Alien in a Bottle

Mackel, Kathy

ISBN 10: 0060292822 ISBN 13: 9780060292829

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

Synopsis

If Dinn Tauro hadn't shot Tagg Orion off the Inter-Dimensional Wheel, Tagg and his sidekick, Squeeto, would never have crashed on that nowhere planet called Earth. And Sean Winger would never have found the two extraterrestrials in a bottle on the beach.

Without the aliens Sean wouldn't have a hope of entering a glass sculpture in the Hollis Art Fair -- and winning a scholarship. That's all Sean really wants in this world. Sean just needs two things -- glass and fire. He knows his parents won't help. So when Tagg offers Sean three wishes in exchange for protecting him from Dinn Tauro, how can Sean refuse?

Could two extraterrestrials really hold the answers to Sean's yearnings? Or are they only taking him on an extraterrestrial ride?

About this title

About the Author:

Kathy Mackel is a novelist and screenwriter. Her films include Can of Worms and Hangman's Curse. Kathy has coached Junior Olympic and Little League fastpitch softball. She lives north of Boston with her family.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-8-Intergalactic junk dealer and con artist Tagg Orion has sold warlord Dinn Tauro a defective Dream Ring that produces living nightmares. Now Tagg is on the run, pursued by Dinn and his dreadful dreams-come-true. Meanwhile, on Earth, eighth-grader Sean is searching for the perfect piece of glass. He dreams of studying glassblowing at an exclusive museum high school, but his parents won't pay the tuition. His father especially scorns the "starving artist" lifestyle. Sean hopes to create a sculpture that will impress the judges of the museum's scholarship competition-and his folks. Tagg's spaceship crash-lands on Earth where a quirk of inter-dimensional perception causes it to appear to be very small. Mistaking the transfigured ship for an ornate glass bottle, Sean tries to use it for his project. Tagg offers access to his solar fire link and a supply of off-planet glassware in return for hiding the ship until it can be fixed. Unfortunately, Dinn is still on the junk scavenger's trail, and his nightmare scenarios are getting out of control. As the alien mind phantoms threaten his family, his home, and the fabric of reality, Sean realizes that his art is the only thing that can reshape and restore the normal world. The multifaceted plot includes both raucous adolescent insult humor and thoughtful reflections on the power of art and the nature of dreams. Realistic family relationships and a touch of romance blend seamlessly with Saturday-matinee-style science fiction action. An unusually perceptive story with a strong message about self-expression and responsibility.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060292822
• ISBN 13: 9780060292829
• Binding: Library Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208