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The Experiencers: First Contact
When glowing UFOs appear in the woods near their small town, a group of kids race to uncover the truth—and what they discover is a lot stranger than little green men. Get ready for a high-stakes, time-twisty upper-middle-grade sci-fi adventure for fans of Stranger Things and Amari and the Night Brothers.
After a terrifying UFO encounter with his family, seventh-grader Wes Jessup wakes up with a bizarre new superpower: precognition. He can glimpse fragments of the future minutes before they happen. But seeing the future may not be enough to change it.
Still reeling from his parents’ divorce and a move to a sleepy new town, Wes thought surviving seventh grade would be his biggest problem. Then he spots strange glowing orbs drifting through the woods behind his house—and realizes they’re watching him too.
The mission is about to begin. But it may have already failed.
The orbs aren’t just visiting. They’re recruiting Wes and his new friends for a dangerous mission to prevent a catastrophic future. But dark forces are already closing in. A swarm of shadowy, jellyfish-like robots skitters through his backyard at night, eerie and menacing. Who do they belong to? Are they a warning… or is his family in imminent danger?
Hunted by a faceless enemy and dismissed as having an overactive imagination by the people he loves most, Wes must master his unpredictable visions before time runs out. Because this is no longer just about surviving the last few weeks of seventh grade—it’s about saving the future of the human race.
Reading Level & Content Note:
• Target Age: 10–14 (Grades 5–8)
• Genre: Upper Middle-Grade Sci-Fi / Clean YA Crossover
• Series: Book 1 in a planned multi-book series (Book 2 coming soon!)
• Vibe: High-stakes, fast-paced adventure with mild language, intense sci-fi action, and an innocent crush. Perfect for fans of small-town mysteries, UFO stories, strange phenomena, and sci-fi with lots of humor and heart.
After a terrifying UFO encounter with his family, seventh-grader Wes Jessup wakes up with a bizarre new superpower: precognition. He can glimpse fragments of the future minutes before they happen. But seeing the future may not be enough to change it.
Still reeling from his parents’ divorce and a move to a sleepy new town, Wes thought surviving seventh grade would be his biggest problem. Then he spots strange glowing orbs drifting through the woods behind his house—and realizes they’re watching him too.
The mission is about to begin. But it may have already failed.
The orbs aren’t just visiting. They’re recruiting Wes and his new friends for a dangerous mission to prevent a catastrophic future. But dark forces are already closing in. A swarm of shadowy, jellyfish-like robots skitters through his backyard at night, eerie and menacing. Who do they belong to? Are they a warning… or is his family in imminent danger?
Hunted by a faceless enemy and dismissed as having an overactive imagination by the people he loves most, Wes must master his unpredictable visions before time runs out. Because this is no longer just about surviving the last few weeks of seventh grade—it’s about saving the future of the human race.
Reading Level & Content Note:
• Target Age: 10–14 (Grades 5–8)
• Genre: Upper Middle-Grade Sci-Fi / Clean YA Crossover
• Series: Book 1 in a planned multi-book series (Book 2 coming soon!)
• Vibe: High-stakes, fast-paced adventure with mild language, intense sci-fi action, and an innocent crush. Perfect for fans of small-town mysteries, UFO stories, strange phenomena, and sci-fi with lots of humor and heart.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2026
About the author
David Keane
1 book6 followers Exciting news! After publishing 20+ picture books and chapter books, I’m launching a brand-new upper-middle-grade sci-fi series!
Want to read the first three chapters for free? Sign up for my newsletter here (link) and I’ll send them right over, along with behind-the-scenes peeks, special offers, and launch updates.
I’m the author of over 20 books for children and a certified UFO nerd. My titles include the Joe Sherlock: Kid Detective series, Bobby Bramble Loses His Brain, Sloppy Joe and The Treasure Box.
After years of reading bedtime stories to my own three kids, I began writing the kinds of books I loved sharing with them. Today I’m thrilled to be diving into upper middle-grade science fiction with The Experiencers series. Book 1 lands in September 2026, and I can’t wait for readers ages 10–14—plus fans of clean sci-fi with crossover appeal—to go on this time-twisting journey.
Let’s Connect
Newsletter: Join the Launch Crew
Website: www.davekeane.net
Facebook: facebook.com/mrdavekeane
Dave and his wife live in Northern California and have three grown-up children, a tortoise named Shelly, and a dog named Fiona—all of whom show no interest whatsoever in UFOs (except maybe the dog).
See also Dave Keane.
Want to read the first three chapters for free? Sign up for my newsletter here (link) and I’ll send them right over, along with behind-the-scenes peeks, special offers, and launch updates.
I’m the author of over 20 books for children and a certified UFO nerd. My titles include the Joe Sherlock: Kid Detective series, Bobby Bramble Loses His Brain, Sloppy Joe and The Treasure Box.
After years of reading bedtime stories to my own three kids, I began writing the kinds of books I loved sharing with them. Today I’m thrilled to be diving into upper middle-grade science fiction with The Experiencers series. Book 1 lands in September 2026, and I can’t wait for readers ages 10–14—plus fans of clean sci-fi with crossover appeal—to go on this time-twisting journey.
Let’s Connect
Newsletter: Join the Launch Crew
Website: www.davekeane.net
Facebook: facebook.com/mrdavekeane
Dave and his wife live in Northern California and have three grown-up children, a tortoise named Shelly, and a dog named Fiona—all of whom show no interest whatsoever in UFOs (except maybe the dog).
See also Dave Keane.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Net Galley and the author for this arc! The was so excellent, I'm in awe 🥹🩷 it's so 80/90s movie nostalgic to me. I love the characters, it's laugh out loud funny 😂 it's got heart, the stuff on isolation and loneliness, yeah you hit the nail on the head, took to back to school with that 🥲 I ordered the physical copy last night, this is up there with one of the best books I've read all year. I'm so giddy, this is a 5 star book, the sneak peak chapter for book 2! Omg David you're cooking, just got access to the first 3 chapters so I'll be reading those ASAP! New fave author alert! This is so enjoyable, this is what reading should be about. I felt like a teenager reading a new book from the library! The vibes were giving Nope by Jordan peel and Stand by me/ stranger things 😅 I adore the characters! I loved the ending, the stakes, the reveal of my everything, the mysteries!!! I'm scared and I'll be thinking about this story tbh... Sigh, keep writting the 2nd book please, I'll be patiently waiting 🫡🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed The Experiencers First Contact! I loved the mix of UFOs, mystery, suspense and humor, and it honestly kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. The characters were fun, and their personalities made the story feel really believable and entertaining.
I also liked that it wasn’t just about aliens. There’s friendship, family, secrets, government investigations and even some really interesting ideas about time and what we actually know about reality.
I want to know what happens in Book 2!
Definitely recommend, especially if you or your kids are into sci-fi and adventure!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I also liked that it wasn’t just about aliens. There’s friendship, family, secrets, government investigations and even some really interesting ideas about time and what we actually know about reality.
I want to know what happens in Book 2!
Definitely recommend, especially if you or your kids are into sci-fi and adventure!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 14, 2026
Wes Jessup just moved to a new town with his Dad after the divorce, he not only has to deal with being the new kid but also is trying to remember a terrifying UFO encounter that the rest of his family won't talk about. So he'll have to investigate the mysterious woods and glowing orbs by himself. Or, if he's lucky, with his new friends.
Why I started this book: For my Genre Fiction Book Club we are all reading Science Fiction this month... and this looked like a great middle school book that fit the bill.
Why I finished it: Fun, but there were points that I definitely could tell just how old the author was based on his analogies and asides. That drew me out of the story... but I'm not sure if a middle grader would notice or care.
Why I started this book: For my Genre Fiction Book Club we are all reading Science Fiction this month... and this looked like a great middle school book that fit the bill.
Why I finished it: Fun, but there were points that I definitely could tell just how old the author was based on his analogies and asides. That drew me out of the story... but I'm not sure if a middle grader would notice or care.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews