Growing Up & Facts of Life
![Jennifer L. Holm - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_jennifer_l_holm.jpg)
The Lion of Mars
Life on Mars is pretty standard…. until a mysterious virus hits. Don't miss this timely and unputdownable novel from the bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish.
Bell is just like any other kid. He loves cats, eats all kinds of cake, and is curious about everything. Oh, and he lives on another planet! Living on Mars comes with a ton of rules. Like don't go outside without a buddy. Always keep a glow stick in your pocket. And no contact with the kids in the other settlements. Ever. Then a virus breaks out among the grown-ups, and the children are the only ones who can help. Suddenly it's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet.
Bell is just like any other kid. He loves cats, eats all kinds of cake, and is curious about everything. Oh, and he lives on another planet! Living on Mars comes with a ton of rules. Like don't go outside without a buddy. Always keep a glow stick in your pocket. And no contact with the kids in the other settlements. Ever. Then a virus breaks out among the grown-ups, and the children are the only ones who can help. Suddenly it's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet.
Editorial Reviews
"Peppered with such intriguing scientific details as the pervasive nature of Mars dust, Holm's absorbing speculative novel is…rendered with a keen sense of place grounded by identifiable sociofamilial relationships." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The plot and setting are elegantly simple, yet the story proves completely engaging, driven by a charming cast of gentle characters and, more so, by Holm's lean, measured prose, which moves briskly and seems to strike a resonant note on every page." -Booklist, starred review
"A delightful space adventure." -Kirkus Reviews
"The Lion of Mars looks past the red dust to reveal how our communities shape us just as much as our environments." -Bookpage
"The well-wrought setting, including thoughtful depiction of lowish-tech Martian life, and a strong cast of well-developed characters make for an intriguing and compelling read." -The Horn Book
"The plot and setting are elegantly simple, yet the story proves completely engaging, driven by a charming cast of gentle characters and, more so, by Holm's lean, measured prose, which moves briskly and seems to strike a resonant note on every page." -Booklist, starred review
"A delightful space adventure." -Kirkus Reviews
"The Lion of Mars looks past the red dust to reveal how our communities shape us just as much as our environments." -Bookpage
"The well-wrought setting, including thoughtful depiction of lowish-tech Martian life, and a strong cast of well-developed characters make for an intriguing and compelling read." -The Horn Book
Readers Top Reviews
Angela FernandezKind
My daughter love the book It came well package and in perfect conditions.
C S
I would give it more stars if I could it is just SO GOOD it is the best book I’ve ever read!!!
Cathy
I'm the grandma of the rising 5th grader on whose summer list this book appeared as a choice. I read it first so I could discuss it with him as part of the assignment. I enjoyed this book, enjoyed the details of life on Mars & of how the humans came to live there, and the ending of the story. I liked how "real" the adults and children were written, and that it wasn't preachy in any way though there are lessons to be learned. It's a good story that just happens to take place on Mars. This book was an easy read for my 10 yr old grandson, who also enjoyed it immensely. The characters were real and interesting to him, although some of the historical pop fiction references meant nothing to him. The story kept him entranced and he constantly asked questions about details yet to be revealed in the narrative because he just couldn't wait to know (but no spoilers from me!). I think this book will also appeal to his 8 year old sibling - and really, anyone else who picks it up.
Aarav B
A plausible story, “The Lion of Mars” by Jennifer L. Holm is a science fiction book about the reality of living on Mars with settlements from different nationalities. The children in the story are isolated by their commander, but find their way to other settlements and discover relatable people and fun memories. It is a rational, thrilling, and futuristic book. The main character, Bell, lives on an American settlement on Mars with other kids and adults. After a meteor crashes, the children go to explore without permission and get stranded. Soon, they are rescued and live a normal life on Mars until they find some mice. They keep one of the mice and it spreads a virus and all the adults in the settlement fall ill. For some time, the children stick it out but then, Bell goes to the French settlement and discovers things are very different than he had imagined them to be. The book is about living in realistic circumstances on Mars and learning about the past. The plot of the story contains ups, downs, serious and humorous parts. The character traits and attitudes of the people make them memorable. Some of the most exciting parts are when the children explore the meteor crash, and they go to the other settlements for help. All in all, I would recommend this book for people ages 9 through 13 because it is a very good and balanced book. Younger children may not understand it, or may find the vocabulary too hard. This book has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars because while it is very good, it would do better with some more excitement and action.
Ellen
I am giving this book 4 stars because that is what 3 classes of 6th graders said. I was hopeful for more action, but they really like this coming of age story set in Mars. I liked how Jennifer Holm explored the idea about how kids would live on Mars. I really liked her idea of people carrying orphans to Mars and raising them as a community. As a teacher there are a few things to take into consideration. At one point in the book there is an illness. Things were very similar to COVID. My students had a strong reaction to this portion of the book and we had to talk about it. Then the children had to make a tough decision about euthanizing a pet. That was another tough conversation. The children in the story also have to deal with death of loved ones. It was just a lot to process for my students. With all that being said, it was a valuable read. I thought for sure they would not like the book. It wasn't action packed or anything. When we did our final thoughts, they loved the book. I would definitely keep it for a more mature middle grade reader.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
Nest
The trip to Mars was the hardest thing they'd ever experienced. That's what the grown-ups said. The small, cramped ship. The constant fear of something going wrong. The knowledge that they could never return to Earth.
But honestly, it sounded like a cakewalk compared to sharing a bedroom with Albie.
Because he snored.
I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since Albie started bunking with me. I'd tried just about everything to block the noise: earplugs, sleeping under the blanket, even a thick hat with earflaps. But none of them worked.
It was surprising because Albie was perfect. He was easygoing and did his chores without complaining. Of all us kids, he was the least likely to throw a fuss. The grown-ups trusted him, even Sai. But it turned out there was one thing Albie wasn't good at: sleeping quietly. And I didn't know which was worse: Albie's snoring or Trey wanting to change rooms
For as long as I could remember, Trey had slept in the bed across from mine. My drawings of cats and his drawings of aliens had papered the walls. Our plastic models crowded the shelves together. Then, two months ago, Trey suddenly asked to switch bedrooms. Next thing I knew, Trey was sleeping across the hall in the older kids' room with Vera and Flossy, while Albie was snoring in mine.
And me?
I wasn't sleeping at all.
Neither was Leo, from the looks of it. The old cat was sitting up in bed, flicking his tail in annoyance.
This room-switching thing had happened once before. Back when Trey and I were little, the grown-ups had moved us boys into one room and the girls into the other. Albie was older than me and Trey and so he was allowed to stay up later. The problem was that Albie would make a lot of noise when he came to bed, and he'd wake us up. The experiment was abandoned after a week. Now, all these years later, Albie was keeping me awake again.
Across the room from me, Albie let out a loud, waffling snort. I groaned, pulling the pillow over my head.
"Albie," I said.
He didn't move.
"Albie!" I shouted.
He sat up abruptly, looking around the dimly lit room in confusion. Albie was tall, with broad shoulders. Darby said he would've made a good football player. Football was an Earth game where you threw around a ball and knocked into people. I didn't really understand it.
"What's wrong, Bell?" Albie asked, his hair sticking out crazily everywhere. It was always funny to see him without his Dodgers ball cap. He only took it off at bedtime.
"You're snoring!" I said.
"Oh," he said. "I thought there was an emergency."
"It is an emergency! I can't sleep!"
"I'm so sorry, Bell," he mumbled, and lay back down. "I promise not to snore anymore."
It was hard to be angry at Albie. He was kind and gentle-a big teddy bear when it came right down to it.
A big snoring teddy bear.
"Aw, dust it," I muttered. Albie could have the room to himself. I grabbed my blanket and left, Leo padding after me.
Not that I blamed him.
Even a cat couldn't take Albie's snoring.
V
Leo and I walked down the twisting corridor, our way lit by the cool blue light of nighttime. The light changed to mirror the time of day. In the morning, the blue would transform to a warm, bright yellow. This was supposed to help us have a sense of time because the settlement was mostly underground. It had been built in a giant lava tube-a massive, cavelike space left behind by flowing lava millions of years ago. It was the perfect prebuilt habitat, keeping us safe from the surface dangers of Mars-radiation, extreme freezing temperatures, and dust.
The interior walls were constructed from a space-tech gray rubber that curved gently, flowing from one room to the next like a smile. The rooms were round, almost bubble-like, for improved structural integrity. Sai told me he'd thrown out the old rules when he designed the settlement. Apparently, on Earth, people lived in boxy structures with hard corners.
Earth sounded sharp to me.
This corridor was a history of my childhood. There was the spot where I banged into the wall with my scooter. The scratches on the c...
Nest
The trip to Mars was the hardest thing they'd ever experienced. That's what the grown-ups said. The small, cramped ship. The constant fear of something going wrong. The knowledge that they could never return to Earth.
But honestly, it sounded like a cakewalk compared to sharing a bedroom with Albie.
Because he snored.
I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since Albie started bunking with me. I'd tried just about everything to block the noise: earplugs, sleeping under the blanket, even a thick hat with earflaps. But none of them worked.
It was surprising because Albie was perfect. He was easygoing and did his chores without complaining. Of all us kids, he was the least likely to throw a fuss. The grown-ups trusted him, even Sai. But it turned out there was one thing Albie wasn't good at: sleeping quietly. And I didn't know which was worse: Albie's snoring or Trey wanting to change rooms
For as long as I could remember, Trey had slept in the bed across from mine. My drawings of cats and his drawings of aliens had papered the walls. Our plastic models crowded the shelves together. Then, two months ago, Trey suddenly asked to switch bedrooms. Next thing I knew, Trey was sleeping across the hall in the older kids' room with Vera and Flossy, while Albie was snoring in mine.
And me?
I wasn't sleeping at all.
Neither was Leo, from the looks of it. The old cat was sitting up in bed, flicking his tail in annoyance.
This room-switching thing had happened once before. Back when Trey and I were little, the grown-ups had moved us boys into one room and the girls into the other. Albie was older than me and Trey and so he was allowed to stay up later. The problem was that Albie would make a lot of noise when he came to bed, and he'd wake us up. The experiment was abandoned after a week. Now, all these years later, Albie was keeping me awake again.
Across the room from me, Albie let out a loud, waffling snort. I groaned, pulling the pillow over my head.
"Albie," I said.
He didn't move.
"Albie!" I shouted.
He sat up abruptly, looking around the dimly lit room in confusion. Albie was tall, with broad shoulders. Darby said he would've made a good football player. Football was an Earth game where you threw around a ball and knocked into people. I didn't really understand it.
"What's wrong, Bell?" Albie asked, his hair sticking out crazily everywhere. It was always funny to see him without his Dodgers ball cap. He only took it off at bedtime.
"You're snoring!" I said.
"Oh," he said. "I thought there was an emergency."
"It is an emergency! I can't sleep!"
"I'm so sorry, Bell," he mumbled, and lay back down. "I promise not to snore anymore."
It was hard to be angry at Albie. He was kind and gentle-a big teddy bear when it came right down to it.
A big snoring teddy bear.
"Aw, dust it," I muttered. Albie could have the room to himself. I grabbed my blanket and left, Leo padding after me.
Not that I blamed him.
Even a cat couldn't take Albie's snoring.
V
Leo and I walked down the twisting corridor, our way lit by the cool blue light of nighttime. The light changed to mirror the time of day. In the morning, the blue would transform to a warm, bright yellow. This was supposed to help us have a sense of time because the settlement was mostly underground. It had been built in a giant lava tube-a massive, cavelike space left behind by flowing lava millions of years ago. It was the perfect prebuilt habitat, keeping us safe from the surface dangers of Mars-radiation, extreme freezing temperatures, and dust.
The interior walls were constructed from a space-tech gray rubber that curved gently, flowing from one room to the next like a smile. The rooms were round, almost bubble-like, for improved structural integrity. Sai told me he'd thrown out the old rules when he designed the settlement. Apparently, on Earth, people lived in boxy structures with hard corners.
Earth sounded sharp to me.
This corridor was a history of my childhood. There was the spot where I banged into the wall with my scooter. The scratches on the c...
