About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle-grade reader is beginning to crave independence but feels a flicker of anxiety about what it means to truly stand on their own. It is a perfect fit for the child who loves to tinker and build, offering a world where mechanical wit is just as important as physical bravery. While the setting is a fantastical landscape of floating cities and junk-storms, the emotional core is deeply grounded in the security of family and the shock of its temporary loss. Jed is a resilient twelve-year-old whose parents have spent his life training him for self-reliance through eccentric survival drills. When they actually disappear, Jed must navigate a high-stakes world at war over scrap metal and batteries. The story explores themes of grit, resourcefulness, and the complex realization that parents are fallible humans with secrets. It is an ideal bridge for readers moving toward more complex sci-fi, offering plenty of action and invention without losing sight of a child's need for belonging.
