Press 1 for Invasion

A kid who just wanted a cell phone ends up being responsible for saving the world from an alien invasion in this “humorous, fast-paced” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade novel that’s perfect for fans of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe and Gordon Korman.

Ten-year-old Matt really wants a phone, but his parents won’t let him have one. When he finds one just lying on the sidewalk, he naturally picks it up and claims it for himself. But when Matt uses his new phone to take pictures, they show the crossing guard in front of his school as a monster. That can’t be right…can it?

Matt soon learns that: a) his lunch lady is also a monster (actually, an alien); b) an invasion of Earth is due to take place within the next few days; and c) the lunch lady is having cold feet (well, tentacles) about the whole thing and wants his help. Matt and his friend Marcela join forces with her to save the planet.

Battles in their school cafeteria and high above the Earth’s atmosphere place them in very close encounters with alien pets and the business end of a gigantic oven. As the danger mounts, Matt and Marcela must ask themselves what they’re willing to risk to save their friends, their family, and their world.

When he’s not writing about aliens, J.A. Dauber can be found talking to students about books, movies, and other fun stuff at Columbia University in New York City, where he is a professor. He lives right near there, with his family, so that he can walk to work and see if anyone has dropped anything. Like a phone. After all, you never know. In addition to the middle grade novel Press 1 for Invasion, he also wrote a YA novel about a teenage supervillain named Mayhem which won an award from the Children’s Book Council.