Experiment by Rebecca Stead

How I Came Across It... *When I saw that Rebecca Stead had a new middle-grade novel coming out on September 16, 2025, I was quite excited. I was even more excited when I received an email from the Libro.FM app and Experiment was one of the free audio books I could download. Which I did and enjoyed the story during my summer walks.

What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *From the outside, Nathan appears to be a typical sixth grade boy.

*He has kept a huge secret from the outside world, even from his best friend Victor.

*When his world at home is about change is great ways, Nathan decides it is time to share the family secret.

*Since an early age, Nathan knew his family was from another planet, and now they are being called back to the "mother ship" and Nathan isn't sure why.

*He tells his best friend Victor about the secret, and the two of them sent off on a quest to figure out what is the truth and what are the lies.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *The audio was excellent and I was drawn into the story right away.

*I'm not normally a fan of science fiction, but this story didn't seem like the typical science fiction plot line.

*As I was listening, I kept thinking how young readers would think the "events" were actually happening in real life.

*The pacing of the plot was spot on and kept me interested during the entire listening experience.

*I know young readers will think the story is heading in one direction, and be quite surprised in the direction the story took.

Who Should Read It... *As with other Rebecca Stead novels, this upcoming book would be perfect for readers in grades five and six along with all middle-school students. If you know of young readers who gravitate toward science fiction, this would be the perfect selection for them. Happy Reading!

Rating... 4 out of 5 stars