Star Wars meets Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers in this high-stakes intergalactic adventure! The Moon Platoon is the first book in an action-packed series for tweens that’s perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Lisa McMann. In the year 2085, Benny Love is pretty used to surviving on what he and his family can scavenge on Earth. But when he wins a scholarship for a life-changing trip to visit the Lunar Taj, the first-ever resort on the Moon, Benny thinks he finally has a chance to give his family a better life. Benny can’t wait to fly his very own Space Runner, practice reverse bungee jumping, and explore craters on the dark side of the Moon. But he gets more than he expected when he and the other kids discover the Moon has secrets no one else knows about. Benny is a long way from home—and soon there might not be an Earth to go back to. **

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—An action-packed space romp that's sure to please young science fiction readers. It's 2085, and Benny Love has spent most of his life on Earth scavenging in arid desert lands, just trying to survive. When he wins a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship that will send him to the moon's first lunar resort to study and invent, it's a dream come true. On a moonbase full of spacefaring cars, high-tech holograms, and temperamental AIs, Benny and his new friends compete against other kids in challenges meant to hone their skills. But all is not as it seems at Lunar Taj. Benny and his teammates discover that are secrets on the dark side of the moon, which could endanger everyone back on Earth. Despite familiar science fiction tropes and elements, the author's engaging characters, fast-paced storytelling, and keen enjoyment of the genre produce an altogether entertaining read. VERDICT Newcomers to science fiction will find this an accessible jumping-off point from which to explore more titles in the genre. Hand this to fans of Monica Tesler's Earth Force Rising and Sophia McDougall's Mars Evacuees.—Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

Review

“Space Runners is Gravity meets The Fast and the Furious , only with kids running the show. Kraatz’s lunar world feels like a theme park waiting to happen. A blockbuster mix of thrills, adrenaline, and lead characters who are as clever as they are courageous.” (Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil )

“I’d race to the moon and back to get a copy of this thrilling, funny, and ingenious book!” (C. Alexander London, author of The Wild Ones and the Dog Tags series)

“Kraatz maintains a satisfying balance of action, intrigue, and wonder in this first book in the Space Runners series. Memorably entertaining characters play well against the tense premise and high stakes.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Fun, fast-paced, and filled with excellent inventions, this is sure to please sci-fi buffs. Deeper questions of war and peace and how to lead will stay with readers far beyond the last page. Otherworldly adventure that satisfies.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“An action-packed space romp that’s sure to please young science fiction readers. Engaging characters, fast-paced storytelling, and keen enjoyment of the genre produce an altogether entertaining read.” (School Library Journal)

“Offers a passel of tasty elements: zippy space chases, a diverse cast of kids, complex humans, and intriguing aliens whose perspective isn’t so different from that of humans.  That’s a lot of enjoyment, and the sequel will likely be eagerly anticipated.” ( The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

PRAISE FOR THE SERIES: “ Dark Side of the Moon continues to deliver wild future tech with kid appeal and nonstop action. The accessible writing and relatable characters will have readers turning pages to the end. Great fun.” (School Library Journal)