseting book.It is about a group of aliens that came to Earth to steal animals from Earth.Why you ask?Well this sound very sinister but about 200 years ago Fen s ansetors killed all the animals.So because of that Fen along with sevral other aliens were sent to steal at least 1 animal.Luky for Fen the family he was staying with had aproximatly 50 speicies of endangered animals.It turns out Daria (the familys oldset daughter) was a lisened animal protecter.Will Fen and his friends be caught?The lesson I learned from this book is that it is always good to ask before taking.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I read this book a few times in sixth grade, which was over ten years ago. I still think about it at least once a month, so I suppose that's what they mean when something is "formative". This is probably one of the first truly sci-fi books I ever read, and I'd love to get ahold of a copy and see if it lives up to my memories of it.

[Debrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her mother arranges to host one of the young people coming to Earth from Chela, Daria is both pleased and intrigued by the keen interest shown by the Chelan in her work breeding endangered species.


Wildlife conservation, Endangered species, Extraterrestrial beings

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fen is an alien exchange student to Earth. His home is a little known planet called Chela. He is over whelmed with delight to be placed in the home of a girl who helps maintain a breeding farm for endangered animals. Why Fen is so devoted to animals becomes clear as the story progresses.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoo-keeping family hosts an ET as an excange student - not knowing that animal life on his planet was wiped out 500 years ago.

[Lynne Burns]

Young adult book that was easy to read. The story doesn't dive deeply into the characters, or the setting of the time. It was pleasurable to read and uplifting in the end.

[Leslie Cagle · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute but predictable

[Lucky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my kinda book

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book really didn't have a good structure or conflict story..but it wasn't a bad book!