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Area 51 Interns #1
Alien Summer
A series about a world of bizarre aliens and wacky gadgets, as four kids become interns at the most interesting place on Earth: Area 51!
It's the first day of summer vacation, and Viv Harlow just wants to relax with her friends at the beach before they all go to different high schools next year. She is definitely not interested in visiting her mom's office, even if Director Harlow works at the famous Area 51. But when an alarm sounds beneath the secret base and a whole race of aliens escape, she's about to get much more than she bargained for. Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah (who Viv is totally NOT crushing on) will have to work together, gear up with gadgets, and even protect a baby alien to save the day and defend Area 51.
It's the first day of summer vacation, and Viv Harlow just wants to relax with her friends at the beach before they all go to different high schools next year. She is definitely not interested in visiting her mom's office, even if Director Harlow works at the famous Area 51. But when an alarm sounds beneath the secret base and a whole race of aliens escape, she's about to get much more than she bargained for. Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah (who Viv is totally NOT crushing on) will have to work together, gear up with gadgets, and even protect a baby alien to save the day and defend Area 51.
235 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2022
16 people are currently reading
2430 people want to read
About the author
James S. Murray
9 books898 followersJames S. Murray is a writer, executive producer, and actor, best known as “Murr” on the hit television show Impractical Jokers on truTV and for his comedy troupe, the Tenderloins. He also served as the senior vice president of development for NorthSouth Productions for over a decade and is owner of Impractical Productions, Inc. Originally from Staten Island, he now lives in Manhattan. Awakened is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 11, 2024
Human ferret and spokesperson for anal bleaching* James S. Murray has written a children’s novel. Perhaps best known for his horror novels, co-written with Darren Wearmouth, which contain gratuitous amounts of blood and guts, as well as being on the TruTV show “Impractical Jokers”, where he and his three best friends try to humiliate and degrade each other in the most offensive ways possible, Murray may not be the best choice for writing books targeted to tween-agers. Then again, maybe he’s the perfect choice for writing books for tween-agers.
Co-written with Carson Smith, “Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer” is the first in a series of books about a group of middle-school age kids who are visiting the legendary Area 51 Air Force Base with their parents, all of whom work in some capacity at the highly-secret base.
It’s Take Your Kids to Work Day, and things are going well, up until the alarm system goes off and adults start talking about a security breach in one of the subbasement levels. Suddenly, the base is overrun with large green tentacled aliens. The leader, Megdar, wants something called “the progeny” returned to him, so he can take it and his people back to their home planet.
Viv, Elijah, Charlotte, and Ray manage to escape to safety. Everyone else has been incapacitated or captured by the aliens and rounded up onto their spaceship, which has been impounded for over fifty years.
Exploring the massive facilities, the kids discover all kinds of gadgets and technology that will help them in their fight to save their parents and friends. Over the course of their adventure, however, Viv will discover some not-so-wonderful secrets about her mom and Area 51.
Overall, this was a fun book, and I think it might be a fun series for kids who are into science fiction and action/adventure.
* (allegedly)
Co-written with Carson Smith, “Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer” is the first in a series of books about a group of middle-school age kids who are visiting the legendary Area 51 Air Force Base with their parents, all of whom work in some capacity at the highly-secret base.
It’s Take Your Kids to Work Day, and things are going well, up until the alarm system goes off and adults start talking about a security breach in one of the subbasement levels. Suddenly, the base is overrun with large green tentacled aliens. The leader, Megdar, wants something called “the progeny” returned to him, so he can take it and his people back to their home planet.
Viv, Elijah, Charlotte, and Ray manage to escape to safety. Everyone else has been incapacitated or captured by the aliens and rounded up onto their spaceship, which has been impounded for over fifty years.
Exploring the massive facilities, the kids discover all kinds of gadgets and technology that will help them in their fight to save their parents and friends. Over the course of their adventure, however, Viv will discover some not-so-wonderful secrets about her mom and Area 51.
Overall, this was a fun book, and I think it might be a fun series for kids who are into science fiction and action/adventure.
* (allegedly)
May 8, 2023
I shall give a full review tommorow. I highly recommend this book.
January 4, 2023
12/24/2022 Taking a quick brain break before driving back into work mysteries by grabbing something from my long overdue pile. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
1/4/2022 I literally have no idea who "Murr" is but apparently he's super famous on the Internet, and I got to read this cool book by him and Carsen Smith!
This middle grade novel features Viv Harlow, who's about to graduate middle school and is super anxious about having one last perfect summer with her best friends Charlotte and Ray. Getting to know her crush Elijah better before they all head off to different high schools would be the icing on the cake. To this end, she's intent on spending as much time as possible by the lake with the rest of her graduating middle school class as soon as summer begins. Alas for her, her mother has other plans.
Viv's mom is the Director of Future Technology at Area 51, the government facility that's considered a bit of a joke by most of the people who live around it. It doesn't help that the site has attracted food vendors and souvenir mongers, giving it all a bit of an amusement park vibe. When Director Harlow announces that Viv has to come with her for Bring Your Child To Work Day, scheduled for the very first day of vacation, Viv is less than thrilled but glumly goes along with her mom's plans.
She perks up considerably when she realizes that Elijah is stuck there too, as are Charlotte and Ray. But things get really wild when an alarm goes off, indicating that someone... or something... has gotten loose from the containment units. Suddenly, the shabby government facility throws off its facade to reveal its actual high tech trappings. But the escaped creatures will let nothing stand in their way, and soon the four friends are the only ones left protecting the facility -- and their families -- from the escapees' nefarious plans. But who's really the bad guy here, and what will Viv do when she discovers the truth?
This was a fun romp of a book that's perhaps surprisingly heavy on the romance, even as it hits all the wacky technology beats you'd expect of young people's sci-fi. It's not a hugely serious or deep novel, but is definitely the kind of thing you'd hand to a young person craving more easily digestible sci-fi in their life. It's also a decent launch point for the rest of the series, with a diverse cast (for the most part -- the only way I knew Viv was Black was from the awesome cover) and some interesting hooks along the way. I really dig the fact that the next book is going to focus on cryptids, which are a particular interest of mine.
Area 51 Interns #1: Alien Summer by James S Murray & Carsen Smith was published March 15 2022 by Penguin Workshop and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
1/4/2022 I literally have no idea who "Murr" is but apparently he's super famous on the Internet, and I got to read this cool book by him and Carsen Smith!
This middle grade novel features Viv Harlow, who's about to graduate middle school and is super anxious about having one last perfect summer with her best friends Charlotte and Ray. Getting to know her crush Elijah better before they all head off to different high schools would be the icing on the cake. To this end, she's intent on spending as much time as possible by the lake with the rest of her graduating middle school class as soon as summer begins. Alas for her, her mother has other plans.
Viv's mom is the Director of Future Technology at Area 51, the government facility that's considered a bit of a joke by most of the people who live around it. It doesn't help that the site has attracted food vendors and souvenir mongers, giving it all a bit of an amusement park vibe. When Director Harlow announces that Viv has to come with her for Bring Your Child To Work Day, scheduled for the very first day of vacation, Viv is less than thrilled but glumly goes along with her mom's plans.
She perks up considerably when she realizes that Elijah is stuck there too, as are Charlotte and Ray. But things get really wild when an alarm goes off, indicating that someone... or something... has gotten loose from the containment units. Suddenly, the shabby government facility throws off its facade to reveal its actual high tech trappings. But the escaped creatures will let nothing stand in their way, and soon the four friends are the only ones left protecting the facility -- and their families -- from the escapees' nefarious plans. But who's really the bad guy here, and what will Viv do when she discovers the truth?
This was a fun romp of a book that's perhaps surprisingly heavy on the romance, even as it hits all the wacky technology beats you'd expect of young people's sci-fi. It's not a hugely serious or deep novel, but is definitely the kind of thing you'd hand to a young person craving more easily digestible sci-fi in their life. It's also a decent launch point for the rest of the series, with a diverse cast (for the most part -- the only way I knew Viv was Black was from the awesome cover) and some interesting hooks along the way. I really dig the fact that the next book is going to focus on cryptids, which are a particular interest of mine.
Area 51 Interns #1: Alien Summer by James S Murray & Carsen Smith was published March 15 2022 by Penguin Workshop and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
November 8, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
It's the first day of summer vacation, and the last thing Viv Harlow wants to do is to go to her mother's office for Take Your Child to Work Day. She'd rather be at the beach with friends Charlotte and Ray, and especially Elijah. When she goes to her mother's lab, she is surprised to learn a lot about what goes on there, and also that her friends are there as well, since their parents also work at the lab. Things go badly awry when the aliens from planet ZR-18 escape. Charlotte's mother manages to help her escape, but Charlotte is not willing to just abandon her mother. With the help of her friends and Ray's father, Mr. Mond, they help a newborn alien life form, MeeKee, and try to negotiate with Medgar, the head of the aliens. The aliens want to go home, and want to take "the progeny" with them; everyone figures they mean MeeKee. The negotiations don't go well, and there is a lot of adventure as the children try to evade Medgar and his fellow aliens. Ray accidentally shrinks himself, Charlotte has dozens of clones, and the kids get to hold off others using a fart gun. When Viv finds out about the real reason the aliens have been kept in captivity and want to escape, and what her relationship is to them, she has to decide if she will travel with them back to space in order to save her mother and the others.
Strengths: This was a non-stop thrill ride of action and adventure right from the first page, which starts in medias res when Viv and her mother are escaping. The characters are all well-defined, and add their own special charm to the alien fighting adventure. Medgar and his fellow aliens are portrayed as old fashioned, 1950s sorts of humans, with definitely nonhuman forms when they drop that facade! Viv's relationship to the whole project is interesting, and I liked that she was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the world. This seems like it could be a series, even though this book wrapped up fairly nicely. Area 51 still is interesting to students, and this was a fresh take on the subject.
Weaknesses: While young readers will love the amount of action in this, there could have been a tiny bit more character development. I know, I know, hard to grow as a character when aliens are attacking you.
What I really think: This is a tiny bit goofier than I would like for an action/adventure book. I would definitely buy it for an elementary school, and will definitely consider it for middle school, since my students' reading habits are skewing younger and younger. For some reason, it reminded me a bit of Walker's Crash Course series or the Voyagers books (various authors).
It's the first day of summer vacation, and the last thing Viv Harlow wants to do is to go to her mother's office for Take Your Child to Work Day. She'd rather be at the beach with friends Charlotte and Ray, and especially Elijah. When she goes to her mother's lab, she is surprised to learn a lot about what goes on there, and also that her friends are there as well, since their parents also work at the lab. Things go badly awry when the aliens from planet ZR-18 escape. Charlotte's mother manages to help her escape, but Charlotte is not willing to just abandon her mother. With the help of her friends and Ray's father, Mr. Mond, they help a newborn alien life form, MeeKee, and try to negotiate with Medgar, the head of the aliens. The aliens want to go home, and want to take "the progeny" with them; everyone figures they mean MeeKee. The negotiations don't go well, and there is a lot of adventure as the children try to evade Medgar and his fellow aliens. Ray accidentally shrinks himself, Charlotte has dozens of clones, and the kids get to hold off others using a fart gun. When Viv finds out about the real reason the aliens have been kept in captivity and want to escape, and what her relationship is to them, she has to decide if she will travel with them back to space in order to save her mother and the others.
Strengths: This was a non-stop thrill ride of action and adventure right from the first page, which starts in medias res when Viv and her mother are escaping. The characters are all well-defined, and add their own special charm to the alien fighting adventure. Medgar and his fellow aliens are portrayed as old fashioned, 1950s sorts of humans, with definitely nonhuman forms when they drop that facade! Viv's relationship to the whole project is interesting, and I liked that she was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the world. This seems like it could be a series, even though this book wrapped up fairly nicely. Area 51 still is interesting to students, and this was a fresh take on the subject.
Weaknesses: While young readers will love the amount of action in this, there could have been a tiny bit more character development. I know, I know, hard to grow as a character when aliens are attacking you.
What I really think: This is a tiny bit goofier than I would like for an action/adventure book. I would definitely buy it for an elementary school, and will definitely consider it for middle school, since my students' reading habits are skewing younger and younger. For some reason, it reminded me a bit of Walker's Crash Course series or the Voyagers books (various authors).
January 21, 2023
I like the book because it tells you what Area 51 could actual be like.
And sense no one except the people that work there know what Area 51 is like it is fun to read and find out what what it could be like to work at area 51 from a kids perspective if they went to area 51 with there parents.
And sense no one except the people that work there know what Area 51 is like it is fun to read and find out what what it could be like to work at area 51 from a kids perspective if they went to area 51 with there parents.
July 19, 2022
3.5 stars
This one was enjoyable but not as hard-hitting as some of the other middle-grade fantasy/sci-fi books I have read. Taking place in the span of a single day (sans one introductory chapter), most of the action seems too quick and easily resolved. I do understand it is middle-grade, but I still feel as if I didn't have enough depth.
I think the real root of this phenomenon is that it reads more like a movie than a book. I would love to watch it in cartoon format! Part of this may be due to two characters who are characterized very caricature-like. (That's a tongue twister.) I couldn't connect with any of them because they didn't feel real. Also, many of the action sequences are resolved in a fairly absurd and convenient manner, usually by way of a cool Area 51 gadget that the teens have on hand, e.g. gum that happens to flip the chewer's gravity. Yes, the kids are brave for what they do, but they are also just really lucky to find what they need at the right time and know how to use it. As a result, I never really felt the stakes even as people were being abducted by giant tentacled aliens.
Despite my misgivings, I will say I enjoyed the book. Believability aside, the book is fun, and most kids will probably find it funny. The whole time I was reading it, my mind was set on a three-star rating, but I did almost round it up due to the twists near the end. Yes, I guessed the nature of both of them from early on, but I've also read way too many books, and I appreciate that they did add a little of the complexity that I wanted. The main one, in particular, does add nuance to Bree's character and should prove interesting in future books. I will have to see how the series progresses before making final judgement
With quirky figurative language and outlandish action scenes, this one will probably appeal most to upper-elementary readers who want a quick read with a wild ride. Again, there was nothing wrong with it, but for me, it was just missing that something.
This one was enjoyable but not as hard-hitting as some of the other middle-grade fantasy/sci-fi books I have read. Taking place in the span of a single day (sans one introductory chapter), most of the action seems too quick and easily resolved. I do understand it is middle-grade, but I still feel as if I didn't have enough depth.
I think the real root of this phenomenon is that it reads more like a movie than a book. I would love to watch it in cartoon format! Part of this may be due to two characters who are characterized very caricature-like. (That's a tongue twister.) I couldn't connect with any of them because they didn't feel real. Also, many of the action sequences are resolved in a fairly absurd and convenient manner, usually by way of a cool Area 51 gadget that the teens have on hand, e.g. gum that happens to flip the chewer's gravity. Yes, the kids are brave for what they do, but they are also just really lucky to find what they need at the right time and know how to use it. As a result, I never really felt the stakes even as people were being abducted by giant tentacled aliens.
Despite my misgivings, I will say I enjoyed the book. Believability aside, the book is fun, and most kids will probably find it funny. The whole time I was reading it, my mind was set on a three-star rating, but I did almost round it up due to the twists near the end. Yes, I guessed the nature of both of them from early on, but I've also read way too many books, and I appreciate that they did add a little of the complexity that I wanted. The main one, in particular, does add nuance to Bree's character and should prove interesting in future books. I will have to see how the series progresses before making final judgement
With quirky figurative language and outlandish action scenes, this one will probably appeal most to upper-elementary readers who want a quick read with a wild ride. Again, there was nothing wrong with it, but for me, it was just missing that something.
June 7, 2022
Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah aren't sure about this take your child to work day at Area 51. All but Ray are pretty sure their parents have boring jobs, though Ray is convinced there are aliens and cool tech somewhere inside. Viv would much rather being going to the lakeside, though the fact that her crush Elijah is there definitely made the day look up. At first the day is turning out super boring, but when aliens contained at Area 51 break out and the boring facade comes crashing down, Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah find themselves the only ones free to save the day. Their parents and the other kids are all contained by the aliens. They manage to find a cool tech room and arm themselves with weapons and armor they barely understand, and then try to figure out how to free their parents from the aliens who want some progeny and a key to their spaceship.
This was an imaginative adventure set in the Area 51 everyone imagines to be out in the desert. It abounds with cutting edge tech, aliens, and secret rooms filled with dinosaurs. As the kids fumble around with energy rays, shrinking guns, and antigravity gum, they prove to be a very entertaining group of rescuers. I was actually surprised by the turn in the ending (I thought it was going a different direction). Hand this to reluctant readers, alien story fans, kids saving the day story fans, and cool futuristic tech fans. I'll be looking forward to book 2 in the series.
This was an imaginative adventure set in the Area 51 everyone imagines to be out in the desert. It abounds with cutting edge tech, aliens, and secret rooms filled with dinosaurs. As the kids fumble around with energy rays, shrinking guns, and antigravity gum, they prove to be a very entertaining group of rescuers. I was actually surprised by the turn in the ending (I thought it was going a different direction). Hand this to reluctant readers, alien story fans, kids saving the day story fans, and cool futuristic tech fans. I'll be looking forward to book 2 in the series.
February 15, 2025
Maybe more like 3.5…but I really liked the ending, so I rounded up 😜
Ok. So, last summer before all your friends go their separate ways to different high schools…and all of your parents just also happen to work at Area 51…and you’re being forced to go to their first ever “take your kid to work day” 🤣🤣
These kids are smart, brave, funny, and resilient! Their friendships deepen, but everyone was already friends so no major hurdles to overcome there. They get to use some fun, sciencey gadgets and see some AMAZING things (I’m sorry, but guess what- there’s some amazing animals in this book! It’s awesome, and so unexpected!) and there are some big reveals.
I struggle with her relationship with her mom at the end. After she knows everything she knows, that just does not sit right with me! But it’s a middle school book, so she lets it go and they get the best invitation ever- be interns!!! And thus the rest of the series begins! 🤣
For sci-fi fans all the way. The thread of first love and a “I really like him, does he like me?” vibe is throughout the book. No kissing in this book…but I’m guessing there will be a budding romance there as these kids are all going to be freshman at the end of the summer, the series might end with dating and a kiss, but this is PURE SPECULATION AT THIS POINT!
The audiobook was great!
Ok. So, last summer before all your friends go their separate ways to different high schools…and all of your parents just also happen to work at Area 51…and you’re being forced to go to their first ever “take your kid to work day” 🤣🤣
These kids are smart, brave, funny, and resilient! Their friendships deepen, but everyone was already friends so no major hurdles to overcome there. They get to use some fun, sciencey gadgets and see some AMAZING things (I’m sorry, but guess what- there’s some amazing animals in this book! It’s awesome, and so unexpected!) and there are some big reveals.
I struggle with her relationship with her mom at the end. After she knows everything she knows, that just does not sit right with me! But it’s a middle school book, so she lets it go and they get the best invitation ever- be interns!!! And thus the rest of the series begins! 🤣
For sci-fi fans all the way. The thread of first love and a “I really like him, does he like me?” vibe is throughout the book. No kissing in this book…but I’m guessing there will be a budding romance there as these kids are all going to be freshman at the end of the summer, the series might end with dating and a kiss, but this is PURE SPECULATION AT THIS POINT!
The audiobook was great!
May 16, 2025
I wanted to love this the cover looks great with a diverse group of kids. The overall story is also very good.
However, there were so many little things that bugged me. Ray falls into a sewer drain that opens into the ceiling of a room where he falls into someone’s shoe. A sewer drain that leads to a ceiling???
Ray wears both contacts and glasses so he has 40/40 vision and when the glasses get vaporized he can still see because he has his contacts in as well. It doesn’t work like that.
For being so smart the kids make some really stupid decisions. Under attack by aliens with unknown abilities and Charlotte brazen runs around without an ounce of caution. I’m amazed that girl is still alive.
The janitorial closet of a top secret facility has cameras and microphones to every room, so he can hear/see if someone makes a mess?!? Um….just ignore the top secret stuff going on?!?
I understand this is for kids and they wanted silly humor. But seriously a sewer drain that leads to a ceiling. They could have gotten the jokes in without something that unrealistic.
However, there were so many little things that bugged me. Ray falls into a sewer drain that opens into the ceiling of a room where he falls into someone’s shoe. A sewer drain that leads to a ceiling???
Ray wears both contacts and glasses so he has 40/40 vision and when the glasses get vaporized he can still see because he has his contacts in as well. It doesn’t work like that.
For being so smart the kids make some really stupid decisions. Under attack by aliens with unknown abilities and Charlotte brazen runs around without an ounce of caution. I’m amazed that girl is still alive.
The janitorial closet of a top secret facility has cameras and microphones to every room, so he can hear/see if someone makes a mess?!? Um….just ignore the top secret stuff going on?!?
I understand this is for kids and they wanted silly humor. But seriously a sewer drain that leads to a ceiling. They could have gotten the jokes in without something that unrealistic.
April 17, 2022
Many people would be thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the famed Area 51. Vivian, whose mom is the director of future technology at Area 51, is not as thrilled. It’s summer vacation and she’d rather spend time with her friends Ray and Charlotte. They all end up at Area 51 for Take Your Child to Work Day, along with Vivian’s crush, Elijah. At first, things seem quite ordinary, but suddenly a pack of aliens escapes confinement and wreaks havoc on the facility. The adults try to fend them off, but soon it becomes clear that it will be up to Vivian and her friends to use their skills and smarts to defend Area 51—and save their parents. This is an action-packed series starter that will appeal to many readers. The Area 51 setting is one of interest to readers and the mix of science fiction and humor will keep them engaged. While the action was non-stop, the characters could be more developed. Since this is the first in a series hopefully that will come in future installments.
September 6, 2024
I've read a lot of middle grade sci-fi/fantasy adventure novels and this one isn't my favorite, although it is fun and entertaining. The idea of finding out what REALLY goes on at Area 51 is definitely intriguing. Murray and Smith offer some imaginative ideas that will appeal to younger middle-grade readers especially. Older ones may find the book too silly/zany/immature. (Personally, I felt like the authors were trying too hard to be funny.) Still, the book offers a fast-paced, exciting story with aliens, other exotic creatures, cool gadgetry, tantalizing secrets, etc. Although the big twists aren't very surprising, they add some extra interest to the tale. I would have liked more depth to the story, the characters, and the prose. Overall, I enjoyed this quick, adventurous read for the most part, but I'd say it's just average compared to other books I've read in its genre. I'm unlikely to continue with the series.
November 19, 2025
The first chapter book that my son and I read together. Overall, a very entertaining and enjoyable story with engaging characters. Some of the humor is very funny while others aren't as much, and it does tend to lean more into the juvenile humor more (lots of mentions of farts). The story was a bit predictable at times but it was still very entertaining and fun. We both enjoyed reading it together.
March 12, 2023
3.5 stars for this book that I think elementary kids will like but doesn't have quite enough character development or teachable content to use this as a class read aloud or novel study (but to be fair, I don't think that's what the authors were going for!). For kids that like adventure from page one, this is a fun book.
September 20, 2022
I got this book because the co-author is part of The Impractical Jokers, so I thought I give this a try and I really like alien stories w/ gadgets, little disappointed there's no illustration, but I'm sold in this book series
March 19, 2022
I liked the action, but wish there was a bit more character development. Will purchase.
March 22, 2022
This was pretty good.
April 8, 2022
This book was a big page turner mixed with science fantasy and realistic stuff. James Murray did A great job providing funny moments and comedy! Highly suggested especially for kids ages 7-14!
Read
April 8, 2022I really liked this book. It was a really good, quick read. My favorite part was when the room changed fro a conference room to a high tech room.
June 1, 2022
fun book adventures more to come
June 24, 2022
Exciting middle school adventure with aliens among us.
July 3, 2022
Maybe the story was a little far-fetched, but a lot of fun, exciting action adventure!
August 16, 2022
Alien, science fiction, diverse, action, summer
Dumb adults, aliens weren’t bad and humans doing evil stuff to them were good guys and that’s never really a big problem in the story?
Dumb adults, aliens weren’t bad and humans doing evil stuff to them were good guys and that’s never really a big problem in the story?
November 20, 2022
Good middle grade sci-fi! Main characters are four students from the same middle school. Perfect for elementary school sci fi fans and gamers.
March 15, 2023
ACA 4-5. I think the kids will enjoy it.
May 8, 2023
Exciting middle grade sci-fi adventure.
September 30, 2023
Area 51, a baby alien, doom and gloom and kids saving the world. A fun quick read. Suggested grades 3 and up
November 20, 2023
Read this because it was shorter (under 250 pages) and there's not too much true sci-fi for kids, but eh. It wasn't for me. There are plenty of kids that will eat this up.
Want to read
April 17, 2025J FIC MURRAY, J.
April 28, 2024
If there’s one book series I hope gets popular, one that I think deserves a ton more love, it’s Area 51 Interns. This, needless to say, this is an excellent opener. Viv is an 8th grade graduate who is taken to Area 51 , her mother’s workplace for a presumably boring science day. Lo and behold, the alien prisoners choose to break out and take over the base on take your child to work day. With the parents taken hostage, we’re left with Viv (smart but reckless) Charlotte (snarky and energetic) Ray (cautious and quirky) and Elijah (optimistic and ready for thrills) to save the day. Along the way, the kids explore the base in stealth , arm themselves with awesome gadgets any kid or teen would dream of using, and action (and mystery) around every turn. First off, Wearmouth or Smith, I have read all 8 of Murray’s currently published books, and these are consistently the best of them all. From the simple yet charming characters, to the structure, to the tension. While yes, other stories have used the Area 51 setting, it’s all about how fresh your spin on it is. Our four leads are perfectly balanced, individually and with each other. They embrace the exciting discoveries of cool weapons and the fact that their parents study alien life, but also feel the fear of the stakes, that being they could lose their parents . I won’t spoil the climax, but there’s a great twist that invites so much story potential in later books to come. Stay tuned and check out this series for an out of this world adventure
September 27, 2022
The Awakened Trilogy, Don't Move and The Stowaway were all for adults. But I guess it was only a matter of time before James S. "Murr" Murray would turn his attention towards writing books for kids. I mean, Impractical Jokers has countless young fans, after all. (Curiously, though, Area 51 Interns, Book 1: Alien Summer, isn't peppered with references to Impractical Jokers like Murr's adult books were.) This book feels like it would be great for fans of Stranger Things, Star Trek: Prodigy and the various Star Wars animated shows. I would furthermore describe it as a Middle-Grade version of Pittacus Lore's books.
Yes, I gave Alien Summer a 3-star rating. I did the same thing with the first two Awakened books (Awakened, and The Brink.) Then I gave the rest of Murr's book 4-star ratings, until now, when I've reverted back to 3 stars. That being said, I think the Area 51 Interns series has potential. Alien Summer was good starting point, and I can't wait to read the 2nd book, Area 51 Interns, Book 2: Zoned Out.
Yes, I gave Alien Summer a 3-star rating. I did the same thing with the first two Awakened books (Awakened, and The Brink.) Then I gave the rest of Murr's book 4-star ratings, until now, when I've reverted back to 3 stars. That being said, I think the Area 51 Interns series has potential. Alien Summer was good starting point, and I can't wait to read the 2nd book, Area 51 Interns, Book 2: Zoned Out.
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