BLAKE LASER

A family vacation among the stars becomes a mission to save the solar system.

In the year 2354, 12-year-old Blake McClain is on a spaceship with her family—her mom, who reads Black, her dad, who appears white, and her big brother, Brody. They’re on their way to a stellar vacation home, but their trip is sidelined when they discover that the sun is rapidly being drained. Clues point to a nearby asteroid. Hijinks ensue involving Zagbar and Karl, a pair of bumbling, blue-skinned aliens. The McClains’ family dynamics are wholesome and positive, with the parents showing affection for each other and the siblings playfully teasing each other. Blake and Brody learn to combine her science and his art in a standout scene. Blake’s parents are initially skeptical of her abilities, but they eventually recognize her scientific gifts and ability to handle responsibility despite her young age. Disappointingly, new classmate Sherman Klein, a chubby white-presenting boy, receives the opposite treatment, with Blake and her friend Anusha Gupta, who’s cued South Asian, joking about his weight and unkindly calling him a nerd. Blake says they’re “just playing,” but this behavior undermines her later heroism. Despite a flat quality to the illustrations, readers looking for an adventurous girl surrounded by science-fiction tech, spaceships, and dangerous robots will be well served, but the future looks regressive for nerdy friendship.

A STEM-friendly interstellar adventure.