One of my favorite Jennifer L. Holm books. Bell has been raised on Mars in a very small group of Americans who are cut off for some “mysterious” reason from the other nations’ settlements. The daily life of the dozen or so settlers is extremely fascinating and adventurous, but things get truly nail biting when a virus infects the group and help is needed. Politics, community, family, and finding yourself are all explored in this funny and heartfelt story.

What a delightful book. While it is a sci-fi, readers who do not care for that genre will enjoy it anyway because of the believable characters.

A pleasant enough read. Holm has created a reasonable world. Not only does the colony structure make sense, so does the relationship between colonies. That line between Mars as it's own thing and the influence of home governments. Orders that are followed to the letter versus orders that are stretched or ignored out of practicality and the situations that influence decision-making. The characters skew a bit young and are pretty shallowly explored.

Bell has never known any home but Mars. He came to the settlement on the red planet as a baby and it is his home. Bell lives in the American settlement, but there are settlements from other countries as well: France, Finland, Russia, China. The Americans are strictly forbidden from having contact with other countries, but what should the kids in the American settlement do when all the adults contract a fatal illness and no one from earth is sending any help?
I found The Lion of Mars to be an intriguing read. Holm presents our Earth perspective on things such as fashion, music, and even animals as something strange and foreign to those who have grown up on Mars. While it is difficult for us to think of a planet like Mars as home, it is the only home the children in the novel have ever known. While there are a few slow parts to the plot, it is overall an enjoyable read that will make readers think and reconsider what home means. Also, the plot point about the adults all coming down with a contagious virus that could kill them is very relevant to today's culture.

Jennifer Holm has not disappointed in The Lion of Mars. The characters and setting are so well done that the book kept me reading in a single sitting. This will certainly be a book for any middle grade collection.

There isn't a whole lot of sci fi out there for kids. Although this could also totally be sold as a slice-of-life story about a kid growing up and dealing with issues of friends, grumpy grown ups, and ailing elderly family members, it's definitely sci fi. I really look forward to adding this to my collection.

Jennifer L. Holm is one of my favorite middle grade authors, because she so consistently hits it out of the park. This is the story of Bell, a kid who lives on Mars with the rest of his adoptive family and settlement in the colony representing the U.S. Like the best science fiction, this story introduces us to a world utterly unlike our own, and yet utterly recognizable too: an unforgiving landscape, tense relations with other nations, an insular and isolated community stuck inside. I loved it.

I absolutely loved this book and I know my students will, too. It has a message that we all need to hear right now. It also deals with issues of illness and isolation. While not directly related to Covid, it speaks to how isolated we are now, and our fear of the unknown. Can't recommend this book enough.

I would like to thank PRH International for providing a review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm is such a perfect read for younger readers in this difficult time. The story highlights the importance of family, friendship, and community. Children can learn a lot of valuable knowledge from reading this short but sweet scifi novel.

The story was narrated by the main character, Bell, an eleven-year-old kid who grew up on Mars. Despite spending his whole life on the red planet, he was just like any regular kids: he liked animals, especiall cats, and he was always curious. This made him want to know more about things, just like the secrets the adults in his found family were keeping away from them. Bell liked and felt satisfied living on Mars, but when all the adults in their settlement got sick one by one, Bell and other children were left to tend for themselves. It was now on Bell's hand to ask help from other settlements even when it meant disobeying orders.

Even as an adult reader, I really enjoyed The Lion of Mars. It was an easy and fast-paced read. Inspite of being a quite short book, lots of things happened. I liked learning and hearing what it felt like living on Mars through Bell's narrative. Also, it was kind of funny to see Bell trying to understand the differences of living on Earth. His perspective about things was just so innocent and pure that for me was both refreshing and soothing. Difficult topics such as grief and isolation were carefully written in a way kids can easily understand and empathize with the characters. The characters, especially the children, had different personalities, and I like their dynamics. They acted and spoke like their age. Lastly, I also liked how things were wrapped up. The conflict was resolved because of how the children reminded the adults what was really important for all the settlements.

Overall, The Lion of Mars gives us a wonderful story of what it would feel like living on Mars through a perspective of a young boy. It has some adventures that children will enjoy.

5/5 stars!

The Lion of Mars is a fun look at what life in a Martian colony might look like. Bell has spent his entire life on Mars, and when a virus incapacitates all the adults in the colony, it's up to him to save the day...even if it means he has to break a few rules to do it. True to her style, Holm incorporates a lot of laughs and more than a few tears as she tackles some serious subjects. The Lion of Mars underscores the importance of teamwork, working through disagreements, and combating prejudices. Middle grade kids will love the idea that kids are pretty much the same everywhere in the universe, and they'll identify with Bell's hopes and fears as he navigates his relationships with his fellow colony members who are all the family he has ever known. I will be recommending this for all my middle grade readers, especially reluctant readers, those just making the shift to chapter books, and any who just love space.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Despite some heavier moments, this was a book about friendship and relationships between people, but set in the cool setting of a settlement on Mars. It was cute in a way that only well written MG novels are. Loved the scifi elements. Highly recommend. Will be buying for my middle school library,.

Narrated by Bell, the youngest American on Mars, this is the story of friendship and loss but told via life on Mars. There are a number of settlements on Mars inhabited by different nationalities. However Bell has never met them as that is one of their rules—“no contact with foreign countries-ever”. When a crisis occurs, it is up to the children to make contact and hopefully save them all. Though written before COVID, readers will identify with being isolated and laugh at the making of toilet paper. Grade 4 and up.

I wanted to like this book more. I love Jennifer Holm's writing and have read almost all of her books. Babymouse included.

The premise of this novel is soooo cool. These families live in an American colony on Mars. They are not allowed to interact with the other nation's colonies as they have been determined to be enemies. But when something goes dreadfully wrong and all the grownups become ill, Bel and his friends venture out to find help.

This is the perfect set up - we get to see the kids taking care of themselves and being more capable than the grownups. But the storytelling was uneven and it was hard for me to follow the narrative.

Set in 2019, Bell is an orphan who has always lived on Mars. He has heard tales of a planet called Earth from the adults on Mars raising all the orphans. When one of the US settler died, all contact was cut off. When the adults get seriously ill and help from Earth is months away, Can the kids get the old train system working long enough to get help? Why did the settlement cut off all contact with others? Will the adults ever get better? The world building is vivid, well-researched, and realistic. Bell is an authentic feeling narrator. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to, and well developed. The plot is engaging, thought-provoking, and keeps the reader reading. People who enjoy reading science fiction, adventure, or who have ever wanted to live on Mars will enjoy reading this book. Recommended for most library collections.

Jennifer L. Holm is a three-time Newbery Honor winner and after reading The Lion of Mars, it's not a surprise. This book is fantastic! It's also quite relevant when you consider the various companies that are racing to figure out how to visit and settle on Mars. As the story begins, we're introduced to a small group of characters living in a United States Territory who have done just that: settled on Mars. Holm makes the story feel realistic and possible. She's obviously done a good deal of research. So many things from this story mirror reality--from misunderstandings causing huge rifts to a simple apology completely reshaping the future. Additionally, we see the importance of working cooperatively. When a virus hits the settlement, we see some similarities to our current day. With just the right amount of reality mixed with what could be one day, The Lion of Mars is a five-star book that will be loved by anyone interested in sci-fi, space stories, or honestly, anyone who enjoys fiction. The age group of the characters is diverse so it will appeal to a large audience, from grandparents to tweens. It will also be excellent for a family read or book club as it triggers a lot of thoughts that would be great for discussion.

I am a big fan of Jennifer Holm's historical fiction and was interested in seeing what she would do with science fiction. I was definitely reminded of The Moon Base Alpha series by Stuart Gibbs as I got into this story about Bell, who has only ever known life in an American settlement on Mars. Unlike Moon Base Alpha or other stories I've read of kids living in a settlement in space, Bell is not there with his original family. In this settlement are adopted, and were all brought to the colony at different times. Bell has no memory of earth and thinks the adult's descriptions of it are unbelievable. Life is full of on-line school, chores like emptying dust filters, and eating algae loaf and algae pasta.
Things get out of hand when a virus hits that incapacitates all the adults in their colony. The children make the decision to reach out to other countries' colonies, even though they had been taught the other colonies were their enemies.
Dealing with isolation and illness will especially resonate with 2020 readers.
I received an eArc of this book through Netgalley.

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm is an intriguing read about an eleven-year old who has grown up on Mars. Explores themes relevant to our world today in addition to being an imaginative sci-fi adventure.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Love Jennifer Holm's insights into family and the importance of connections. This novel, set in space in the year 2091, mimics some of our pandemic life -- limited excursions, an illness that spreads... Kids recognize that adults may not always know best and sometimes it's better to act in a way that feels right.

Jennifer Holm has an uncanny way of delivering a science fiction novel that makes even a science-fiction-averse reader such as myself fall in love with it.

The Lion of Mars takes place on...Mars. Bell has grown up there and knows no other existence. A virus outbreak leaves it's children wondering why they have been isolated from other colonies and they are left to take action and save the adults and their future.

Reading a book like this during a pandemic makes the "science-fiction" all the more real. What stands out to me is the power of this book to become more than a "science-fiction" story, rather than an incredible book about family.

The Lion of Mars was a very unusual story. The concept is that 11 year old Bell is one of many who lives on Mars (the year is 2091). He and a group of adults and children live in a below-ground home sponsored by the USA. Due to the rotation of the earth and Mars, they only get supplies and other needs once every 2 years and for all intents and purposes are completely cut off from anyone outside of their colony. They function like a large family and the Commander is the only one who communicates with people from earth.

The earth colony is not the only colony of Mars, but for all intents and purposes, these kids are living in isolation from the world. There are other countries with their own colonies as well, but the children are told that the other colonies are dangerous and that they cannot communicate with them whatsoever. Part of this is due to an event that happened years earlier and the other part has to do with wars and issues that are happening between the countries on earth. When a deadly virus hits the adults in the colony, however, they have to go for help.

Reading a book about a kid in isolation during our own isolation is rather odd. Holms did write this well before, but it still has an eerie feel to it. It took a bit of time to set up the story and introduce the characters, but I think most kids could completely empathize with Bell and his frustrations with being the youngest, having no friends outside of the other 5 kids in the colony, and having no hope of anything changing. When the illness hits the adults, Bell and the other kids realize that they have to either brave approaching another colony or die themselves.

Holm has provided a book that will be enjoyed by a wide audience. There is the adventure of a colony on Mars mixed with issues of friendship and trust. Another great one from Jennifer L. Holm.