Only Child [Hardcover]

H. M. Hoover (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Cody, an eleven-year-old space traveler, tries to save a race of spiderlike aliens slated for extinction by human colonization.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twelve-year-old Cody's first trip outside his spaceship home takes him to the developing world of Patma, where he is kidnapped by natives who want to hold him hostage in order to force humans to leave their planet. As the drama unfolds, Cody discovers that the humans of Patma have covered up the existence of the natives because it is illegal to settle worlds where indigenous intelligent life already exists. To make matters worse, the human settlers are systematically killing the natives. Hoover ( The Dawn Palace; ; Away Is a Strange Place to Be ) has crafted a riveting, fast-paced adventure story laced with probing psychological insights into Cody's life on board ship and his coming of age in the aftermath of his kidnapping. This complex and engrossing novel is especially moving in the scenes evoking the aliens' culture and Cody's struggle to channel his outrage over its destruction. Hoover's forceful, visual writing will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- Born and raised on a spaceship, Cody's first visit to a planet is a frightening but enlightening adventure. His status as only child on a ship of adults has made him sheltered; the greater freedom allowed during shore leave gets Cody into trouble when he is kidnapped by ``skippers,'' large insect-like creatures. Shocked to find intelligent native life on a supposedly uninhabited planet, Cody receives a quick introduction to human cruelty. The original settlers set out to eliminate the friendly skippers, in direct violation of Federation laws. Hoover's premise, the evils of colonization, is a familiar theme, but her version is fresh and powerful. Cody is a likable, recognizable young teenager, no hero on a grand scale, but a normal person trying to do the right thing. The setting is described in enough detail to give the unfamiliar world texture without overwhelming middle graders; an eerie cover illustration will attract their attention. The hopeful but open ending is a fitting conclusion to an accessible story. --Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, County of Henrico Public Library, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (April 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525448659
• ISBN-13: 978-0525448655
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,734,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Brian's Book Review, March 21, 2004

By 

Brian Laurance (Potomac, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Only Child (Hardcover)

I thought this book was a good book. There was a lot of fighting and chasing. The setting was in space on a ship called the Anne Cannon, a planet called Patma and at the beach on Patma. Another action part is when Cody was captured. When he was captured the Skippers took him to their cave where there were more Skippers. When Cody was in the cave he wondered if anybody missed him. Also, he tried to think of a way to escape. Cody missed his mom and dad even though he did not know them very well. The reason why was because they worked all day and night so he did not get to see them very much. Cody calls his parents by their first name instead of mom and dad. Cody never left the ship until he was 12. Also, he does not live on earth. He lived on the ship and at the age of 12 he stepped on earth for the first time. on Patma before any people came there were Skippers and humans killed them and used them for experiments. Now that you know about some of the book you can read it and find out what happens after Cody leaves Patma.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only Child 's reveiw by H.M Hoover, March 7, 2004

By 

Kathleen M. Laurance (Potomac, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Only Child (Hardcover)

I thought this book was a good book but in the beginning it started to drift of the subject but then get back on track. Example when Cody was being kid napped by the skippers and it would talk about his thought. One part that I thought was weird was when how he never left the ship until he was 12. I thought that was a little weird. My favorite part was when Cody got away from the creatures in the beginning. I think this because it had a lot of action in this part. Another part that I liked was when Cody tried to escape and he got no where. I would describe the skippers as big weird monsters and some did not like Cody very much but some did like Cody a lot. These are some reasons why i thought this book was a good book.