Genre: Science Fiction
Author: Ben Hatke
Awards: The Amelia Bloomer Book List Award (2012)
Age Group: 9 to 12-year-olds
Teacher Evaluation: I would use this book in class to show my students that not all books have the same format, for instance, this science fiction book is a graphic novel. I think it would help students realize there are several different types of books to chose from if certain students prefer more picture-based readings a book like this is a good fit. Due to the vocabulary in the book and broken language used by certain characters, I think this book would be best for fourth-grade students and up.
Summary: Zita the Spacegirl, is about a young girl named Zita who gets zapped far from Earth. Zita and her friend Joseph are zapped far from Earth into another world/planet that is about to get hit by an asteroid. Zita and her friend Joseph are immediately separated when they arrive because Joseph gets taken away by a robot with tentacles. Zita desperately searches for help to find a way to find Joseph and get back home. Zita makes friends with a Piper, who plans on rebuilding the device that zapped Zita and Joseph to that planet so they can all escape before the asteroid hits. Piper and his friend Mouse come up with a plan so everyone can escape and Joseph can be rescued from the robot that took him. Piper will stay at his home to fix the device and Mouse will help Zita make her way to the castle where the robot that took Joseph lives. While on their way to the castle, Zita makes new friends with other robots that are willing to help her save Joseph. As the group approaches the castle, Piper appears to help them fight hunter-like robots. After defeating the hunter-like robots, the group proceeds to the castle when the guards catch them. The guards capture Zita and Piper and expose the Piper had made a deal with them. Feeling betrayed, Zita ignores Piper in the cell they are placed in. Piper then tricks a guard by playing a song on his flute and making the guard fall asleep. He tells Zita to use a tube he tosses at her which creates a door for them to go through to get out. Piper and Zita get out and reunite with their friends. The friends come together to take down the guards blocking the way to Joseph. The book ends with one of the friends Zita made saving the planet from the asteroid using the device that would get her and Joseph home. Piper is able to use the remains of the machine to help one of them get back home, Zita decides Joseph is the one who should return home and she will take a long way home with Piper and her new friends.
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