What if a character in the computer game you were playing suddenly became real? In The first of Terry Pratchett’s Johnny Maxwell trilogy, Johnny faces down aliens in “Only You Can Save Mankind.” Targeted for a middle school audience, Pratchett’s science fiction thriller has some elements appealing to adults, with Pratchett’s clever references to human foibles, including unhealthy food, politics, and parenting, but overall, Johnny’s struggles with making friends, being a nerd, and generally trying to understand the adult world, fit the formula for a coming of age adventure.

I found this slim paperback, surrounded by shelves of Terry Pratchett books in the upstairs maze in The Last Bookstore. The title attracted me and had me wondering – can mankind be saved? Pratchett offers a few funny alternatives in his war against the aliens, and the action gets exciting as the story heads to its climax.

A fun quick read and Pratchett is now on my list of children’s authors to follow.  My favorite quote from the book:

You might never win, but at least you could try.  If not you, who else?