Mr. Booker’s Summer Vacation

by Mark Lages

Mr. Booker is a good-natured high school history teacher who’s planning on taking a summer trip to England, but on the morning of his planned departure, he’s abducted and taken aboard an alien spaceship that is secretly orbiting planet Earth. The aliens have been observing human beings for years, trying to decide what they should do with our species. They have many probing questions for Mr. Booker, and he does his best to answer them intelligently. But are his answers really satisfactory, and what do the aliens think? And even more importantly, what do you think? This is not your typical alien abduction story, so hold onto your hat and try to keep an open mind!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

305 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2017

About the author

Quickly...I was born and raised in California, but now live in South Carolina with my wife and our animals. I am neither a liberal nor a conservative. In fact, I despise politics. I think of myself as an artist, and not as a journalist. I've been influenced by Milton Friedman, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hunter S Thompson, Douglas Adams, Salvador Dali, MC Escher, JS Bach, Keith Jarrett, Vincent Price, Tom Waits, and many others. I like to smoke cigars and drink lots of coffee. And I do love to write. Lock me in a room with a box of cigars, a coffee maker, and a computer, and I will do just fine. Click here to leap to my website for more info about me and my books.

Reviews

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

While writing this review, I’m feeling bad about two things:
1. I finished this book (only one book) after a very long time. It’s over month and half😔.
2. I wanted this review to be a 5 star one (there’s a reason mentioned at the end). I tried very hard. But couldn’t make it up😔.

I’ve heard about aliens a lot. It’s a very controversial and hot topic in Sci-Fi. But I hadn’t read any novel on this topic. So, this book attracted me very much.

CHARACTERS
This book has only one main character along with some side characters and A LOT (😒) of minor characters. The main character is named Mr. Booker. Actually, it’s his dummy name in the novel. But that’s what we are gonna call him. He is the history teacher in high school. And of course, aliens which call themselves Ogonites. Like most of us think about aliens, they’re waaay ahead of us in technology. But this specie also calls themselves “Peace Keepers” . They’re analyzing the species in the universe and if they found them as a future-threat/untrustworthy, they destroy the planet of that species.

I have very mixed feelings for them. And for Mr. Booker, he was the only character I was interested in reading. Otherwise, I didn’t quite like anyone.

PLOT
A guy is abducted by Ogonites and they free him after a few days. This guy wants to share his experience-with-Ogonites with public. And finally finds a writer who writes on alien abductions. So, for the sake of name of character in the story, this writer gives this guy a name “Mr. Booker”. Also, that guy also didn’t want to disclose his identity.
Mr. Booker tells his story to him; how he was abducted? How he was moved to an enormous spaceship orbiting the Earth? How these Ognonites had been watching the behavior of humans for over 20 years? How he was questioned by them about this confusing/violent behavior of humanity? How they see that we, humans, can’t be trusted (because of our behavior) and might turn out to be a threat to them in future? How the future of humanity was depending on his answers to them about us?

RANDOM THOUGHTS
-- This is a wake-up call for us. I liked how the book tried to question negative/confusing behaviors of humanity. I know it’s very difficult or almost impossible but our behavior needs some changing.
--In my opinion, religion should not have been handled in the book. It’s just that I don’t like (real-world) religions or anything related to God mention in fiction books.
--I really liked this book in the middle and almost the beginning too. but the entire novel literally went down the hill during the last 50 to 60 pages. They were truly uncalled for. They could have been shorted to 10 to 15 pages at most.
--The book is too descriptive… like really too much… It explains almost every moment/side-character too much. And that’s totally unnecessary in the books like this.
--I observed that the writing is way too straight and plain. It needs some work to be done. I hope that it will get better in future.
--Pardon me, what this book tells at the end? The whole novel was just about Mr. Booker to find love again? That’s kind of lame. No one on Earth was wise enough to tell Mr. Booker to find love again?? He had to be abducted and to be told that by non-humans?!😂😂

That’s all for this review.

AND for my bad feeling #2:
I received this book in paperback format by the author in exchange of an honest review.
This was the first time I got a book in paperback for the review. So, I really wanted to appreciate this generosity of author. But so bad that I couldn’t like this book the way I wanted.


**26 June 2019**

[Olivia "So many books--so little time."" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking yet enjoyable story of Mr. Booker (who, unlike the rest of the characters, has no first name) who is abducted by aliens from the planet Og and spends a week on their spaceship. This book is amazing.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This reads like some kind of textbook for conspiracy theorists. I couldn't get into it at all. I didn't like the main character, the dialogue was slow and repetitive, and I couldn't justify putting myself through reading the entire book. It's completely forgettable and although this is a genre I usually enjoy, I definitely cannot recommend this one.

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get past the style of writing for this book, so I did not finish it. It was just too amateurish. The prose was more like something I would expect in a children's book, and the author focused on details to the extent that it was more distracting than helpful. I liked the concept of the book, but I didn't get far enough into the book to say anything about it's execution.

[Lisa Kenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads.

This book was pretty meh. Also, not really an alien abduction story. I agree with many of the author’s arguments about American culture, but none of the topics were fully explored. You’d be better off watching Bowling for Columbine (or any other Michael Moore documentary) than reading this book. The dialogue was really slow and repetitive, and the characters were unlikeable. The writing style was along the lines of what I’d expect in a children’s book, but I would definitely not give this book to children. There is one chapter that contains a trigger warning (and rightfully so), but the whole chapter was totally unnecessary and the actions were completely out of character for the protagonist. If you skipped this particular chapter then you won’t be confused later on in the book. I did read the chapter and ended up being confused later on, as if the author intended it to be skipped it after all? Also – the Jetsons? Why? It didn’t fit with the rest of the story, and it just seemed lazy.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is yet another wonderful book by Mark Lages! Mr. Booker thinks he's going to England for his summer vacation, yet he's abducted by aliens who wear golden robes and smell like spearmint. As this story unfolds, you won't know whether to laugh out loud or worry about the fate of our civilization. Or maybe you'll want to do a little of both. I loved every page of this insightful and entertaining book, and I highly recommend it.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like the 4th book of Mark Lages that I read and I loved it! This is not typically the type of book that I read but when I started I was not able to put it down. Mr. Lages a great job because he had me thinking a lot while I was reading it. All of the 4+ star reviews are all spot on! I look forward to reading other works by Mark Lages and want to thank him for sending this great read to me as a gift.

[Sara the Book Slayer]

DNF @ Chapter 4
This book wasn’t for me. Yes someone gets kidnapped by aliens at the beginning of the book.. but this isn’t an alien abduction story. It reminded me of You Can Call Me Ishmael, except the alien is Ishmael. Lots of agenda in this book. It is well written, but not what I was looking for right now. Maybe I will go back to it later this year.

[Mark Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inquisitive aliens with a keen sense of humor and the ability to destroy mankind at the drop of a hat. What's not to love about this book?

[Johnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Mark did a great job with this book. It was entertaining, engaging, and kept you guessing. I like how he makes me think and joggles me out of complacency when looking at the bigger picture. Mr. Booker-could he be a real person or is this book purely fiction? A great topic for debate. I look forward to reading more works from Mark Lages. This book would be a great read for anyone with imagination, or maybe for people who need to wake up their imagination. At any rate, you won't be sorry you read it.

[Pretty Peony Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Booker’s Summer Vacation is a story about a man who wants to go by the name of Mr. Booker to hide his identity. He is interviewed by a writer who is fascinated by aliens and such. The story is mainly about Mr. Booker and how he was abducted by aliens but also learn a little about the interviewer which ties the story together nicely.

In the story, Mr. Booker is planning a vacation and as he’s about to take this vacation, aliens abduct him. These curious aliens have questions, and based on their research, Mr. Booker was their best candidate to teach them about the human race. There’s a lot of thought-provoking messages and phrases. It gives us a look into how another race would see humans if they were to come upon humans for the first time. Mr. Booker also learns about the aliens.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a smooth, fun, and light read about humanity. I love how the author was able to throw in contemporary stuff but not get political. I enjoyed the humor and the jokes. This isn’t your typical sci-fi book. The sci-fi of it is excellent (it’s soft science), and basically the background or the setting to the real point of the story. There’s no big, action packed climax or extreme story arc. It’s a mellow story with literary themes and requires just being open-minded.

Totally would recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction with a twist.

[Suzanne Sotzing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar book from Mark Lages!

His writing style is amazing and his concepts are quirky but totally believable. You will find yourself completely immersed in his stories.

Imagine that aliens bring a human to their ship and ask them questions about our society and the answers given will determine whether or not they annihilate our species. The aliens have studied us and know a lot about what makes us tick, but they need clarification from someone they have hand-picked to be honest with their answers.

This book is thought-provoking in that it clearly shows how our innate actions as humans can be counter intuitive and downright confusing at best. If you have questioned the world and the way it works, this book will help you see that you're not the only one!

[Robin Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the voracious book reviewer, I am, I wanted to read something totally different from the stuff I’ve been reading/reviewing recently and eventually came upon this book by Mark Lages.

What had intrigued me about the about the storyline and characters in the book’s description. Prior to becoming a book reviewer, I’ve read about two books regarding the alien abduction and ultimate safe return of an earthling, so this book began to whet my interest in the book.

But, it had been the fact that the abductee is a history teacher which wound up having me purchasing a copy of this book; the reason being that back in high school I loved history, and been an A+ student in this subject through my entire time there.

Given these aliens from the planet Og were here, as most aliens are, to scrutinize us to decide what to do to us. When the time comes to interrogate someone from our planet, they’d randomly selected Mr. Booker who was about to begin his vacation, to bring him before their council on the spacecraft.

Given the probing type of questions these aliens had for Mr. Booker, I don’t feel any other profession other than his, would have been able to pull it off in the manner he did.

Mr. Lages writing style is rather complex, one moment it’s quite thought provoking and engaging, and the next it’s humorous and entertaining, a combination which kept me turning the pages.

When you believe the story has ended, it doesn’t as it becomes a discussion regarding the writing of the book and about the author in the book who wrote the story you’ve just read; giving a further insight to it.

For having given his readers an enthralling, humorous, sci-fi, alien abduction story, I’ve given this book and its author 5 STARS.

[Sue Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Booker was a high school teacher and partly because of that, he was singled out from everyone else on earth to be taken aboard a space ship. He was not prodded, poked, or punctured as others have claimed they were in an abduction. He lucked out, more or less, and was abducted by aliens that just wanted to talk. They had made themselves resemble humans, but they smelled like peppermint, to put Mr. Booker at ease. They claimed to be a peaceful species but were not averse to wiping out any civilization they thought might mess up their peaceful planet. They had abducted Mr. Booker to see if he could explain some things about humans that bothered them. From there on in the book, I felt that Mr. Lages was doing a great job of describing the things about humans and our civilization that we should be paying attention to now. It is a book that should cause you to fire-up your brain and see how you would answer the questions the aliens were asking. It is also a book that I think students in a Logic class could have great debates about, one side humans, the other side the aliens.

[Doreen Ashbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a timely book. Much food for thought about why we humans do what we do. When Mr. Booker is questioned about why things, such as politics, economics and sports play out as they do, he often did not have answers. And after a lot of thought, I must admit, that I didn't have answers for a lot of these issues either. I loved reading this book. The writing style is great and the quirky characters made me chuckle. Thank you Mr. Lages for the gift of this book and for getting me to put my thinking cap on.

[Glasgowgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ogonites pulled no punches during the council meetings. When our way of life is written down in black and white, it makes humans look like a selfish, violent, senseless race. This book is thought provoking and had me siding with the Ogonites at times, but when all's said and done, we are only human beings and should try to live our lives to the utmost; spreading love and compassion instead of violence and hatred. I have to agree with a previous reviewer, I don’t think there was any need for the chapter about the dog. I did not understand the point of that chapter and the actions of Mr. Booker, seemed out of character.

[Andrew Langert · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There’s something wrong with the world we live in.”
The author uses a clever and very original (at least to me) approach to explore the incongruities that haunt human existence. A band of aliens abduct a high school history teacher. They take him away from his planned vacation to ask him questions. The answers will determine what actions, if any, the aliens will take regarding the planet Earth.
This may not sound like a book someone like me would want to read, but it is very entertaining and, more significantly, quite thought-provoking. There are so many things wrong with the world we live in. We are used to these things and have grown to accept and not even question these things. Seen from the eyes of aliens, it is clear that life in this world could be so much better.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one but Mr. Lages could have written this book. The story is not only unique but truly engaging, thought provoking and current in regard to the world and human condition. I could not appreciate the ending more as every life experience can be a lesson learned and Mr. Lages brought it home in this story. Recommended reading .

My sincere thanks to Mr . Lages for providing me the opportunity to read Mr. Booker's Summer Vacation.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

**SPOILER ALERT**
A fairly ordinary American high school history teacher is abducted by reasonably clever but incredibly naive aliens (Ogonites) who bring him aboard their spaceship and subject him to a week of questioning about humanity. The story is unconventional, not because of the plot, but because of the writing style. It reads like something from an earlier age. Parts of it resemble Platonic dialogues, with the aliens playing the part of wise Socrates. But the combination of story and style mostly remind of Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887 by Edward Bellamy (first published in 1888). That classic old tale also features a relatively normal guy who is transported to a seemingly utopian environment, the details of which are revealed primarily through rational discussion. In Mr. Booker's Summer Vacation, the titular character learns about the aliens and their society while they question him about his. (This reminded me of the Star Trek TNG episode in which Q brings Captain Picard before his court to defend humanity on the charge of being a 'dangerous, savage child-race.')

There is an obvious point to all this. The aliens are deciding humanity's fate, which seems paradoxical given their concerns about our species. They correctly observe that humans can be nasty characters. We often deceive, oppress, rob, and murder one another. Our behavior toward other animals is even worse. If they are useful, we enslave them. If they are tasty, we eat them. If they are annoying, we kill them, which Mr. Booker himself demonstrates in one surprising scene. The Ogonites can't allow a species like that loose in the galaxy, and that's where the philosophical paradox becomes obvious. This alien species, which claims to be enlightened, to be working toward love and peace and all good things like that, has granted itself the right to sit in judgement of all other species and to engage in proactive genocide if they find those species lacking. Apparently, they don't see the irony in that. And they don't seem to appreciate that species are not fixed entities. In the course of time, species evolve. What was once a 'savage child-race' can, in the course of a few thousand generations, give rise to an enlightened race of poets, musicians, scientists, and aspiring science fiction authors. Unless, of course, a bunch of self-righteous aliens decides to deny them the opportunity and make them prematurely extinct. I can't imagine a clearer argument against the Ogonites' position. They claim that the human obsession with weapons and war is a sign of humanity's violent nature. True. You can't argue with that. But that's not our ONLY nature, and the aliens' threat to exterminate humanity demonstrates that our capacity for violence may not be quite as self-destructive as it seems. All of our warlike practice on one another may provide us with just the tools and experience we need to survive. After all, who knows when we'll be forced to defend ourselves from a band of pompous aliens who have decided that we're too annoying to exist? (NOTE: I'm just pointing out a flaw in the argument here. I'm not defending the popular obsession with firepower, which saddens me and which I hope we'll evolve beyond, eventually.)

Disclosure: Stories that observe humanity from the outside almost always intrigue me. That's why the blurb for this one attracted my attention, and it's why I entered the Goodreads giveaway to obtain a free paperback copy. Obviously, I was one of the lucky winners, and I thank the author and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this. It was interesting. My subjective rating includes a half-star bonus because I appreciate the extra expense and effort authors must go through to self-publish.

[Linda McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book as a winner in a Goodreads giveaway. However my opinion of this book is not biased because it was free. I found this book to be an absolute joy to read. I actually never had a reading experience quite like it. For me this book was a quick read because each chapter kept me intrigued.

The premise is simple. Quiet widower Mr. Booker, on summer vacation from being a high school history teacher, is abducted from his home by aliens as he is waiting for a cab to take him to the airport to go on a one week European vacation.
It is the politest abduction scene ever written.

The citizens of Og have chosen Mr. Booker to be one of the few humans they would like to get opinions from as to why Earth should be allowed to exist when it is such a violent selfish planet. He can't understand why him. Well the reason is simple. On their planet teachers are held in the highest regard as there is no more selfless or more revered job than teaching future generations. This simple premise begins Mr Booker's one week journey into explaining the differences in how things are done on Earth versus how they are done on Og.

Each chapter explores Mr. Booker explaining to a high council why there are wars, famine, and poverty in places where some have so many riches and others do not have anything. Why does a word like bullying exist? Why are we hurting one another and our planet?

Even though these are serious topics there is much humor in the book. Mr Booker's dining experiences lead to some entertaining dinner topics. There is also his flirtatious relationship with one of the crew on this vast space craft.

This book may sound like its preachy but it is much more thought provoking with a touch of humor and a few aha moments. My favorite chapter was entitled Kim Kardashian. I have already lent my copy to my daughter in law who said she was anxious to read the book since I used some of the topics to start some lively dinner conversations. I can't recommend this book enough. You do not have to like science fiction to enjoy it. I do recommend you read it with an open mind because Mr. Booker is a pretty good teacher.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mission Viejo, CA. Mr. Booker (widower, Lincoln HS history teacher, UCLA; history) has plans spending his summer in jolly ole England.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Anna, Jacob & June wanted to know about the Big 4.
What are tuperloos?

What did Anna reveal to Mr. Booker?
Who is Katie Applecart?
Do you believe in aliens, or life on other planets?
You might want to rethink that thought after reading this fabulous book.

Top 25 list for 2017.

Warning: This book is for adults only & contains adult content &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A delightful & very well written YA sci-fi book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great YA sci-fi movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; AuthorHouse; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Hollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through a goodreads giveaway.

This book is about a high school history teacher that gets abducted by aliens seeking to understand why humans behave the way they do. They must make a decision as to the fate of mankind and have determined that Mr. Booker will most accurately and honestly answer any questions they have regarding the human race.

The book alternates between Mr. Booker's downtime with the aliens and a formal interview by a panel of their brightest minds. At first, I was enjoying this book. I thought the story line was cute and the questions posed to Mr. Booker pointed out the hypocrisies and faulty logic of we humans in a way that was interesting and comical. Any alien species would find us utterly confusing! However, as the book progressed, these "questions" turned more into diatribes about why humans are awful. Almost started to feel a little political in nature. And although I agreed with them, it felt a bit pushy. I found myself drawn more and more to the social encounters Mr. Booker had with the aliens, and less so to the chapters with the interview. I felt these views could have been expressed better with more dialogue, less monologue. It reminded me of "The Jungle", a great story with a big socialist rant at the end of the book. Except that these rants were scattered throughout. If you're more liberal or left-leaning it's not much of problem, but conservative capitalists beware.

[Gayle Slagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

With each book written by Mark Lages that I read, I become a bigger fan. The plots of his books are always interesting and well-written, the characters are realistic and intriguing, but most of all his books make me look at things in different ways, and most of all they make me think. Mr. Booker's Summer Vacations tells the story of Mr. Booker, a high school history teacher ready to take a two week summer vacation to England but is instead abducted by aliens. The two weeks that he spends with them are crucial in that he is told that the future of earth depends on the opinion which the aliens form about earth's inhabitants. They have been observing humans for many years and have been unable to decide whether earth needs to be destroyed. They question Mr. Booker on topics ranging from sports to education to social and political issues and much more. Mr. Booker finds that he is sometimes at a loss to describe or to defend human behavior and leaves the reader also questioning aspects of human behavior. This is not your usual alien abduction story and I recommend it for readers who like examining human behavior; it will provide much material to ponder.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really surprised that I'm going to say this, but... I think this may be Lages's best book. I've read five others, and loved all of them (5/5 stars to all)... Loved Church of the Divine Duck in particular, but among all of them, this one was definitely the most fun to read. With the others, I really loved the content, and admired the clever / unique arguments, but there were times when I would've been okay with taking a break from reading the long paragraphs and explanations that come with unpopular points of view. But this one had no such moment! If I could have, I would have read this straight through. I particularly liked the alien point of view - Lages has done books featuring the point of view of monkeys and several different kinds of people, but the viewpoints of otherworldly beings and comparisons to an alien culture gives his ideas a whole new meaning. If you're new to Lages, this is a fantastic book to start with! If you get it, just read it - if you let it sit, you might regret doing that once you do get to it!

[Erica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway- so I felt inclined to finish it, though I really shouldn't have wasted my time reading this. The writing is bad. Really bad. Like, I though maybe this book was meant for fourth graders (or written by one), but there are plenty of adult themes in this book that it obviously isn't meant for children.

Characters are terrible, weird scenes that have nothing to do with the plot thrown in, dialogue of the characters the worst of it all and made it super painful to try to get through- constantly thinking to myself who talks like that? It's like a weird mix of simple minded 6 year old and old man rolled into one. Short. Choppy. Dry. No connection there at all. I cel more than once like Mr. Booker could be a robot maybe.

The fact this book was self published becomes obvious pretty quickly. This would never have been published otherwise. I'm sorry to say that even with story and characters issues aside, this might be the worst actual writing I've ever had the displeasure or reading.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you expect if you were abducted by aliens? An exact replica of your home and probing questions about the entire human race? That is just what Mr. Booker experienced. Questions like, "Why go through the trouble of developing chemical and biological weapons if you don’t plan on using them?" And try to explain elections, "Before you know what’s happening, you’re not campaigning for the best possible government; instead, you’re just determined to see your side win and the other side lose. Lies are thrown around in place of truths. Both sides start exaggerating, misstating facts, and making all kinds of disparaging insults. Rather than having a thoughtful and intelligent election, you find yourself in the middle of a churlish schoolyard dispute." It seams simplified but the aliens are trying to understand. It is all about shifting perspective: “Don’t complain because a rose has thorns. Instead, smile because thorns have roses.” What would this experience do for you?

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of the book, but its execution was lacking. I found the book to be easy and fast to read. In fact, I did not want to put it down the first day I started reading it. However, I didn't enjoy the writing style, as it was respective, and almost too detailed throughout the book. I did finish the book on day 2; and as I reflect back on it...I try to recall what I read so I could promote this book to others, and I struggle to recall much more than a HS teacher getting abducted by aliens.

I think this would make for a great Book Club Book to read. As it makes you think and look at things in a different way. Mr. Booker-could he be a real person or is this book purely fiction? A great topic for debate.

Thank you Mark Lages for sending me a copy of his book. ! I will be sharing it by placing it in my Little Free Library to be discovered by a visitor.

[Franchesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of a difficult one for me to review...while it started off strong, with good pacing, in a dialect and style I was instantly comfortable with, I soon came to realize that this alien abduction story is nothing like one would expect. This race of aliens, who call themselves Ogonites, have been studying Earth for the last 20 years and now want to interview an inhabitant of the planet to then make a decision. The Ogonites believe they are a superior race and continually explain the reasons why Earth has it wrong and what they should do to improve their lives. Full of political, social, and moral lessons without a lot of discussion on any topic because Mr. Booker is just so darn agreeable! Overall some good points were touched on and made, it was humorous at times, and some topics were discussed that are sure to push some buttons.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Booker teaches high school history and is looking forward to a trip to England. But before he can leave for the vacation he is abducted and taken aboard a spaceship. He finds that he has been taken aboard to appear before a council who questions him about life on earth. Though this sounds like a light easy read, it is actually quite thought provoking. I would have given it a 5 star rating except for Chapter 21 which took my by great surprise and caused me to like Mr. Booker a bit less. Mark Lages the author of the book even gives the reader a spoiler alert about this chapter but my curious mind read it anyway. I wish I hadn't.

Thanks so much to Mark Lages for sending me a copy of his book. I have read nearly all of this books and enjoyed each one.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Booker teaches high school history and is looking forward to his summer vacation. He thinks he is going to England, but before he can leave he is abducted by aliens and taken aboard a spaceship. He finds that he has been taken to appear before a council who questions him about life on earth. Mr. Booker responses were to help the aliens decide what to do with our species. This is not your typical alien abduction story. When I started I was not able to put it down. I loved this thought provoking and entertaining book, and I highly recommend it.

There was one chapter of the book, about a dog, that could have been left out . . . not the first of Mr. Lages books where something that could have been unsaid without changing the story was left in.