Earthling!

by Mark Fearing, Tim Rummel

Every kid worries about making friends at a new school, but when nine-year-old Bud accidentally catches the wrong bus and finds himself launched into deep space, new friends are the least of his problems! At Cosmos Academy, Bud learns that Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy, and even Earth's location has been hidden! With the help of his new friend, Gort, Bud goes undercover as a Tenarian exchange student. Unfortunately that means everyone thinks he's a pro at anti-gravity Zero-Ball (even though he's really only a pro at watching sports). And with paranoid Principal Lepton threat ening to expel any Earthlings (into outer space) and only Gort's hacked Blip computer to help them determine Earth's co-ordinates, will Bud ever find his way home?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Comics, Aliens, Fantasy

248 pages, Hardcover

First published June 8, 2012

About the author

Mark Fearing is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Earthling! and has illustrated several award-winning picture books. The inspiration for The Great Thanksgiving Escape, the first picture book he has both written and illustrated, were memories of the unexpected, unplanned events at family gatherings-"the fun that was discovered, not mandated." Mark Fearing lives in Oregon.

Reviews

[Mohamed Zidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this it reminded me of 1st grade nice book...

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one but feel my rating would be different than C. She’d give it a 4 and me a 3. The initial idea and theme fell short for me. Connecting to this sci-fi graphic novel wasn’t for me.

[Beckett Haefele]

I am enjoying this book. I like how Bud makes new friends and learns new things. So far I would recommend it to other people.

[Christian Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book it is about a boy named Bud who is from Minneapolis and is going to New Mexico for a new job. The next morning he wakes up eats breakfast and takes the wrong bus. the bus that he took led to cosmos academy all the way in space . He makes a new friend along the way his name is Gort and he is a alien also he tells bud that Earthlings are feared in space, so he has to pretend somebody who he is not. You'll have to read to find out. It is a great book.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bud has just moved to Arizona with his scientist father. He's waiting for the school bus the first day...and manages to get on the wrong one. He finds himself headed not to Abraham Lincoln Elementary School but to Cosmos Academy with other aliens from all over the galaxy. So this could be extremely cool, except that the aliens running the school are all convinced Earthlings are pure evil and are planning to wipe out the rest of the universe. Bud has to go undercover quickly as a Tenarian exchange student staying with an ok kid named Gort (who pretty much saved Bud from completely exposing his true identity and getting sent to suspension for life). Bud and Gort are trying to figure out how to get Bud back to Earth before anyone figures out who he really is. This isn't exactly easy since Earth is so evil Cosmos Academy has deleted all records of it's existence and location. Time is ticking away, and Principal Paranoid seems to be highly suspicious (both suspicious of Bud and suspicious-acting, as in up to no good).

This graphic novel reads very much like Saturday morning cartoon of old in a good way. It's slightly larger than life, goofy, and brimming with impossible problems. The heroes are humorous, overly average, and use their quirky talents to eventually save the day. All the misunderstandings are eventually worked out, and everyone (even the bad guys) ends up having a happy ending. It's a lighthearted sci-fi romp through time and space that combines friendship, basketball know-how in zero Gs, stable singularities, hacking skills, and a variety of alien species to rival Starfleet academy.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some ZeroBall players get electrical shocks, but no other violence.

[Gabriel Knebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pretty good book because it's full of crazy alien tech and aliens, both being things I like. It's about this kid who misses his bus, but a space bus has crashed nearby, so he gets on the bus, thinking it's his. Turns out this bus goes to an alien school, where humans are deemed evil and are feared. Bud, the protagonist, is able to get by by pretending he's a special type of alien (I forget the name) who simply looks exactly like a human. If sci-fi interests you, you will love this book.

[Melissa Posten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. Not only is it much-needed early middle-grade scifi, but it's really good! And it has substance too--good family dynamics; lots of sticky school social situations; a confusingly awesome alien school sport. Looking forward to more from Fearing.

[Jesse Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about a kid who gets on the wrong bus and it goes to a space school.

[Rachael Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As our read-alouds have progressed, the Little Dude has become more and more interested in graphic novels. I love graphic novels and I'm never going to be one of those moms who discourages reading them. (I am in charge of a large graphic novel collection at work and I firmly believe that it encourages a different kind of literacy that a lot of adults lack. See: the number of adults who "can't read" graphic novels.) However, I really truly hate reading them out loud to my kid. With this particular book we found that it worked best if I pointed to each and every cell that I read. Some of the chapters were uncomfortably long and there were a lot of words that I tripped over.

Now, there's my personal experience with reading the book out loud but it definitely would be different if I were reading it to myself for fun.

Bud is just starting at a new school when he accidentally gets on the wrong bus. This would be a scary experience for any kid but the bus that Bud happens to catch is going to Cosmos Academy where all of his fellow students are different kinds of aliens and where everyone is afraid of Earthlings. Bud is lucky enough to make a new friend, Gort, who guides him on his way and helps him cook up a lie about being a Tenarian. The only problem? Tenarians are good at sports and Bud is not so much. Oh, there's also the problem of trying to get home when the coordinates of Earth are hidden "for the safety of the universe." Good thing Gort is kind of a genius and really good at making plans.

This was a cute book and I honestly loved the ending. Plus, there was a surprising amount of stuff going on. Little Dude is five and he lost a couple of threads as we went but I was surprised at how much he remembered. An all around good time read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit for 2nd read-through: I'm reading all of the Zita/Mighty Jack and LOVING them even more this time around. I said this is my 2nd read-through, but to think of it, it's not. I've lost count of how many times I've read these. My copies have all fallen apart, and I need to get new copies. (I'm reading library copies right now.) This is "officially" for Goodreads my 2nd read-through, I guess. Sometimes, I read and read and read so much that it's hard to slow down and actually right a proper sort of review to track it. *sigh*

Yeah, Zita! Love seeing what happens when a "hero" isn't a hero anymore. How do you deal? Love Madrigal, and the "gift" that she gives the Piper. Heh heh. Mouse (Pizzicato) is one of my favorite characters, and my daughter is in love with the cat, Glissando,especially when he became small and looked like a pwecious, widdle kitten...this is how she said it, btw. I loved that they worked together as best mates in crime, bad, I know.

And I love that there are SO many references to music throughout (Piper, Madrigal, Pizzicato, Glissando)!

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well illustrated and fun graphic novel. "Bud" has moved with his father to a remote area in New Mexico where his dad is to take over a radio telescope lab. On his way to the bus stop on the first day of school, he misses the bus but manages to spot a second bus and hop on only to discover that the kids on the bus are all very alien looking. The bus encounters a emergency situation and he and his new friend Gort manage to evacuate in a pod. Bud discovers that he is in a very different school and earthlings are to be feared and eliminated. But the upside is that kids are kids and Bud is welcomed into a small circle of friends and takes on a new identity. A series of fun exchanges with his friends and the administration take you on a some fairly normal stresses if they weren't set in this strange place with weird teachers and alien life forms. And, the most important question of all, can Gort get Bud back home to his earth and his father?

[Christopher C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by mark fearing if you want to know about this book ill tell you my personal thoughts "I think that the book earthling was a very good book I gave it five stars. it starts off with a nine year old boy who moves to mexico city and the the boy at first is kind of on the edge about having to move to this new place. but turns out he was right because what happens in the book next is going to surprise him. And lets just say that he has a lot ahead of him some people could say that it is out of this sword literary. this book is not just any book this book is filled with action, cliffhangers, dilemma etc. So if your interested in any of these things then this book is for you."

- Christopher Crooks

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earthlings is a very short read. This book is about a boy who lived on earth and he got on a wrong bus and that bus was going to the international space school where a whole bunch of aliens and weird creatures lived and the principal of that school hated earth and anything to do with it so the earthling has to stay clear of the principal and make his way back home before he is caught and terminated.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bud relocates to New Mexico, and on his first day of school he gets on the wrong bus, and finds himself on his way to Cosmos Academy in outer space, where Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy. Bud makes friends with a few students who try to help him return to Earth. Things are as simple as they seem, because the principal of the academy has an old score to settle with Earth.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bud catches the wrong bus on his first day in a new state and finds himself going to an intergalactic school. But at this school, the principal assumes the worst about the little known earthling, and Bud soon finds himself in a race to get home, and then an adventure to save the earth.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

ReRd. Silly. Aliens with many colors, eyes and limbs are scary and funny. Art and text fit together for nerd kids and their parents.

Can Bud save Earth from the Principal of the Cosmos Academy? The paranoid leader mourned his brother, missing when Earth visited the moon.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Senator · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good!

[Haris Zia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book as a kid, I don't remember it that much but I do remember that I liked it. Good book.

[Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a very interesting book.... it is'nt the type of book that i would read.

[Kyle Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is cool and funny. it is all about accusing and stuff.

[Dani Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really fun. I was hoping the end would be a cliff hanger, but it wrapped up nicely instead. Not sure if there is a book two, but I'll be reading it if there is!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way worse than being the new kid at a normal school! The teacher and custodian are kind and well-meaning, which helps a lot. Bud has to go through a lot of unexpected trouble to get home!

[Allie Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

another book that I randomly remembered

[Cecile Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something different from the franchises. A family favorite.

[Brenda Lower · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Bud moves out to the New Mexico desert with his scientist father, he feels like he is moving to the middle of nowhere. No friends, nothing ordinary, and most of all, a new school he has to attend. And of course, on his first day, he's almost late for the bus! Luckily, he catches it just in time.

But did he really catch the right bus? Instead of being full of kids, the bus is loaded with aliens! The bus is really a spaceship picking up all the alien kids from random planets for Cosmos Academy, the best space school in the galaxy!

Bud quickly makes a new friend in Gort, an friendly alien that helps Bud blend in, make even more friends, and not eat what looks to be a pile of food but is really a fellow student. On top of all of this, they discover the nefarious plots of the principle to use the school as a weapon. Together, they have to figure out how to get Bud home before the principle figures out that Bud is really an Earthling, the worst type of alien there is.

This was a funny example of being the new kid in town. Bud has to go through hazing, trying to stand up to bullies, making the bullies his friend, and even trying out for the sports team! Any kid that has been the odd one out would enjoy Bud's antics, and recognize a kindred spirit.

I also really enjoyed the attitude of trying something different if the first thing didn't work out. Bud and Gort have to try several different things before they finally get Bud home. This is a great example of perseverance and persistence. I think more kids need to learn not to give up if the first thing you try doesn't go right.

Over all, really fun book, lots of great morals but told in a way that it doesn't bash you over the head with them. Bud and Gort do get into mischief, but it would be hard to name a book that they don't get into mischief! Great book for boys, and it's actually fairly substantial, so keeps them occupied for more than 5 minutes. Fun read, I'll recommend it a lot!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on the Lemon-Squash Book Club

When Bud catches the wrong school bus, he finds himself not heading down the road to his first day at his new elementary school, but hurtling across the galaxy on his way to Cosmos Academy. As an unwitting representative of the most feared (if least understood) species in the galaxy, Bud finds himself in need of a cover story before he even gets off the bus. Fortunately, his new friend Gort is able to pull one together. Unfortunately, said cover story involves an assumed expertise at ZeroBall, a sport Bud’s never heard of, let alone played. Fortunately, ZeroBall is basically zero-gravity basketball. Unfortunately, watching basketball for hours at home does not translate to skill on the court, and it turns out that getting into the tournament final is the best chance Bud has of getting home. Worse, in the course of trying to find a way into the tournament, Bud and Gort discover a plot to rid the galaxy once and for all of the vague menace that is Earth. It’s up to Bud, Gort, and the rest of their ZeroBall team to save the world and, hopefully, get Bud back on it.

With lots of ups and downs, a bit of mystery, and plenty of humour, Mark Fearing tells a story that will keep middle grade (and older!) readers engaged. The surprise ending isn’t entirely unexpected, but it does wrap things up in a satisfying way. The art is colourful and full of action, with the portrayal of the various alien species particularly helpful in keeping straight the fairly complex politics of Fearing’s imagined galaxy. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good “kids save the day” story.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bud is nervous about starting at his new school and running late on the first day isn't helping ease his fears at all. Lucky for him, the bus rolls up right after he gets to the bus stop. It doesn't take long for him to realize something is strange though. All the students look really weird, robotic arms force something into his ear, and a safety bar comes down in front of him to hold him in the seat. But, when the bus launches itself into the sky, Bud really knows he's in trouble. He totally got on the wrong bus.

Gort, a fellow bus rider sits next to him and explains they are heading to the Cosmos Academy. When Bud tries to explain that he made a mistake and needs to get back to Earth, Gort quickly tells him to be quiet. Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the universe. Gort comes up with the plan to tell everyone that Bud is a Tenarian exchange student and should come home and live with him.

At Cosmos Academy, Bud is roped into playing Zero-Ball since Tenarians are known for their athletic abilities. Unfortunately, Bud doesn't play sports and with zero gravity it makes it even harder for him.

Gort and Bud come up with a plan to get Bud back to Earth, but the only way they can do it is to secure a place in the Zero-Ball Championship game. That means they have to beat the best team at school. Will Bud ever get back home? Will he be able to keep his identity a secret?

EARTHLING! is a really cute graphic novel. The final copy with be in full color and the sample color panels I've seen look great. The ARC I read had black and white drawings and it was still enjoyable to read. Gort is an adorable character and his and Bud's friendship is great!

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written AND Illustrated by Mark Fearing

248 pages – ages 8+

Published by Chronicle Books on June 20, 2012

Bud got on the wrong bus. Not a big deal right? Right. That is, if that bus doesn’t go into deep space to a school that is full of aliens that hate Earthlings! Bud got on that kind of bus. The kind with the aliens. He meets Gort McGortgort, another kid/an alien, who becomes his guide. Gort tells Bud that he can’t tell ANYONE he is an Earthling because Earthlings are feared and despised (apparently all the aliens think Earthlings want to kidnap them). Gort and Bud become friends even though Bud is an Earthling. Gort does his best to get Bud home, but bad (and somehow completely funny) things keep happening! Will Bud ever get home?

I have been waiting and waiting for this book to come out! I first read about it on Mr. Fearing’s blog. I really like Mr. Fearing’s illustrations and was happy to find out he was writing a graphic novel. I was not disappointed! I really did “laugh out loud” when reading this book! It was really likeable and hilarious! I really liked Bud and Gort. They were both good friends, nice and cool. I thought the plot was hysterical – Earthlings being feared and an Earth boy being trapped as the “new kid” in school. Mr. Fearing’s illustrations and story really make this an awesome graphic novel. I thought ”Earthling!” did really well as a graphic novel because it was cool to see how all the aliens looked and the pictures really added to the whole story. I recommend this graphic novel to kids 8+ and young advanced readers because it is a longer graphic novel that actually has a good, long story that you can really get into.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Bud's father moves the family to New Mexico for his new job at an outpost responsible for searching for signs of extraterrestrial communication, Bud is anxious about the first day of school as most transfer students would be. His anxieties turn out to be well-founded since he somehow catches the wrong bus and ends up at Cosmos Academy. A friendly alien named Gort comes up with a plan for him to pose as an exchange student from another planet where anti-gravity ZeroBall is popular. Bud deals with a principal suspicious of all Earthlings, bullying from Hadron and his crew who are the best ZeroBall team around, and strange foods. When he and Gort concoct a plot to bring him closer to Earth so that he can go home, both boys unexpectedly end up having their moments of heroism. There is quite a bit to enjoy here; for instance, the administrative droid will remind older readers of some of the administrative minions they've encountered, and the xenophobia expressed by several of the alien characters mirrors that of our own. While Bud makes enemies during his sojourn on another planet, finding the same sort of bullies that seem to exist everywhere, he also finds friends and allies in his classmates and teachers. This graphic novel contains great lessons combined with humor and creativity. The conclusion wraps things up neatly, but leaves room for future stories about the new partnership created as the result of the actions of Bud and Gort. I loved saying his whole name: Gort GortGort McGortGort!