I enjoyed Ben Gartner's time travel series with the brother and sister team, but he hit his stride with this middle grade space adventure. The main character's journey and supporting cast of characters were memorable and had rich backstories. As always, Gartner shows impeccable research and detail. This serves the plot well and I feel that a science class could use this to accompany any space unit. My only complaint was the slowness of the beginning of the story, the main conflict needed to come back to that first chapter cliffhanger a little sooner.

One Giant Leap feels like The Martian for a younger audience. It's full of fun and tense science, high-stakes action in space and features a likeable and diverse cast of incredibly smart kids solving a mystery. In short, it was a delightful space adventure romp and I would highly recommend it to younger readers interested in space and science! It's fast-paced and cinematic, drawing the reader right into the heart of the action. And speaking of heart, I absolutely adored the friendships and familial relationships. Ben Gartner captures the feeling of adolescence so well and I would've devoured this book as a younger reader!

This is a good book for space lovers. I feel I love with this book. The way Ben would describe things in the book my jaw was dropped. I will definitely read more of his books.

Well, I enjoyed this book immensely. The tone (and obviously the subject matter) reminded me of the conversational, funny tone of “The Martian” but this time our protagonist is only 12. Finn Scott has been chosen to be one of the first kids to travel to the International Space Station by The StellerKids Project. Needless to say, he is very excited for a number of reasons: not only because he loves space and science, but also because he could use a break from his parents. Fin’s mother was tragically injured in a plane crash, and although she survived she has been undergoing immense rehabilitation in the hospital Naturally Fin’s dad has been consumed with caring for his wife leaving Fin to navigate some of life on his own. Although Fin does have his uncle D to accompany him on his space training, Fin feels as if he is facing not only “normal” twelve-year-old issues on his own, but now he may have to face the more adult “interstellar” issues that may come his way.
During training, Fin and the rest of the crew begin to suspect someone does not want kids in space. Why else would the safety mechanism on the subterfuge be disabled? Who messed with the flight simulator to ensure participant failure? All of these “mishaps” may not seem important during training, but when the crew embarks upon their real journey into space, there can be no room for error, let alone premeditated, purposeful sabotage. But tragedy does happen, and Fin and the rest of the “Stellerkids” find themselves on a mission to save the adults after a catastrophic event.

A perfect book for middle-grade students who are interested in STEM however the engaging tone of our narrator will make it an engaging read for all students. This novel will also make THE perfect read aloud for grades 5-8.

One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner.
As a fan of Ben Gartner's The Eye of Ra Trilogy I had high hopes for One Giant Leap and I wasn't disappointed.

"I'm pretty sure I'm about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half." These are the first sentences in the book spoken by our main character Finley Scott. If that doesn't draw the reader in I don't know what would. The basic storyline: four pre-teens win a science contest and get to go into space to the International Space Station and then on to the Gateway outpost orbiting the moon on a week long mission. During the 3 month training program leading up to the mission some sabotage is discovered. Someone is trying to get the mission scrubbed; is it one of the adults on the mission or one of the kids and why? As the story unfolds the reader is drawn in to the background stories of each of the characters. Also along the way the science of space travel is introduced, space junk collisions and their aftermath are explored and the kids and adults are stretched to trust each other and work together for the good of the mission.

This is the type of story I would have loved as a pre-teen. Mystery and adventure with some interesting facts thrown in. Mr. Gartner does a great job of writing a story for middle graders that treats them as true readers not just as kids that read.

I enjoyed the story being told by the main character, Finley Scott, directly to the reader. I also enjoyed the storyline, the pacing, the characters, and the addendum at the end of the book (fact vs. fiction).

I highly recommend this one from Ben Gartner and can't wait to read what he comes up with next. A strong 4 star read.

Full Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley, Crescent Vista Press, and author Ben Gartner; received in Kindle format; in exchange for an honest review. #OneGiantLeap #BenGartner #NetGalley #Crescent Vista Press

This was a story of a child who has won a chance of a lifetime to go into space after submitting a design for an item which can be used on the ISS. I liked the idea of this story however I found that this is a story which dragged for me and this lead me to enjoyed the executed story while reading it. I think that the synopsis drew me in however the actual story was not what i wanted. The writing style was good and is something which you would expect from a middle grade author. This is not something that will come straight to mind when someone is looking for a sci-fi middlegrade there is something else that I would have recommended first

One giant leap is a fast paced white knuckle adventure! This novel is perfect for any space lover! Starting right from the first chapter you know you are going on a wild ride and you won’t want to put it down! Kudos to the author and thank you to the publisher for letting me read an early copy.

One Giant Leap feels rooted in the realistic sci-fi tradition of The Martian, and Ben Gartner admits in his end-note that it was partially inspired by Gravity, which are some pretty big shoes to fill, but he does so largely with aplomb. The macguffin of the contest for kids to get to go to space to test their ideas is a little far-fetched, but readers who are taken by the high adventure of the second half of the book probably won't care. Short chapters and snappy dialogue with likeable characters make this a breezy, fun read, possibly a good fit for a space-obsessed reluctant reader,.

Opinions are my own and do not represent the institution I work for.

Another hit from Ben Gartner. The book has heart, heartpounding adventure, and kids that save the day. I particularly enjoyed seeing the kids proposals for new equipment become important tools in the space teams' survival. Plus, there's a mystery to solve. Space enthusiasts are sure to enjoy this trip to the International Space Station.

Thank you Ben Gartner, Netgalley, and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written, thrill a minute young adult story.

There were plenty of Technical details about the ISS and space in general.

The characters were well developed with great action.

This is one I can certainly recommend for an entertaining read for all ages.

We really enjoyed Ben Gardner's previous book but the children enjoyed this one even more. It was so immersive that you felt that you were there enjoying the thrills and spills of the action. My youngest grandson asked if we could stop reading for a few minutes so that he could enjoy floating in the silence of space. They all had a few minutes floating whilst I got a coffee. The silence was golden !

Our main character find himself hurling through space, alone. Now its up to him and his creative mind to survive and make it to safety.
This book has awaken a new fear in me, the fear of being lost in space. Will I ever go to space? No. Am I still terrified to go through what this kid went through? Yes.
This is the "Hatchet" for kids who love anything futuristic and science fiction. It will be a unique book to add to the library for middle schoolers. Truly a one of a kind story.

“I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” is how Finley “Fin” Scott introduces himself in the first line of Ben Gartner’s One Giant Leap. After that startling statement, “Fin” Scott’s situation gets even worse. Ironically, it looks like his story will end, just as it’s getting started. But then, Fin decides to speak directly to the reader, while he waits to die in space, and the story of how he got into this predicament begins to unfold.

Fin, along with three other kids, has won a trip to the International Space Station and a jaunt to the Gateway outpost orbiting the moon. They’d each sent an application to the StellarKid Project, along with their proposals for new equipment or technology that might be helpful for space travel. Fin’s invention is a device called SAFER, and you’ll learn more about that as his story unfolds.

In fact, you’ll learn a lot about the details of traveling to and working in space, along with plenty of interesting trivia spanning the entire history of space travel. And you won’t mind it a bit! This is not a dry, dusty, academic textbook. Fin’s adventures are vibrant, breathtaking, and occasionally heartbreaking. Most of all though, they seem real. You’ll feel as if you’re traveling along with him as he shares with us everything he sees, touches, and experiences. But beyond that, we learn how this experience makes him feel. He shares his emotional responses to extraordinary situations. And that’s important, because you see, Fin’s not just going to space – he’s also running away from big problems back home. His mom’s in the hospital recovering from a horrific accident. As the story progresses, Fin reveals more and more details about what happened to her. Fin isn’t dealing with the situation well, and sees this space trip as a chance to get away from unbearable family issues. But the story isn’t just about Fin. Each of the other three kid astronauts have their own reasons for wanting to win this trip.

Will Fin die in space? Will his mom be okay? Will he ever run out of terrible space-pun jokes? How will this adventure change the kids? How will the kids change space travel? As the story plays out, we learn the answers to these questions. Not all at once, but in a natural progression as the characters experience growth and change, so far away from home.

I found the story to be plausible, entertaining, and well-paced. It’s absolutely stuffed to the rafters with interesting details about space travel. Character development is realistic – readers can easily bond with the kids and admire the adults. The book is unputdownable. I judge books by what I call my ‘what happens next’ factor. Fin and his traveling pals are constantly leaping from one intense situation to another, in a way that makes it impossible for the reader to predict the outcome. I give One Giant Leap a What-Happens-Next score of twenty… on a scale of ten!

My thanks to author Ben Gartner, Crescent Vista Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book.

Review originally posted at SciFi.Radio - https://scifi.radio/2023/01/23/book-review-ben-gartners-one-giant-leap/

Characters:
Personally, there wasn't any *main* characters that I absolutely loved, but I still really enjoyed them being in this story because they all fit well together as the story goes on. Fin was an interesting main character and I enjoyed his stupid jokes he made whenever he got nervous, I also loved when he improved later on in the book. Characters that became my favorite when I continued reading was Specialist Barrera, Dr. Sokolov and commander Horowitz because they had such a great dynamic with the main characters especially when things got out of control.

Liked:
There are many things I liked about this book. I really love the cover art because it's such a beautiful illustration that fits with the beauty of space. I also enjoyed looking at the sketches in the beginning of the book and I thought that was really cool to add. While the writing is simplicit, there are many moments where Gartner amazingly describes a feeling or the scenery, and I absolutely love the moments where Fin goes into deep thinking about the universe and his and everyone's existence because it's truly a deep thinking that looking up at the stars, or looking out the window to stare at the moon, brings out of all of us.

I really appreciated and loved the amount of research that was put into this and it truly shows throughout the book, I also love the little details such as the names, and the "Fact v. Fiction" part of the book.

One of my favorite things in this book is the little moments such as Fin making jokes and when he makes a joke but Horowitz doesn't realize it's a joke till Dr. Sokolov laughs. Or when Barrera is teased by being called caboose but he says it's an important job so he doesn't mind. Or when Barrera ruffles Fin's hair and tells him to join the wrestling team, and it's implied that he may have held in a tear when they departed which is heartwarming especially when he was seen as tough and serious all the time. Or when Fin confesses how he has been truly feeling during his mom's recovery and David goes go to fist bump him but instead it turns into the asteroid-moon-planet game. It's little things like these that shows the connections these characters have with each other and it's honestly amazing, it's a big reason to why I absolutely love this book

Disliked:
There isn't anything that I disliked, except that I wish we saw more of what happened to the characters near the ending but the epilogue was neat to add so it wasn't a major problem

Favorite Quotes:
"I'm sure you've looked up at the night sky, maybe identified a satellite moving through the stars, and every time you did, there could have been people looking right back at you."

"I wondered if we could grow an apple tree on the Moon. Why apple, you wonder? I don't know. I like apples."

" 'Caboose is an important job,' Specialist Barrera replies.
'And might be your new call sign,' Pilot Gurkin teases.
'If we survive this, you can call me whatever you want,' he says"

" 'Hey, Barrera," I call out. His head appears in the window. 'Sorry about that punch to your shoulder. Not cool.'
He smiles. 'I'm all right, Fin. Don't worry about it. But you should look into joining the wrestling team back at school. You're not bad.' "

"They both shoot out their arms for a handshake, but I reach and hug them both. Specialist Barrera tousles my hair. I think about it revealing my birthmark, but do nothing to hide my crescent moon. 'Remember to check out the wrestling team when you get home.' He chuckles."

Overall Thoughts:
As someone with autism, I have difficulty understanding what I'm reading and while at times I didn't understand some of the information or what a character was saying, it didn't actually affect my enjoyment nor my overall understanding of what was happening which is really awesome. I don't read books like this due to that but I'm glad I picked this up due to the beautiful cover and interesting summary because this has become one of my favorite books. This was really engaging and kept wanting me to know what happens next. There is so many moments in this book that I absolutely love and will cherish and on top of that I learned a ton of cool information.

Recommendation:
I believe this is a book that younger readers, should definitely give a read, more specifically those who love space, so this is a good book for parents to gift young teens and it's a book that should be in school libraries or teacher's classrooms.

Finley Scott is trying, oh yes, but the cards seem stacked against him. His mother has been badly injured and is in the hospital and has been for weeks. His dad is barely holding it together, and spends most of his life at the hospital with his wife. The family has moved into a smaller apartment and everything is just out of whack. For whatever reason, Finley has it in him to blame and be angry with his father.

On the other hand, Fin has applied to be part of the StellarKid Project, which plans to take four children to the International Space Station. It will be an historic first, children in space! Amazingly,p, Fin gets a letter stating that he has won a place to go to the ISS. He’s excited beyond measure but skeptical about the rules requiring him to have a guardian accompany him. Fin gets angry right off the bat when he thinks his father isn't going to let him go. But whoa, his parents both agree he should go, and he will ask his “funcle" who does agree to go into space and be his guardian. There are three other winners; David, from Norway (whose mother is in prison), Kalpana from India, and Mae from South Africa. There is a much and sometimes risky, intense training in preparing the children.

Author, Ben Gartner included well researched details about what it will take to get the Aether, the fictional space ship, launched so everyone can get to the space station. Difficulties arise, of course, but everything moves very quickly and soon they are sitting on the launch pad.

The director of the program is excited to get kids into space, but there is a sinister administrator, who wants to scuttle the whole StellarKid Project for unfounded reasons. His attempts are finally thwarted, and countdown begins. Once the kids and their guardians, along with a regular crew, make it to the ISS, they get a tour and have some interesting times floating in space. The fun is interrupted and things become tense when there is space junk threatening to damage the station. Then all communication with Earth is fried and the crew and kids are cut off from, technical help as well as their parents, as they are stuck in the Aether with little recourse to make it home. Things look bad.
To add to the tension you’ll remember, Fin, started the book with a scene where it seems likely he is going to die in space.

This book Reminiscent of Apollo Thirteen, Deep Impact and The Martian where the brains of the operation get in gear and a very unlikely plan is made in the attempt to get everyone or most everyone back safely on Terra Firma.
Tense is an understatement!
With the recent Artemis launch, many students have renewed interest in space travel, and this is a great book for laying out the specifics of training and preparations necessary for launching a shuttle to the International Space Station, as well as what it’s like to hang out in zero gravity. Not all is cool. There's plenty of suspense and adventure here as the characters also get to show off a variety of skills, and the adults don't get in the way at least not too much.

This book is busy with a lot of technical background combined with fascinating information about space travel. I became at times a bit bogged down with so much background, but not enough to deter my quest for the adventure. The dialogue could have been streamlined a bit. The character of Mr. Deuce didn't really add that much and seemed more like an afterthought.

Be sure to explore the list at the back of the book describing the names given to some minor characters in tribute to real people involved in the space program. The glossary may be helpful as you read as well.

This is a great choice for readers who like science oriented science fiction with lots of realistic and well researched information about space travel.

As you read put yourself in the mind of a private citizen traveling to where there is no oxygen and the very atmosphere is trying to kill you!

Finley Scott is having a tough time; his mother has been badly injured and is in the hospital. His dad is barely holding it together, and the family has moved into a smaller apartment. Finley knows things are tough, but he's still angry with his father. Fin has applied to be part of the StellarKid Project, which plans to take four children to the International Space Station. When Fin gets a letter that he has won a place there, he's excited, but gets angry when he thinks his father isn't going to let him go. This is misplaced; his parents are fine with it, and he even has a "funcle" who is able to go into space and be his guardian. There are three other children; David, from Norway (whose mother is in prison), Kalpana from India, and Mae from South Africa. There is a lot of intense training, and a lot of good details about what it will take to get the Aether launched so everyone can get to the space station. There are difficulties, of course, but everything moves very quickly. THe director of the program is excited to get kids into space, but the evil administrator (complete with pencil thin mustache) wants to scuttle the whole StellarKid Project for unnamed reasons. Once the kids and their guardians, along with a regular crew, make it to the ISS, they get a tour and have some interesting times being in space, but things go wrong when there is space junk threatening the station. The kids are cut off from their parents, stuck in the Aether. Things look bad, and Fin, who has started the book with a scene where it seems likely he will die in space, has to save the day, even though it imperils him. Luckily, things get fixed and the Aether is able to transport some people to the moon before heading back to Earth. Will Fin be as successful with dealing with the situation with his mother once he gets back home?
Strengths: With the recent Artemis launch, my students are definitely interested in space travel, and this is a great book for laying out the specifics of training and preparations necessary for launching a shuttle to the International Space Station (in operation since 2000!) as well as what to expect when hanging out in space. There's plenty of suspense and adventure, and Fin gets an opportunity to save the day and make his parents' proud. The other characters also get to show off a variety of skills, and the adults don't get in the way too much; of course, they need to be saved! There aren't a whole lot of space adventure books, and certainly not many with this much information about space travel.
Weaknesses: There is a lot going on, and combined with all of the fantastic information about space travel, the story is a bit cluttered. This could have been streamlined a bit; characters like Mr. Deuce didn't really add that much. I did appreciate that there was a list at the back of the book describing the names given to some minor characters in tribute to real people involved in the space program.
What I really think: This is not available at this time from Follett, although there is a hard cover copy available through Amazon. This is a great choice for readers who like science oriented science fiction with lots of realistic, well researched information about space travel. Pair with fiction like Landers' Blastaway or Holm's Lion of Mars, or Buzz Aldrin's optimistic nonfiction book, Welcome to Mars. I, for one, am content to stay here on Earth where there is oxygen and the very atmosphere is not trying to kill me!

Written mainly through the eyes of Fin, the teenage main character, One Giant Leap is his story. He starts by talking about how he is drifting through space with a leak in his suit and water from his cooling system seeping around his face and mouth. He knows he is about to die drifting forever in the dark void, but then he goes back in time and tells the story of just how and why he ended up in this particular predicament.

Read the full review at: https://litercurious.com/2023/01/01/one-giant-leap-review/

Twelve-year-old inventor Fin Scott has just won the trip of a lifetime. He will be traveling into space with three other brilliant kids, their guardians, and a space crew. Stops on their adventure include the International Space Station and the Gateway Space Station near the moon. When disaster strikes, will Fin have what it takes to keep calm in a crisis and use his knowledge to save others? Find out in this riveting middle grade work of science fiction.

4 stars, Vomit Comet

ONE GIANT LEAP
by Ben Gartner

A typical middle-grade read, an interesting science fiction space story, complete with all of those ooey gooey gross things that children of that age talk about.

I received a complimentary copy of #OneGiantLeap from #CrescentVistaPress #IBPA I was under no obligation to post a review.

#childrensbooks #sciencefiction

One Giant Leap is filled with action, humor, and STEM!
Set in space in the very near future, it's perfect for piquing interest in our current and past space programs as well as the upcoming Artemis missions, all while entertaining with lots of action, humor, and character development. It reminded me of how high school science teachers requested the clean version of The Martian to use in the classroom. One Giant Leap is The Martian for a younger age group, ready to engage, entertain, and educate kids at the same time.
The characters are compelling; the research is laudable; the humor is perfect for the age group (and I dare my fellow adults not to groan-laugh too!). Highly recommend this one!