3.5
Ambassador
ByPublisher Description
Gabe Fuentes is in for the ride of his life when he becomes Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy in this alien sci-fi adventure from the National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets.
Gabe Fuentes is reading under the covers one summer night when he is interrupted by a creature who looks like a purple sock puppet. The sock puppet introduces himself as the Envoy and asks if Gabe wants to be Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy. What sane eleven-year-old could refuse?
Some ingenious tinkering with the washing machine sends Gabe’s “entangled” self out to the center of the galaxy. There he finds that Earth is in the path of a destructive alien force—and Gabe himself is the target of an assassination plot. Exactly who wants him out of the way? And why?
Back home, Gabe discovers that his undocumented immigrant parents are in danger of being deported. Can Gabe survive long enough to solve two sets of “alien” problems? He runs for his life, through Minneapolis and outer space, in this fast-paced adventure from a National Book Award–winning author.
“Physics lovers will enjoy this clever series opener—but so will those who enjoy comedy, politics, diplomacy or strange-looking aliens” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Gabe Fuentes is reading under the covers one summer night when he is interrupted by a creature who looks like a purple sock puppet. The sock puppet introduces himself as the Envoy and asks if Gabe wants to be Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy. What sane eleven-year-old could refuse?
Some ingenious tinkering with the washing machine sends Gabe’s “entangled” self out to the center of the galaxy. There he finds that Earth is in the path of a destructive alien force—and Gabe himself is the target of an assassination plot. Exactly who wants him out of the way? And why?
Back home, Gabe discovers that his undocumented immigrant parents are in danger of being deported. Can Gabe survive long enough to solve two sets of “alien” problems? He runs for his life, through Minneapolis and outer space, in this fast-paced adventure from a National Book Award–winning author.
“Physics lovers will enjoy this clever series opener—but so will those who enjoy comedy, politics, diplomacy or strange-looking aliens” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesAmbassador Reviews
3.5
“A really fun middle grade read that expertly ties science fiction and everyday life together in a balanced blend that is exciting to read!
"Ambassador" follows eleven-year-old Gabe as and his Mexican American family. It's a normal summer day for Gabe when all of a sudden a mysterious alien creature called the Envoy disturbs his everyday life. He learns that Earth is in need of an ambassador to negotiate peace with adjacent planets and neighboring lifeforms. But some of his alien neighbors are less than friendly. After only a few days as Terra's ambassador, Gabe finds himself on the dangerous end of an assassination plot, which puts his negotiation skills to the test.
I had my ups and downs when reading this book, but it is relatively short, making it a fun read the whole way through. One of the best parts of this story for me was the parallels between aliens from other planets and illegal aliens to the United States. Much of this story focuses around Gabe's family's status as citizens and I feel the parallels between Gabe's family life and his ambassador life are well balanced. Also, this book plain out shocked me a couple times with things I was not expecting at all, which was a nice surprise. Another thing that I want to point out is that "Ambassador" takes place in my home state of Minnesota, which made me feel that much more connected to the story. Finally, I love how much Gabe mention Zorro! Every time that I think back to the old black and white show featuring Zorro, I can't help but crack up. The fact that Gabe kept bringing him up kept me smiling the whole book through.
My biggest critique on this one has to be the ending. The book doesn't exactly end off on a cliffhanger it just kind of. . . ends. It ends with a statement and when I read it I was like, "Oh, I guess it's over." I have the sequel, so it's not that big of a deal, it just had one of the most sudden endings I've ever read.
Overall, "Ambassador" was a short read that I enjoyed quite a bit. If you like stories about aliens, then Gabe's tale is sure to show you a fresh take on the alien invasion trope!”
“I needed a contemporary children's book and my son enthusiastically recommended this one for me. Discussing characters and action with him was absolutely delightful.”
“Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Wish it didn't end on a bit of a cliffhanger though”
About William Alexander
William Alexander writes unrealisms for readers of all ages. His work has won the National Book Award, the Eleanor Cameron Award, the Librarian Favorites Award, the Teacher Favorites Award, two CBC Best Children’s Book of the Year Awards, and two Junior Library Guild Selections. As a small child he honestly thought that his Cuban American family came from the lost island of Atlantis.
Other books by William Alexander
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