Is There Anybody Out There? (A Wild Thing Book): The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, from Amoebas to Aliens

by Laura Krantz

Inspired by her popular Wild Thing podcast, journalist Laura Krantz incorporates the scientific method and her journalistic skills to determine if aliens might exist.

How likely is it that humans aren’t alone in the universe?

Reports of strange lights, UFO sightings, and alien encounters abound—and some (like recent accounts from US Navy pilots) even sound credible. In recent years, armed with state-of-the-art technology and better information, the search for extraterrestrials overflows with exciting possibilities. Within our own solar system, astrobiologists search for the biochemical building blocks that might sustain microbes, astronomers discover far-flung stars, orbited by planets that could be teeming with life, and astrophysicists point sophisticated telescopes toward the deep reaches of the universe, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Is There Anybody Out There? turns our collective gaze What’s the likelihood of life on other planets? Or that aliens have already made the trip to visit us? How would they get here? Why do we want to find them? And what does it mean if we do (or don’t)? Teaching readers to challenge their gut assumptions and open their minds to new possibilities by using critical thinking and the scientific method, journalist Laura Krantz investigates the science, culture, and philosophy of a universe in which we’re not alone—and why the idea of alien life has abducted our imaginations.

Includes Color Illustrations and Features Photographs from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Genres: Middle Grade, Science, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Laura Krantz is a journalist, editor and producer, in both radio and print. Her podcast, Wild Thing, has received critical acclaim from Scientific American, Rolling Stone, and The Atlantic, and is now a series of non-fiction middle-grade books. Aside from Wild Thing, Laura edits, consults and produces on several other podcasts. Formerly, she edited and produced at NPR in Washington, DC, for multiple shows including Morning Edition and Weekend Edition; later she served as the lead editor for Take Two at KPCC in Los Angeles. Her writing has appeared in Popular Science, Smithsonian Magazine, Outside, High Country News, Newsweek and, her personal favorite, the Archie McPhee Catalog.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored Laura Krantz's first Wild Thing book, The Search for Sasquatch-- I loved it so much that I was on a committee to select it as an Indies Introduce title in 2022! I was thrilled to see that her next book would be all about extraterrestrials! Laura brings up a lot of scientific data such as astronomy, biology, mathematics, and physics, in order to discuss what may or may not be out there in the Earthling quest to make contact. Will it be possible in this lifetime? Have we already? There's a lot that can be proven fact or fiction-- but there's also endless possibility for what scientists and ufologists have yet to uncover. Whether a child is interested in STEM subjects or becoming a budding cryptozoologist, Is There Anybody Out There? is a book that will capture the attention of many inquiring minds of all ages. Are you a believer? Why or why not? This book will help you think about the future and what might be in store.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krantz writes a book that will intrigue young readers into learning about various fields in STEM while puzzling out the evidence and critical thinking regarding UFOs.

Readers learn about imaging, light, space, military missions, subcultures who investigate UFOs, mainstream media, scientists, etc.

There are a lot of drawings to help pull readers into the text.

The back matter includes a glossary, notes, bibliography, acknowledgements, and index.

This was a fun way to use critical thinking skills on every level of Bloom's taxonomy.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Krantz opens this book up with a question: do aliens exist out there? What follows is a logical answer based on a multitude of information: wavelengths, scientists, data, anecdotes, government interference--there's so much to look into and wade through as we try to figure out whether we're alone out here or not.

Paired with brightly color and informative yet entrancing illustrations, this scientific book can't help but being just as entertaining as it is educational.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read about extraterrestrial life and space. It was a nice baseline and easy to understand. I loved reading about the different telescopes. I would have liked more examples of alien spotting locations and stories. They were so interesting! I want to visit the Watchtower now.

This is a great book to get an introduction into space and aliens. The illustrations were wonderful. I think it is a good book to encourage kids to pursue science as well.