Rust Bucket

by Ron Walters

With daring space adventures, unlikely heroes, outlaw pirates, and mysteries hidden among the stars, climb aboard for an unforgettable ride.

Thirteen-year-old Jackson Abernathy knows there are two things you need to survive in space: a solid ship and a good crew.

Okay, so he and his crew are a bunch of misfit orphans who scavenge wrecks around the asteroid belt to make ends meet. And sure, the ship’s making noises it’s not supposed to make, but every home has its quirks, right? All in all they’re doing just fine, thank you very much. That is, until their latest salvage operation goes explosively awry.

Desperate for money to repair their ship, Jackson begrudgingly agrees to make a delivery for the most wanted pirate in the entire solar system, otherwise known as his older brother. To no one’s surprise, the job quickly goes sideways, embroiling them in a conspiracy of extraterrestrial proportions.

Pursued by pirates, hunted by the solar navy, Jackson and his crew blast off to the darkest depths of the asteroid belt, searching for answers that will set them on a collision course with a galactic destiny far beyond any of their wildest imaginings.

Assuming, of course, their ship doesn’t fall apart before they get there.

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Ron Walters is a former journalist, college registrar, and stay-at-home dad who writes science fiction and fantasy for all ages. A native of Savannah, GA, he currently lives in Germany with his wife, two daughters, and two rescue dogs. When he’s not writing he works as a substitute high school teacher, plays video games, and does his best to ignore the judgmental looks his dogs give him for not walking them more often.

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab your plasma blaster and a veatburger because RUST BUCKET has the snark and found family (my favorite trope!) of Guardians of the Galaxy but with 13-year-old protagonists. I think it's the first space science fiction book that I've read that has humans inhabiting just our solar system and not deep space, so that's a cool detail. It has just a smidge of romance, no bad language, GREAT world-building that makes their solar system lifestyle come alive, and the space science technology is presented in a way that it could be plausible without being overwhelming (ie too technical/boring to read) or hokey. (The way an artificial atmosphere was created on an asteroid was such a cool tidbit!)

Also, reread the first chapter once you reach the end of the book.

I highly recommend for ages 9+

[Mary Ann Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun space adventure! Ron Walters writes the best wise-cracking kids' books, and this one is full of so much heart. A group of orphans, eluding interception in their stolen craft, pick up a mysterious cargo to transport, but when they discover its contents, they end up on a cross-space high stakes mission, putting their safety on the line to help someone in need. It's a perfect summer read and so satisfying.

[Kristin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this super fun middle grade novel from the author. I loved the independent kids, the racing around space, and the surprisingly poignant family relationships. Highly recommend!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow a group of orphans who are trying to survive aboard their broken spaceship. Things are not going to smoothly for them all and there will be fun along the way. The trouble soon mounts up and a great space adventure
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and my nephew loved it

[Darby Karchut · Rating 5 out of 5]

An out-of-this-world roller coaster of a space adventure. Fans of both recent and classic Sci-Fi tales will get a cosmic kick out of this. I sure did. Highly recommended.

[Mik Wasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

good fun story for ages 10 and older if into space adventures