Greetings from Planet Earth

by Barbara Kerley

An extraordinary debut novel from the award-winning author of THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS and WALT WHITMAN.

If you had one minute to describe life on Earth, what would you say? It's 1977, and Theo and his class are creating a golden record inspired by the one Voyager 2 will carry into space as a greeting from Earth. But as Theo searches for an original answer to his teacher's question, other questions begin to What happened to his father in Vietnam? And why has his mother been keeping secrets all these years?

In this unforgettable, innovatively constructed debut novel, Barbara Kerley shows us the beauty of outer space and the devastation of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Juvenile, Childrens, Family

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Barbara Kerley was born in Washington, D.C. and has lived in many places, including Nepal and the tropical island of Guam. She has written about almost everything: 19th C iguanodons, Teddy Roosevelt, world peace, Mark Twain's donkey, and the pleasure of following your curiosity.

Reviews

[Kaitlyn Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Theo is assigned a project to provide a sound byte of "the most important thing on Earth" to go up to Space on the Voyager expedition in 1977, this curious young boy must do some serious soul searching. His father disappeared during the Vietnam war and it has left his family cold and uncertain of how to move on with their lives. Theo finds his project growing more and more difficult as he deals with exposed secrets and an ever-growing list of questions.

Worth the read! The story has satisfying twists, but a fairly simplistic plot line and character development. Try it out and see what you think.

[Bill Prosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit off beat, but I liked it a lot. Lots of great discussion can come out of it, on many topics. The book has great characters and took me a while to figure out, but I wanted to keep reading to the end. Interesting family dynamics, Viet Nam War, Space Race, lots of topics.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great package. It's 1977, and Theo loves science. Voyager 2 is about to be launched, with its golden record as a message to whomever might be out in space. Theo's teacher is inspired to create this assignment: what is the most important thing about the Earth? The kids all have different ideas about what they would include in their own space message, but Theo becomes confused when he tries to choose just ONE thing. Partly as a result of thinking about these big questions ("Who are we?"; "Where do we live?"; "What can we do?"; What have we accomplished?"), Theo is beginning to chafe at the rules his mother has about his dad, who served in Vietnam but never came home. She gets upset whenever he's mentioned, so Theo and his older sister Janet just don't. That has worked for a while, but Theo is getting more curious. What was his dad like? What did he think of Theo? What EXACTLY happened to him? Does his mother not know, or is she hiding something? What? Why? Kerley weaves this story together masterfully. As the siblings follow people and snoop around, trying to find out the truth, the suspense builds to a very satisfying climax and ending. Themes of honesty, war and its aftermath, and family ties are effortlessly strung together. Parts of the story are told as letters--to a potential alien? To his dad? Only seven libraries in Westchester own this book, and it's too good to miss.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theo can’t stop thinking about the Voyager 2 space probe, about to launch in 1977, but he also can’t stop thinking about his dad who hasn’t come back from the Vietnam War and is presumed missing in action. As Theo starts asking questions, he begins unravelling family secrets and thinking about his own place in the world.

[Nisini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an uncorrected copy, but from what I read it was incredibly enjoyable novel about family dichotomy and finding what was once lost in a quest to uncover who we are as people. I often enjoy fiction, and can compare this novel to "All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook," which I can also recommend.

[Whitney Emeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely surprised by how much I liked this book.

I picked it up because it related directly to something I'm currently writing, and I hadn't seen many pieces of writing that even discussed the same topic.

What I found was a great little book about our place in the wider world and how the decisions of the people around us can affect that place.

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A class assignment for twelve year old Theo causes him to start asking questions as to why his dad never came back from Vietnam.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for a real middle of the road review.

This is my first children's book about a father/parent who has gone off to war & my first Vietnam War book. And I did enjoy reading about the (more mature) themes of war and PTSD. Barbara Kerley does a good job breaking it down for (Theo &) young readers.

Janet shook her head. "I don't know what I want to do. It's so confusing."
Theo considered this. "It's like my models -the complicated ones. I think it's only confusing when you try to figure out the whole thing at once." (Pg. 233)

-

BUT, and I seem to be in the minority here, but I really couldn't get passed the writing... This book is all jumpy dialogue with no (or weak, if any,) transitions. I love a good Middle Grade book, but the style read quite young because of this & I ran out of patience for it and skimmed to the end.

[bugsill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a really good book I enjoyed it and I loved all of the characters

[Brian Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

The earth has been around for 4.5 billion years, but how would you describe it if you had just one minute? Greetings from Planet Earth is a book that dares to ask, "who are we?" Although written in 2007, Greetings From Planet Earth takes place in 1977 in the aftermaths of the Vietnam War. Barbara Kerley's bold telling of a young boy and his troubled family is a profoundly real insight on life with all of its rough edges. I recommend to anyone looking for a book that provokes thought and challenges how you see family and the human race as a whole.

The story surrounds a boy named Theo, a quiet, intellectual boy with a passion for space. Inspired by the Voyager 2's golden record, Theo and his class have been tasked to make a one minute recording as an introduction of Earth to alien life. In his search for what defines, he begins to dive deeper into his own. Family tensions run high as he trys to find out what really happened to his father in Vienam and why his mother has been keeping it a secret for so long.

"Before Galileo, before Copernicuz, Aristarchus figured out that Earth revolved around the sun. All these guys looking up at the night sky, asking questions that seemed too big for answer. You could choose any one you wanted, Theo realized, and spend the rest of your life trying to figure it out." - Greetings from Planet Earth, Barabara Kerley.

I personally really enjoyed this book for its realistic problems that made the plot more meaningful. It's the kind of raw story that you rarely see in realistic fiction for kids, but it was definitely worth it.Greetings from Planet Earth has challenged me to explore what it means to be human. An off beat book that sets the bar for true realistic fiction, provokes thought like none other. Whether or not your interested in space, try out Greetings from Planet Earth for a strikingly honest and real story about a family's struggle. What would you say in a minute?

[Margaret Dilloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book, dealing with the heartbreaking topic of the aftermath of the Vietnam war and its effects on one family, in a serio-comic way.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

If you had one minute of sound and one picture to describe the very best thing about being a human on Earth, what would you do? That's Theo's assignment, and he has two weeks to figure it out.

It's 1977 and the Voyager Probes are due to launch soon. They will be the most extensive space exploration mission yet. Aboard one of the probes is a golden record, full of sounds from earth, that will be broadcast into space, intended as a greeting toward alien life.

At first Theo thinks the assignment will be simple. The more he thinks about it, the harder it becomes. He has some great ideas, but nothing seems quite good enough. How do you describe the very best thing about humans in one minute? Should it be something we've created? Should it avoid mention of anything bad? Who are we?

One question leads to the next, and the biggest ones start to come from outside of school. Who is Theo's father, really? What happened to him in Vietnam? Why can't they talk about him? Does keeping a secret hurt someone or protect them?

This is a story about much more than just space exploration, although I did learn quite a bit more about that than I ever did in a class. This is a story about exploring you family and yourself. It's about asking hard questions, even when you're not sure you want to know the answer. It's also about forgiveness and strength and understanding. All of these are ideas that transcend time, making GREETINGS FROM PLANET EARTH a great book to have now or ten years from now, and just as good for adults as it is for kids.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You meet Theo and immediately sympathize with him. It's his birthday and his sister gets him some pimple cream. His grandma gets him a gift from his dad, but they never talk about his dad. He knows that when he was younger, his dad went to war. He doesn't know what happens after that.

His grandma secretly offers to tell him more about his dad if he can keep it a secret from his mom. Which means that this is not going to be good news. But he agrees because bad news is better than no news. He learns more about his dad and what he learns makes him angry, at his mom.

Throughout the book, you travel with Theo and his class as they try to individually decide what's the most important thing on earth.

This book will make you laugh and cry. The voice is so strong you feel like you are Theo and as everything becomes a little clearer, you are just as emotional as he is.

My only issue was the author's stance on the Vietnam War was a little bit heavy-handed for me. Not enough to dampen my enjoyment of the book though.

I read about this book on the Literate Lives blog. They used it for their Grand Discussion, when some students and their parents read the book and get together to discuss it. I would never have picked it up otherwise, so I thank them!

It was a nice, fast read and I can't wait until we discuss it in book group.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything comes together in just the right way in this book about a 12 y.o. boy named Theo trying to come to terms with his dad's disappearance during the Vietnam War. Theo is a curious boy, a thinker who likes to ponder and to make things fit together, one step at a time, just as with the models his dad has "sent" every year for his birthday.

Theo's investigations into his dad's past weave together with his teacher's assignment to create a one-minute "golden record" of the most important thing on Earth, to be sent into space on the Voyager expedition.

I gave the book 5 stars because I was amazed when everything came full circle in the end, in a plausible but never sappy way. The subject matter could seem heavy, but there's humor and mystery and science and caring and family and honest anger throughout the book. It's never depressing or "deep" and moves at a pace so that there's always one next thing the reader wants to know about. (Will Theo find the letters, what's on the film, where's JeeBee going, can Theo fix things with Kenny...)

Well done!

[Ryan S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty intriguing a couple pages in. Maybe I should have thought otherwise. I assumed maybe this book would be about space considering the title, but I flip the book and see something about whether your family or country is more important...Confusing, but it doesn't stop me.

A summary of this book is basically this kid, Theo, his father joins the fight in the Vietnam War, never is seen by him, and is presumed to be dead. Kid worries about what he'll do for his project that focuses around "who are we", and struggles with discovering the secrets his mother and sister have hid from him.

Spoiler alert: Dad never died.

I felt like this book was too random, as there were moments where this kid would be dreaming about his father, and then suddenly speaking to his friend about their project, about a dog, or eating dinner. At times all the events will try to "tie-in", but they were no-good attempts. I didn't like how jumpy it was, and found that the best part of the book was the part when I closed the book. Sorry.

[7706abdullah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok. The reason why I didn't like this book is when the main character Theo found the solution to one of his conflict, it wasn't as suspenseful, dramatic as I thought it would be. I think it would have been ok for a fifth grade, but for a seventh grader, it could use some more suspense and drama.

Theo has big question: What should he choose for his voyager2 question? Theo has a science project that requires a picture and a 1min recording of something that represents Earth. His not sure what to choose. He thinks about many things but he can only choose one.

While all that is happening, Theo is in search of his dad. Theo's mom told him that his father has gone to fight the war in Vietnam and he never came back. He has recently discovered some clues that might solve this problem.

Greetings From Planet Earth by Barbara Kerky is a realistic fiction. If you like books with space and straight forward solution to conflicts, you sholud read this book.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start, let me just say that I loved this book! I wasn't expecting to, so it was a very nice surpise. Theo is a 12 year old boy who lives with his mother and sister. The problem is, his dad is gone and nobody will tell him why. His dad went to Vietnam and never came back and as far as he knows, is considered MIA. His grandmother starts to tell Theo little tidbits about his dad which only intrigues him more. His science teacher at school has given him a assignment that is making Theo really think hard about what makes Earth and the people on it so special. With great characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages, you'll love reading this book! You'll learn quite a bit about space and the moon in general so a great book for fans of both. Theo is a great main character that the author does a magnificant job of revealing to us as the story goes on.

[mia♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You ate my fries!"

"Oh, those were yours?"

I enjoy a book, when a few chapters in, there is a fight about fries. Greetings From Planet Earth was and amazing book. The book was so easy to get lost in. I teared up lots of times throughout the book. I felt like I was part of the family. Theo and Janet's love-hate relationship is amazingly hilarious and heart warming. And, by the end of the story, Theo and Janet are the coolest siblings ever.

The foreshadowing Barbara Kerley uses in this story is absolutely amazing. The fact that she used the letters, magazines, and pictures is pretty cool. Her writing style is very detailed. I love how I looked at this book thinking, "Is this some nerdy book about space?". Oh boy, was I proved wrong. In the future I will definitely be reading another Barbara Kerley book.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

12-year-old Theo's long-standing interest in space is sparked by the launch of Voyager II in 1977 and a science assignment to choose the most important part of life on earth and describe it in one minute or less. The search for the perfect answer leads Theo to questions about his father's failure to return from Vietnam and the secrets his mother keeps from her children.

I really enjoyed this off-beat book. It opens many avenues for discussion and reads like contemporary realistic fiction despite its historical setting. Thoughtful readers in grades 5-7 will find this a good choice.

[Alison Ebert]

this book is about a boy,Theo who lives at home with his mom and sister. his father left to the war to repair helicopters in Iraq.as Theo grew older he missed his father and wanted to know more about him. Theo read letters from his father and asked his grandmother to tell him everything about his father. After school Theo went to follow his grandmother because he was growing suspicious of her. he found out that his father was alive and that he was working with kids and teaching them to repair vehicles. Theo can finally be reunited with his father.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite frankly this book ticked me off. I can't say much about why this is the case without giving away the ending. I honestly think that I took this book a little too personally. But, I am not sure that the author thought about when creating an ending that feels like a band aid on a gaping wound. I don't recommend this book. This is nominated for a California Young Reader Medal this year. As a responsible librarian, I have the obligation to present it impartially which will be very difficult, but I will do my best!

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1977, the Vietnam War has ended, the Space Race is in full swing and Encyclopedia Britannica is still considered a cutting edge research tool. Theo is working on completing an assignment which answers the question, "Who are we?". In addition to this question he is trying to figure out what happened to his father after the war. Theo's mother doesn't speak of his father and brushes off Theo's attempts to find out the truth. Barbara Kerley offers up a sensitive tale of family secrets and trust. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

[Jespera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a 12 year old boy who, in 1977, is working on answering the question "What is the most important thing about earth?" to put on the Voyager--for a school assignment. Meanwhile, he seeks to discover what happened to his father who never returned from Vietnam. His mother never speaks of his father, but he finds himself wanting to know more. Interesting to me as well, because he is my age and my father went to Vietnam and returned.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I'll give four stars to any book that makes me cry at the end, and this one fits the bill. I didn't catch on to what was happening until very late in the game, and when I realized...yikes, it was a tear jerker. The author does an excellent job using space exploration, flight and the Voyager missions to help a young man express his feelings about a missing father and a family that refuses to talk about it. This is a really interesting addition to fiction about the Vietnam War.

[Missmath144 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theo is a kid who loves science. He's especially enthralled with space and with the exploration of space. He is also very interested in his current science project, which is to determine what makes Earth different/important. How can he represent Earth in a single picture and a one-minute soundbite? Quite apart from that, his father went to fight in VietNam and never came back. He's not dead; he just never came back, and Theo's mom won't talk about it.

[Kristin Rosenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you had one minute to talk about the best thing about the planet Earth, what would you choose? Theo is given exactly that dilemma, and while the assignment seems at first easy, it quickly leads him down a path of introspection and indecision. Will picking the best thing about Earth help Theo learn some things about himself? This book may not be action packed, but it is filled with quality contemplation and personal growth.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theo loves space, thinking and putting models together. He misses having a dad who never has returned from the Vietnam War. Theo's teacher poses the question "Who are we?" Theo struggles to decide what his project will be to answer this question and also struggles with his dad, mom and grandma over his dad's decision to go into war. Very Good

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got me thinking. I liked this book. And Theo was likeable. At first I didn't liked Janet, but then she turned out to be cool. And I liked Kenny to, for him the most important thing in this Planet is Buster, their dog. And I like what he said about animals, that they are as important as humans. I totally agree.

[Kenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that portrays how Vietnam effected America (not in a deep philosophical way of course, but more geared towards a younger crowd). This book has tons of twists and surprises the reader had no idea was coming, and the reader could've never guessed.
Overall, the book was humorous, entertaining, and a light read.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet heart-tugger with a decent mystery at its core. Nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking in terms of children's literature, but definitely a worthy read and a good segue into discussions of war veterans and what it would be like to come home after combat.