Spacekid Ilk: Invasion 101

by Andrew Hammond

iLK is a Glubwark from the planet Glub and his dad has just invaded Earth.

iLK isn't keen on being involved in the invasion, but his dad BiLK, quickly decides that Earth is useless and hands the mantle of "Emperor of the World," down to his son.

iLK becomes responsible for ruling Earth and soon grows to love it. So when he discovers his father isn't interested in caring for the planet he is confronted with a difficult choice. How will iLK save Earth whilst also trying to fulfil the responsibilities assigned by his father?

Spacekid iLK: Invasion 101 is an illustrated novel for ages 8-12. At an age where children are learning about different points of views and about taking responsibility, this book aims to not just extol the virtues of doing the right thing, but also asks why one would and what that choice involves.

Using entries from iLK's journal and comic pages throughout, "Spacekid iLK: Invasion 101," is likely to engage even reluctant readers.

Genres: Middle Grade

ebook

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

Andrew is a writer and illustrator from London with a
passion for sequential art and storytelling.

He studied Film & Video Production, specialising in
Screenwriting. After leaving university he started to work as a freelance storyboard artist.

Having finished “Invasion 101,” he’s now excited to write more stories about iLK and his friends.

Find out more at www.andrewhammond.co.uk

Reviews

[Michael Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, fantastical and thoroughly engaging read. My son absolutely loved the visual style and the print quality is excellent! As a parent reading along, I found myself laughing as we went eager to get to each new page.

A quirky and original take on the classic 'aliens invade Earth' story line, something innately 'adult' made fresh again through the eyes of a child. The author fully captures the wonder and frustrations of childhood all told in the most exceptional of circumstances. Some surprisingly well rounded characters given the light hearted tone of the book and one we'll definitely be coming back to again and again.

Absolutely recommended for any parent looking for something original, entertaining and visually arresting to read alongside their child.

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hammond's hilarious story and illustrations will relate to both children and adults. iLK is growing up on his parent's spaceship travelling from planet to planet. All he wants to do is care for his plants and survive his youth. All his parents want is for him to grow up and learn responsibility. His father and iLK share a lot of qualities that iLK is too young to accept, but as his mother says, "Like father, like son."

His father has been assigned a task on Earth, and it is a task that he does not want to do, so he (really iLK's mother) decides to put iLK in charge of Earth and determine if it should be destroyed. While on Earth, iLK learns that maybe responsibility and growing up isn't such a bad thing after all, and that there is a lot of good on Earth. Unfortunately, his father does not want to hear these things.

Spacekid iLK is the first book in a series and I cannot wait to read the others when they are published. There are a lot of great characters in this graphic novel, but my favorite has to be the Y-bot. It is a robot that follows iLK around on the spaceship asking "why" to everything. I also especially love the moments of understanding between father and son, and mother and son, that help guide iLK to understanding that somethings are worth fighting for, even if that means standing alone.

Arc provided by NetGalley.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous text and attractive images work together to tell an entertaining stoyr in Spacekid iLK. This is a book I was glad to have access to as a comic book reader, and one I would happily share with others.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in what will be the Spacekid iLK series. It is the story of iLK, the young son of a world leader. iLK’s father decides to take over Earth and becomes its leader, but soon finds it tiresome and passes that responsibility on to his son. iLK takes over as ruler and is excited for fame and glory, but also doesn’t want to do the hard work of leading. He starts to develop friendships with the leaders of Earth’s continents, particularly the leader of South America. Marina, the leader of South America, bonds with iLK over their mutual affinity for plants. Things get complicated when iLK’s father decides Earrh is a dead planet not worth their their time, so they might as well blow it up. iLK finds that he has grown attached to humans and Earth and tries to come up with a plan to save them.

I liked this book and would recommend it to elementary age children. I think it was nice to see iLK’s transition from apathetic ruler to invested compassionate leader. I also liked the underlying message of responsibility. I would read further books in the series as well.

Special thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest opinion.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

iLK is a normal alien boy, flying around with his parents in a spaceship and invading planets. But when iLK's father conquers Earth, he gets tired of being the supreme ruler of such a boring planet, and gives the job to iLK to teach him some responsibility. Earth is soon in danger, and it's up to iLK to save the planet with the help of some friendly Earthlings!

I thought this book was hilarious! The writing is so clever and silly, and the plot is really imaginative. I loved the world-building with the aliens, and their culture of invasion and world domination. I especially enjoyed the complex family dynamics between iLK and his parents.

iLK himself is a wonderful main character. He's sassy and grumpy and repressed, until he finds freedom and friends on Earth. He has such a disgruntled teen attitude, and it's wonderfully ridiculous. First, he never wants to leave his room on the spaceship, and tries to get out of his lessons. Then when he's grounded, he changes his mind, and is desperate to get out of his room. He's a lovely complex character, who is selfish and generous by turns, always changing and growing.

I loved the whimsical illustrations and cartoon drawings. It's not set up in panels like a comic or graphic novel, but more like a continuous stream of text and pictures down the page. It's very easy to follow, and I loved the dialogue and action within the artwork.

This is such an entertaining book! I enjoyed the positive messages about taking responsibility and doing the right thing even when there are obstacles.

2023 Update: Reading this the second time was just as fun and enjoyable!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author via Reedsy Discovery in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[George M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spacekid iLK illustrated novel uses a relaxed, engaging combination of free annotation around drawings and a comic-book strip style to tell a story about learning to care about yourself and others. Spacekid has to learn to take responsibility; not just to understand that things don't happen automatically to make his life possible, but that it's also important to look to other people's needs to keep their world turning too.

Spacekid iLK contains Spanish phrases, ecology, an exploration of finding your passion (as a job or what interests you), a range of characters to identify with and embrace difference, a commentary on human foibles and the concept of otherness. All these facets are shows throughout a fun story with a range of humour (silly jokes and some adults can chuckle along too as well).

The initial concept and look at humanity is reminiscent of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The administratively-minded aliens see humanity as a useless obstacle and are confused by their strange customs. Matt Haig's 'The Humans' also comes to mind. It's a great way of bringing an understanding of people who are different and a great source of funny observations! The treatment is curious and light-hearted.

There's also an excellent cliffhanger in the epilogue. I can't wait for the next episode!

[Catherine Katzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spacekid iLK: Invasion 101 by Andrew Hammond is a clever and engaging middle-grade novel that balances humor, imagination, and meaningful reflection.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its premise: viewing Earth through the eyes of a reluctant young alien ruler. This fresh perspective allows the story to explore responsibility, empathy, and moral choice in a way that feels accessible and genuinely thought-provoking for young readers. iLK’s internal conflict between duty to his father and care for Earth is handled with clarity and warmth.

The use of journal entries and comic-style illustrations adds variety to the storytelling and helps sustain engagement, particularly for reluctant readers. These elements break up the text while reinforcing character development and emotional understanding.

Overall, this is a smart, imaginative, and well-constructed book that encourages readers to consider different points of view and the meaning behind doing the right thing. An enjoyable and meaningful read for ages 8–12.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those wordy, semi-comic hybrid books, a la Wimpy Kid, about an alien child who gets tasked with unlikely things when his parents invade a planet called Earth. I wanted a lot more from this – invention on the alien side of things, drama, comedy – and more of a lesson about our world. The alien kid is a fan of plants, and the story seems to revolve around the existence or otherwise of a secret, magical glowing flower (when it remembers to revolve around it, that is), so we should have some decent, easy environmental message. Instead what we get is blunt comment from the alien father and no message. I did snicker, at the only bit of social commentary/Englishman abroad humour (something else I wanted more of), which is a couple of decent lines about small talk. But I don't think the comedy will be found in enough quantity by the target audience, either, nor do I think the slapdash look will completely sell it. A valiant attempt, but not the world's most vital purchase.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story. As I was reading, my son saw it and wanted to read it as well. I purchased a copy for him and he seemed to enjoy it. Look forward to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publsiher for a review copy of this book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Spacekid iLK quite a bit! It has the angsty-but-clever preteen angle, coupled with wonderful illustrations and character development. Readers are going to enjoy the upbeat nature, iLK and his shenanigans, and the hilarious interactions iLK has with others. I'll definitely be recommending this book to lovers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and would not at all be surprised if they like Spacekid iLK even more. Looking forward to the next one!