Hal Junior 1: The Secret Signal [Kindle Edition]

Simon Haynes (Author)

Book Description

NOTE: there's a review below (the only 1-star) where the reader has actually loaded and read a different title halfway through the book. Hal Junior DOES NOT contain adult language, OR any of the passages quoted in the review.

Hal Junior lives aboard a futuristic space station. His mum is chief scientist, his dad cleans air filters and his best mate is Stephen 'Stinky' Binn. As for Hal ... he's a bit of a trouble magnet. He means well, but his wild schemes and crazy plans never turn out as expected!

Hal Junior: The Secret Signal features mayhem and laughs, daring and intrigue ... plus a home-made space cannon!


The Secret Signal will appeal to readers with a sense of humour and a taste for adventure.


No swearing and no adult concepts ... just good clean fun.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sure to entertain and delight any fan" - Midwest Book Review

From the Author

What happened to Junior science fiction?

Exciting, aspirational and mind-blowing ... young readers should be devouring science fiction, yet new releases in this genre are as rare as a battery-powered space shuttle.
Over the past few years I've promoted reading and writing at countless schools, libraries and literary events. Young readers - boys AND girls - are fascinated by science fiction, yet they rarely get the chance to read it!

So, I decided enough was enough, and I put my adult series on hold to write the kind of science fiction I would have devoured as a ten-year-old.

The result is Hal Junior: The Secret Signal, a funny, fast-moving novel set in the distant future. It's written in a similar style to my Hal Spacejock books, and doesn't talk down to younger readers. I set out to write a realistic portrayal of life in the distant future, as experienced by a boy of 10 or 11. Well, realistic apart from bungie-jumping with elastic shoelaces, and that home-made space cannon ...

There are more than 40 illustrations, sight gags and technical diagrams scattered throughout the book, many of them explaining concepts in the text. There are also plans for the world's most acrobatic paper plane.

Judging by the great feedback I've had from teachers and librarians, Hal Junior will really appeal to confident readers aged 8+. Parents seem to love it too ...

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 530 KB
• Print Length: 188 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 187703407X
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Bowman Press; 1 edition (October 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005L632RG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,203 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Ages 9-12

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What can I say I love this book September 22, 2012

By Katie Silver

Format:Kindle Edition

What can I say I love this book, it has a way of making you feel young again as you read, and like others have said it brings back memories of Just William and Dennis the Menace. Following the mishap adventures of Hal and his side kick stinky.
Set on a space station Simon Haynes has done a great job with these characters and scenery one cant help but grow to love them.

This book is just plain and simple good old fashioned fun, mixed up in a futuristic way, there is no doubt that Hal Junior is going to grow in great series which I will continue to follow but its also made me want to read Hal Spacejock
To sum up, its fun, its modern just read it and see for yourself

Katie
Razberry Juice

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! September 3, 2012

By Emily

Format:Paperback

I loved this book. It was adorable. I can see how an elementary school-aged child, especially a boy, would just love it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart and funny July 20, 2012

By Helen

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great, easy read. Targeted to young readers but also very suitable for adults. Smart and funny, great storyline, what more can I say, I loved it :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Silly and whimsical - the kids will love this April 29, 2012

By Patty I. Jansen

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a book that kids will love. Young Hal (named after the character from the YA seies?) gets into all sorts of strife, and saves the space station and his mother's research. This book has a lot of silliness, the occasional fart joke and mischief, the obligatory crawling through tunnels and a good dose of disobedience. In addition, it does a fairly decent job of portraying aspects of life in space that are not too wildly unrealistic. OK, barring the reversible artificial gravity. But it's fun.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Smart, and Quirky; For All Ages!!! January 8, 2012

By The Paperback Pursuer

Format:Paperback

Description:

How is life aboard a space station? Just ask Hal Junior, who lives on one! Hal's mom is a head researcher, his dad is a maintenance worker, and Hal - well, he's a bit of a trouble-maker - to the annoyance of his fellow space-neighbors. But, the "trouble" part isn't always his fault, most-times "trouble" seems to find him! Whether he accidentally reverses the ships gravity field, or loses his homework in a space trashcan, Hal always seems to be surrounded by mischief. So when a teacher is replaced by the mysterious Mr. Thimp, Hal must find a way to save his classmates, himself, and ultimately his space-station - without getting grounded.

Review:

I never expected to enjoy Hal Junior - The Secret Signal as much as I did. I love children's books, but many of them are written strictly for kids, with no aim towards older readers. This particular book could be enjoyed by kids 5 and older - much older. I am in my twenties and I thought that this 175 page book was a quirky, smart, and fun little riot for boys and girls of all ages. Simon Haynes' characters are great! I loved Hal's personality and his knack for getting into all things mischievous, but I also liked the bad guys - even Mr. Thimp. The writing style was very enjoyable, the plot had me laughing-out-loud one second and shaking my head the next, and the dialogue, although easy for kids to read and understand, was just as fun for me. Being a scientist, I really appreciated the amount of technical jargon about ship computers, robots, and space cannons, and I know that younger kids will love it too. This fast-paced read will have kids excited about science, especially space, and will leave them begging for more Hal Junior adventures!... The cartoons and diagrams were fun too, a great way to get kids involved! I will definitely be reading Simon Haynes' Hal Spacejock series, (ages 15+), after seeing how fun the kid-version was! Hal Junior - The Secret Signal is highly recommended to children of all ages and the people that read to them!

Rating:On the Run (4.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Starships and Aliens Review October 1, 2011

By S. J. MacDonald

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Concept/World
The story is set on a space station which felt realistic and industrial.

Story
The story zips along with lots of laughs, mysteries and adventure. It's like Dennis the Menace in space, great fun!

Characters
Hal Junior is great as the hero. I howled with laughter at his chemistry homework. Stinky Binn is good as the nerdy genius sidekick. The villains are suitably cartoony. I enjoyed the Teacher robot, too.

Presentation
I liked the cartoon cover of this book and loved the illustrations. They worked well even on kindle and added a new dimension of humour to the story. It's just the right length for younger readers.

Overall
I bought a kindle copy of this book because I'd enjoyed the "Hal Spacejock" story so much. I liked The Secret Signal so much that I've bought a paperpack version of it too for our class library. I had to buy it on the Amazon US site and pay shipping to the UK, but I know that the kids in my class will just love this. It doesn't come any more highly recommended than that!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dennis the Menace in Space September 27, 2011

By D. M. Lawrence

Format:Paperback

Hal Junior: The Secret Signal
Hal Junior lives aboard a futuristic space station. His mum is chief scientist, his dad cleans air filters and his best mate is Stephen 'Stinky' Binn.
As for Hal ... he's a bit of a trouble magnet. He means well, but his wild schemes and crazy plans never turn out as expected!
Hal Junior: The Secret Signal features mayhem and laughs, daring and intrigue ... plus a home-made space cannon!

Written for independent readers aged 9+, The Secret Signal will appeal to kids with a sense of humour and a taste for adventure.

my review by Lucas Lawrence

HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL should be renamed Dennis the Menace in Space. What a fun story. Loved the interaction between Hal and his friend Stinky. Hal is different than other kids, he's the class clown, and he's not afraid to be different. I like people like that.
Hal is funny and smart. Hates doing his homework but is smart just the same.
He lives on a cool space station.
The only part I didn't like was the explanation of how food is made. I understand why Stinky's face turned green.

I really liked this book. I give it 5/5 stars.

More About the Author

Simon Haynes was born in England in 1967, and moved to Spain with his family in the mid-70's. He enjoyed an amazing childhood of camping, motorbikes, air rifles and paper planes. His family moved to Australia when he was 16.

After two years in an English-speaking school - which was a novelty after a Spanish-based education - Simon entered Curtin University, graduating three years later with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Creative Writing. In 1997 he returned to the same university, and graduated with a second degree in 1999 ... this time, Computer Science.

In 2004 Simon was writing his fourth novel when Fremantle Press, an Australian trade publisher, offered a contract for his first three books. They were published over a five-year period, and were distributed by Penguin across Australia and New Zealand.

Simon now has five Hal Spacejock novels, two Hal Junior novels and a dozen short stories in print, all of them available on Amazon Kindle.

Simon is the programmer and designer behind Spacejock Software, and is responsible for popular programs like FCharts, yWriter and yBook.

Hal Spacejock 5: Baker's Dough is his latest novel, released July 2012. Hal Junior 3: The Gyris Mission, is slated for a September 2012 release.