Marco's Millions - Softcover

Sleator, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142302171 ISBN 13: 9780142302170

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2002

Synopsis

In an exciting prequel to The Boxes, Marco and his little sister Lilly discover in the basement a world of bizarre, sightless creatures who believe that Marco and Lilly can help them save their planet from being destroyed by rescuing a stolen relic--an enigmatic and powerful box. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author:

William Sleator (1945–2011) was the author of numerous science fiction books for children and young adults, including Interstellar Pig, House of Stairs, and Blackbriar.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5-9-A good choice for readers who enjoy The X Files or creepier episodes of Star Trek. When Marco's younger sister Lilly discovers a hidden tunnel in the basement of their house, she is too frightened to enter it. But 12-year-old Marco likes to travel and see different things: to him "millions meant distances-and if you're thinking about distances, millions means going very, very far away." He follows the tunnel from Earth to a different world and is drawn into the alien inhabitants' struggle to propitiate their Lord, a powerful, sentient space/time phenomenon called a naked singularity. Time passes far more quickly on Earth than on the alien world, and Marco's visits are overshadowed by his urgent need to get home before too much time passes. While these concepts are not new in science fiction, the suspense of Marco's race against time, the well-paced unfolding of the mysteries of the alien world, and the general mood of foreboding make for a compelling read. Marco is a substantial protagonist; the other characters, while less well-rounded, are convincing enough to advance the story. The book is a successful prequel to Sleator's The Boxes (Dutton, 1998), but also stands on its own.

Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0142302171
• ISBN 13: 9780142302170
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176