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Space Runners #2
Dark Side of the Moon
When he won a trip to the moon, Benny Love never thought that his vacation would involve battling aliens determined to destroy Earth. He and his friends in the Moon Platoon are able to fight off the first wave of attacks, but their genius leader Elijah West has now gone missing. And Earth is still in very real danger.
As Benny and the gang gear up for the aliens’ next attacks, they discover that Elijah’s research partner, who’s long been presumed dead, is actually alive and living on the dark side of the moon. He knows things about the aliens that can help the Moon Platoon defeat them—but can he be trusted?
They don’t have long to decide, because the aliens are on their way—and they’re coming for Benny and his friends first.
As Benny and the gang gear up for the aliens’ next attacks, they discover that Elijah’s research partner, who’s long been presumed dead, is actually alive and living on the dark side of the moon. He knows things about the aliens that can help the Moon Platoon defeat them—but can he be trusted?
They don’t have long to decide, because the aliens are on their way—and they’re coming for Benny and his friends first.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2018
About the author
Jeramey Kraatz
10 books201 followersHi! I’m Jeramey Kraatz. That’s like “cats” with an “R” in it, by the way. I wrote THE CLOAK SOCIETY and SPACE RUNNERS series from Harper.
I grew up in Odessa, Texas, studied advertising and English at TCU, and graduated from the MFA program at Columbia University where I studied nonfiction writing. In the past, I’ve worked as a snow-cone maker, barista, mannequin dresser, and intern in the X-Men Editorial Department at Marvel Comics. When I’m not working on books, I write English dub scripts for various anime series, like Seraph of the End and My Hero Academia. You never have to grow up, kids.
I like bad horror movies, comic books, queso, and music that sounds like laser pistols. I live and work in Texas with, predictably, my cat: Loki.
I grew up in Odessa, Texas, studied advertising and English at TCU, and graduated from the MFA program at Columbia University where I studied nonfiction writing. In the past, I’ve worked as a snow-cone maker, barista, mannequin dresser, and intern in the X-Men Editorial Department at Marvel Comics. When I’m not working on books, I write English dub scripts for various anime series, like Seraph of the End and My Hero Academia. You never have to grow up, kids.
I like bad horror movies, comic books, queso, and music that sounds like laser pistols. I live and work in Texas with, predictably, my cat: Loki.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2019
Review by James, age 10, 7/20/19
James' Note: I want to give this book 5 stars, but Mom won't let me. She gave me some guff about reserving 5 stars only for books that are not only technically amazing, have super plots, and great characters, but also have a philosophy and worldview that has a significant amount of truth in it. >>elbow!!!<<
This is the second book a series about a resort on the moon, and Space Runners, which are the equivalent of flying cars. Only they don't only fly, they can go into space. They were invented by Elijah West, a genius inventor who invented the hyperdrive, which essentially can make things float and fly. It's like an anti-gravity generator.
Benny is chosen along with 100 other kids to go to the moon for two weeks. Unless he is chosen for the pit crew, in which case they get to spend their whole life on the moon. Everyone wants to be chosen for the pit crew, but only one from each group gets chosen and there have been only four groups. Little does he know that Elijah is actually picking them as the last survivors of mankind because aliens are going to destroy Earth and take over. At the end of Book One, Benny, the main character, along with his friend and a lot of Space Runners equipped with lasers, end up fending off the first attack. That was only the beginning.
The aliens launch an attack on the moon base. The book concludes once again in an epic battle between earth and the aliens. When the kids are caught between the government taking over the moon base and the battle between the aliens and moon base they make a deal with the aliens and the aliens take in the 100 kids. They get onto the aliens' space ship and fly off.
Mom: "They've made a deal with the Devil."
James: "The aliens aren't necessarily the Devil. They are doing this because they want their species to survive. They know if they simply live with the humans, the humans would use their massive love of weaponizing everything to destroy them. They have a three-star solar system and one of them is destabilized."
By the way, the aliens can control rock. That's their science.
Mom: What do you think the author believes about people?
James: We are horribly evil, global warming has taken over vast amounts of the earth, and most of the earth is covered with dessert with limited water. However, there are still cities with plenty of water. But it costs a lot to live in them. Benny doesn't live in them. He's part of a caravan searching for a permanent settlement.
Mom: Where do you think he's right, and where is he wrong?
James: First of all, man-made global warming is a phoney, fake scheme for gaining power. Just like the coming ice age when Mom was a kid. Notice how they're entirely opposite, but the same people were preaching about them. And today they're not even talking about global warming, they're talking about climate change.
Mom: Which means nothing and everything. Is he right anywhere?
James: We probably would destroy them [aliens asking to share our planet], and then the media would go crazy and call it "racist."
Mom: "Speciesist?"
I would recommend this book to Sci Fi fans, children and adults. I can't wait for the rest of the series.
James' Note: I want to give this book 5 stars, but Mom won't let me. She gave me some guff about reserving 5 stars only for books that are not only technically amazing, have super plots, and great characters, but also have a philosophy and worldview that has a significant amount of truth in it. >>elbow!!!<<
This is the second book a series about a resort on the moon, and Space Runners, which are the equivalent of flying cars. Only they don't only fly, they can go into space. They were invented by Elijah West, a genius inventor who invented the hyperdrive, which essentially can make things float and fly. It's like an anti-gravity generator.
Benny is chosen along with 100 other kids to go to the moon for two weeks. Unless he is chosen for the pit crew, in which case they get to spend their whole life on the moon. Everyone wants to be chosen for the pit crew, but only one from each group gets chosen and there have been only four groups. Little does he know that Elijah is actually picking them as the last survivors of mankind because aliens are going to destroy Earth and take over. At the end of Book One, Benny, the main character, along with his friend and a lot of Space Runners equipped with lasers, end up fending off the first attack. That was only the beginning.
The aliens launch an attack on the moon base. The book concludes once again in an epic battle between earth and the aliens. When the kids are caught between the government taking over the moon base and the battle between the aliens and moon base they make a deal with the aliens and the aliens take in the 100 kids. They get onto the aliens' space ship and fly off.
Mom: "They've made a deal with the Devil."
James: "The aliens aren't necessarily the Devil. They are doing this because they want their species to survive. They know if they simply live with the humans, the humans would use their massive love of weaponizing everything to destroy them. They have a three-star solar system and one of them is destabilized."
By the way, the aliens can control rock. That's their science.
Mom: What do you think the author believes about people?
James: We are horribly evil, global warming has taken over vast amounts of the earth, and most of the earth is covered with dessert with limited water. However, there are still cities with plenty of water. But it costs a lot to live in them. Benny doesn't live in them. He's part of a caravan searching for a permanent settlement.
Mom: Where do you think he's right, and where is he wrong?
James: First of all, man-made global warming is a phoney, fake scheme for gaining power. Just like the coming ice age when Mom was a kid. Notice how they're entirely opposite, but the same people were preaching about them. And today they're not even talking about global warming, they're talking about climate change.
Mom: Which means nothing and everything. Is he right anywhere?
James: We probably would destroy them [aliens asking to share our planet], and then the media would go crazy and call it "racist."
Mom: "Speciesist?"
I would recommend this book to Sci Fi fans, children and adults. I can't wait for the rest of the series.
July 26, 2019
If you haven't read book 1, I suggest you read no further.
Are you still there? Ok, you've been warned. Spoilers for book 1 ahead.
As the residents of the Taj on the moon try to recover from the shock of events in the first book, many are looking to Benny and the rest of the Moon Platoon for guidance on what to do next. But the Pit Crew leader thinks he should be in charge. Meanwhile, there are probably Alpha Maraudi somewhere on the moon and more on the way. The Moon Platoon thinks they should try to go find Elijah's old partner who is probably living on the dark side of the moon to get his advice and help on getting communications back up and what to do next. Ricardo thinks they need to focus on finding a way to rescue Elijah. But if they are going to survive what's coming their way, they'll have to find a way to work together.
I have more than one student who has been very anxiously awaiting the arrival of this 2nd book. They'll be super happy when school starts again in a few weeks. And I don't blame them. Book 1 ends with a bit of huge event and so very many things that need to be fixed. This book looks at trying to fix them. And realistically, if you have a whole bunch of teenagers with no clear leader there will be a power struggle even though none of them really knows what to do. And those who are picked as leaders often feel in over their heads and deal with a lot of pressure. But pressure can teach you some very important things about yourself. Once some adults do get involved, though, the kids do a better job of letting their consciences guide them. I really like that . There's a little bit of a Home Alone element to this story at one point that I also liked . There's still plenty of action, space flight, and fun lunar exploration that those who liked the first book should enjoy. And can I just say that I love Ramona's lines. She was a genius addition to this book. (I guess that's a pun too, mostly accidental.) (Ok, I like the whole Moon Platoon, but Ramona's my favorite.) And now we eagerly await the third book. Hand this to scifi fans, action fans, and fans of teens/tweens who save the day.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. There are some battles where ships explode or crash and beings are assumably killed, only minor injuries described in detail. The seriousness of the situations faced and the value of life is given the appropriate weight.
Are you still there? Ok, you've been warned. Spoilers for book 1 ahead.
As the residents of the Taj on the moon try to recover from the shock of events in the first book, many are looking to Benny and the rest of the Moon Platoon for guidance on what to do next. But the Pit Crew leader thinks he should be in charge. Meanwhile, there are probably Alpha Maraudi somewhere on the moon and more on the way. The Moon Platoon thinks they should try to go find Elijah's old partner who is probably living on the dark side of the moon to get his advice and help on getting communications back up and what to do next. Ricardo thinks they need to focus on finding a way to rescue Elijah. But if they are going to survive what's coming their way, they'll have to find a way to work together.
I have more than one student who has been very anxiously awaiting the arrival of this 2nd book. They'll be super happy when school starts again in a few weeks. And I don't blame them. Book 1 ends with a bit of huge event and so very many things that need to be fixed. This book looks at trying to fix them. And realistically, if you have a whole bunch of teenagers with no clear leader there will be a power struggle even though none of them really knows what to do. And those who are picked as leaders often feel in over their heads and deal with a lot of pressure. But pressure can teach you some very important things about yourself. Once some adults do get involved, though, the kids do a better job of letting their consciences guide them. I really like that . There's a little bit of a Home Alone element to this story at one point that I also liked . There's still plenty of action, space flight, and fun lunar exploration that those who liked the first book should enjoy. And can I just say that I love Ramona's lines. She was a genius addition to this book. (I guess that's a pun too, mostly accidental.) (Ok, I like the whole Moon Platoon, but Ramona's my favorite.) And now we eagerly await the third book. Hand this to scifi fans, action fans, and fans of teens/tweens who save the day.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. There are some battles where ships explode or crash and beings are assumably killed, only minor injuries described in detail. The seriousness of the situations faced and the value of life is given the appropriate weight.
October 26, 2018
Having not read the first book called "Space Runners - The Moon Platoon", I was somewhat at a disadvantage reading this book. It was a bit hard to get the hang of the story to begin with which was a bit disappointing to start with but as the action is piled on and gains momentum, it turned out to be quite some read.
What I learnt was that Benny Love is quite a down-to-earth youth who because he is caring, earns a lot of respect from his peers and is actually their leader even though not all those on board the moon station think so. I also found out that he comes from a very poor background and his family are in a very dry part of America travelling as part of a caravan. Benny looks up to and admires his late father who taught him not only survival skills but along with the rest of his family, his caring attitude.
Benny is on a base situated on the Moon. Surrounded by other kids, a missing multi-million mentor, an AI who was once a real woman and a host of aliens who want to invade Earth, he has his work cut out for him.
He decides to make contact with the colleague of his missing mentor but Dr Bale is not all he seems. Although Benny doesn't want the aliens to take over Earth, he doesn't want to destroy them either - he would like to find a way for all races to live harmoniously. This is because he knows that the Alpha Maraudi have left their planet looking for a new home as their sun is dying. Unfortunately, neither all the humans nor all the aliens have peaceful intentions and there is the very real threat of war breaking out. Finally, he manages to gain access to one of the alien's spaceships to try to bring matters to a reasonable solution - The question is, will he succeed?
Weird technology and a great host of characters make this book a very interesting sci-fi adventure. Apparently, there are more books to come in the series but I would like to go back to the first book and read it too.
What I learnt was that Benny Love is quite a down-to-earth youth who because he is caring, earns a lot of respect from his peers and is actually their leader even though not all those on board the moon station think so. I also found out that he comes from a very poor background and his family are in a very dry part of America travelling as part of a caravan. Benny looks up to and admires his late father who taught him not only survival skills but along with the rest of his family, his caring attitude.
Benny is on a base situated on the Moon. Surrounded by other kids, a missing multi-million mentor, an AI who was once a real woman and a host of aliens who want to invade Earth, he has his work cut out for him.
He decides to make contact with the colleague of his missing mentor but Dr Bale is not all he seems. Although Benny doesn't want the aliens to take over Earth, he doesn't want to destroy them either - he would like to find a way for all races to live harmoniously. This is because he knows that the Alpha Maraudi have left their planet looking for a new home as their sun is dying. Unfortunately, neither all the humans nor all the aliens have peaceful intentions and there is the very real threat of war breaking out. Finally, he manages to gain access to one of the alien's spaceships to try to bring matters to a reasonable solution - The question is, will he succeed?
Weird technology and a great host of characters make this book a very interesting sci-fi adventure. Apparently, there are more books to come in the series but I would like to go back to the first book and read it too.
March 4, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book. There's non stop action that I imagine would be awesome to watch in a movie. Think cool futuristic technology (speedy flying race cars and holograms, etc), and mix all that with smart kids fighting greedy human adults and invading aliens.
I like how realistic Benny's reactions were, and the way he led by working with his friends and naysayers.
It's been a while since I've read the first book, so it took some time for me to figure out the characters again - there are several main characters after Benny, and a bit hard to keep track of. Somewhere in middle of reading, it clicked for me, so it's not a major detractor, especially if book one is still fresh for you.
Basically, I found this very enjoyable. I recommend this for fans of superhero books and movies - the action should be right up your alley, and the tech is like superpowers at times (think batman style).
Looking forward to the next book.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like how realistic Benny's reactions were, and the way he led by working with his friends and naysayers.
It's been a while since I've read the first book, so it took some time for me to figure out the characters again - there are several main characters after Benny, and a bit hard to keep track of. Somewhere in middle of reading, it clicked for me, so it's not a major detractor, especially if book one is still fresh for you.
Basically, I found this very enjoyable. I recommend this for fans of superhero books and movies - the action should be right up your alley, and the tech is like superpowers at times (think batman style).
Looking forward to the next book.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2019
The second book picks up where the first left off, and again the scholarship winners have to fend off another attack with their brilliance, courage and ...yeah, there's some ambition in there, too.
The Alpha Maraudi just keep coming, and unlike other books, which end when the threat is vanquished, Benny is still trying to fenagle a way humans and Alpha Maraudi can share Earth, while saving the most brilliant man alive, Elijah West.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
The Alpha Maraudi just keep coming, and unlike other books, which end when the threat is vanquished, Benny is still trying to fenagle a way humans and Alpha Maraudi can share Earth, while saving the most brilliant man alive, Elijah West.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
August 13, 2021
This book was action-packed, really great book. On the Lunar Taj, Benny never thought that he had to stop an alien attack by the Alpha Maraudi, aliens who wanted to destroy the Earth. They were able to destroy the first wave, but now that Elijah West is missing, and more aliens are on their way, Benny has to find a way to save the Earth.
December 5, 2017
Nice follow up to the Moon Platoon. This installment was almost non-stop action. The ending will leave readers wanting to know what’s going to happen next. Give this to kids who love action/adventure science fiction.
August 3, 2018
Asher (12yo) read. "Really cool. I loved Pinky's attitude. Would love some of those experimental space runners."
January 2, 2019
It's a while back since i read this one, trying to keep better on top of my reviews. what I do remember is i enjoyed the story, keen to read the last one.
I will no doubt be reading it again when the next one is out so may update this review. but my point is it's a great story.
I will no doubt be reading it again when the next one is out so may update this review. but my point is it's a great story.
July 26, 2023
Better than book 1, which is rare for an author in the middle of a series. Color me impressed
February 20, 2018
The second Space Runners book. Spoilers ahead for the first.
The victory at the end of the first book has not, of course, ended the problem of the aliens. They have to make plans. These include contacting a reclusive scientist who lives on the Moon, who was on very bad terms with Elijah West.
Coping includes creating a holographic scene so real you can't escape it, finding someone encased in minerals, determining the skeletons of the aliens, meeting Drue's father (that's no help), and more
The victory at the end of the first book has not, of course, ended the problem of the aliens. They have to make plans. These include contacting a reclusive scientist who lives on the Moon, who was on very bad terms with Elijah West.
Coping includes creating a holographic scene so real you can't escape it, finding someone encased in minerals, determining the skeletons of the aliens, meeting Drue's father (that's no help), and more
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August 27, 2018Solid second book in the series.
I liked the structure of this, the second book in the series, better than the first. The characters were more developed, and the plot more complex.
I liked the structure of this, the second book in the series, better than the first. The characters were more developed, and the plot more complex.
February 27, 2018
This novel is great for young readers who love action or science fiction. From the beginning, it's action packed with plenty of plot twists. (I promise not to give any away!) Similarly to the first book, the action and technological elements were strong, but with the second we find depth in character development. Benny is unlike the other children at the Taj having come from poverty. His background as a survivalist primed him for leadership. As Benny was thrust into the role of leader, he navigated his way with uncertainty, but not lacking in confidence. Now, readers get a glimpse of how he handles himself under pressure and in global life and death situation.
The ending made me love and hate Kraatz. It leaves readers wanting more and needing to know what happens next. Space Runners #3: The Cosmic Alliance is due out in November of this year.
Read my full review here: https://www.thepapertide.com/review-b...
The ending made me love and hate Kraatz. It leaves readers wanting more and needing to know what happens next. Space Runners #3: The Cosmic Alliance is due out in November of this year.
Read my full review here: https://www.thepapertide.com/review-b...
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