Genre:Middle-grade science fiction adventure
Word Count: 48,000
Query:
Twelve-year-old Orion Carrera never wanted to save the world, much less the entire solar system. But when the President of the Milky Way shows up at his dad’s auto repair shop, Orion learns his dad has been keeping secrets. Big secrets—like the fact that he’s an intergalactic racecar celebrity, has saved the galaxy dozens of times, and goes a lot farther away than Texas when he says he’s gone for business.
Now the President needs Orion’s dad one more time in a race around the rings of Saturn to keep the evil Antennites from annexing Earth’s solar system for their own nefarious purposes. And this time, Orion and his carefree older brother, James, need to buckle up and join the team.
Orion has to face more than just his insecurities and fears along the way—he learns the truth about how his mother died, makes unlikely friends, and is thrust unwillingly into the limelight while the Antennites try to make sure Team Milky Way loses before the race even begins. Things start to seem hopeless when Orion falls for one of the Antennites’ traps, and it looks like the fate of the solar system depends on Orion learning that sometimes it’s okay to break the rules.
Excerpt:
My dad was always kind of private, so I should have known he was hiding something from me. I should have seen the signs, but I didn’t. Not until the truth flew out of the sky and hit me on the head. Seriously, it flew out of the sky and hit me on the head. It hurt, too.
It happened on the last day of sixth grade. Everything started out pretty normal: cold breakfast, classes, and a long wait for my brother to pick me up after school. He was late, as usual, so I sprawled on the grass reading a book. The other students were alreadygone except for a couple guys kicking a soccer ball around and some girls giggling together.
I tried to ignore them, which was pretty easy since they actedlike I didn’t even exist. I glanced up and saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. Somebody was driving through the dirt roads in my small town way too fast, and I had a feeling I knew who it was.
Sure enough, the crazy dust storm headed straight toward the school. A minute later, an old, silver convertible materialized and skidded to a stop in the parking lot. The car was beautiful—a vintage 60’s Jaguar in mint condition. The two soccer players stopped and stared at it, jealousy written all over their faces.
“Nice car,” one of them muttered to the other.
He was right—the Jaguar was extremely valuable and my dad had spent months restoring it.
15 Comments
Marieke · May 20, 2013 at 6:10 am
EPIC opening. Love this!! Good luck! 😀
Juliana · May 21, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Thank you so much! 🙂
Copernicus Nerdicus · May 20, 2013 at 9:44 am
MG UNITE! Gotta love MG sci fi, and I loved this since the first time I read it! Go go MG! 🙂
Juliana · May 21, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Thumbs up for Middle Grade novels!
Rebecca S · May 20, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Holy stars! This is fantastic! I love love love the premise and I know about 60 middle school boys and girls who will feel the same. Good luck!
Juliana · May 21, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Thanks, Rebecca! My son was pretty in love with it when he read it the first time. And the second time. And third… 🙂
mysticcooking · May 21, 2013 at 1:39 pm
A race around Saturn’s rings to save the solar system is such a fun idea! I love this and the voice in your first 250 words.
Good luck!
Juliana · May 21, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Thanks! I appreciate that! 🙂
L. T. Host · May 21, 2013 at 5:22 pm
What a ride! Sounds amazing! Good luck 🙂
Juliana · May 21, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Thanks! 🙂
Anoosha · May 21, 2013 at 7:20 pm
This must be the most original concept that I have ever had the pleasure to read (or at least to read a part of anyway). I hope to see this on bookshelves. Good luck! 🙂
Juliana · May 22, 2013 at 12:09 pm
What a nice compliment! Thanks!
Ammi-Joan Paquette · May 23, 2013 at 7:16 am
Neat–I’m pulled in by the story and intrigued to read further.
Christa Heschke · May 23, 2013 at 8:56 am
Intergalactic racecar driver? Count me in! I’d like to see this!
Catherine Drayton · May 23, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Love to see it!
Comments are closed.