The Drake Equation

Gr 5–8—Bird-watching meets science fiction in this middle grade adventure. Noah Grow loves to watch birds and is determined to spot a rare wood duck. Using the Drake Equation, a carefully crafted mathematical formula, he has figured out where to look. While getting off the bus to look for the bird, he runs into his bully, and things do not go well. Noah is forced to run away into the woods, where he falls and lands next to a mysterious disc. When he shows it to his friends, they discover it has powers. Soon, Noah and his friends are involved in an intergalactic adventure they won't forget. While the book has an interesting premise, it ultimately falls flat. King relies heavily on footnotes for backstory and character profiles, which break the pace and may turn off the intended audience. The novel also suffers from an overuse of potty humor, which, though appealing to younger readers, may serve to induce eye rolls in older middle grade readers.