NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Life on Mars is pretty standard…. until a mysterious virus hits. Don’t miss this timely and unputdownable novel from the bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish.Bell is just like any other kid. He loves cats, eats all kinds of cake, and is curious about everything. Oh, and he lives on another planet! Living on Mars comes with a ton of rules. Like don’t go outside without a buddy. Always keep a glow stick in your pocket. And no contact with the kids in the other settlements.
Ever. Then a virus breaks out among the grown-ups, and the children are the only ones who can help. Suddenly it's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet.
JENNIFER L. HOLM is a
New York Times bestselling author and three-time Newbery Honor recipient. She is a cocreator of the Babymouse series (an Eisner Award winner), the Squish series, and the Sunny graphic novels, which she collaborates on with her brother Matthew Holm. Visit her online at jenniferholm.com.
“Peppered with such intriguing scientific details as the pervasive nature of Mars dust, Holm’s absorbing speculative novel is…rendered with a keen sense of place grounded by identifiable sociofamilial relationships.” —
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The plot and setting are elegantly simple, yet the story proves completely engaging, driven by a charming cast of gentle characters and, more so, by Holm’s lean, measured prose, which moves briskly and seems to strike a resonant note on every page." —
Booklist, starred review
“A delightful space adventure.” —
Kirkus Reviews“The Lion of Mars looks past the red dust to reveal how our communities shape us just as much as our environments.” —
Bookpage"The well-wrought setting, including thoughtful depiction of lowish-tech Martian life, and a strong cast of well-developed characters make for an intriguing and compelling read.” —
The Horn Book