Space - by Roger Reid (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Discovering Alabama producer Roger Reid, author of acclaimed novel Longleaf, continues the saga of teenage sleuth Jason Caldwell in his new mystery adventure Space. Set at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Space is a fast-moving story that incorporates factual information about astronomy and America's space program into its intriguing tale of suspicion and pursuit. This witty and educational book will captivate middle-school readers of all ages. Jason leads the audience through an engaging story combining intelligence, courage, and insight. The story communicates values of empathy and integrity as Jason struggles to understand his acerbic sidekick and makes promises to respect the confidence of others. An engaging combination of scientific facts and exciting adventure.

Review Quotes

[Space] certainly is a suspenseful tale, laced with interesting facts about planetary astronomy and physics.--Elaine Scott "award-winning author of When Is a Planet Not a Planet and Mars and the Search for Life"

Another Roger Reid winner for young mystery lovers. Space is packed with fascinating science, action, compelling story questions, and an ending that rockets off the page. Loved it!--Graham Salisbury "author of Under the Blood-Red Sun and Night of the Howling Dogs"

As the follow-up to his first young adult novel Longleaf, author Roger Reid offers Space, the story of teen sleuth Jason Caldwell and his hair-raising discovery of international espionage at a Huntsville, Alabama, observatory. Seizing an opportunity to educate, Reid shares scientific enlightenment while engaging the reader with mysteries that lurk in each chapter of the tales he tells. Roger Reid's fiction is recounted in a riveting style reminiscent of Hardy Boys mysteries. Space makes for a fascinating bedtime or Saturday afternoon read, and even those well beyond their teenage years might find it more intriguing than first imagined.-- "First Draft"

Author Roger Reid delivers another suspenseful page-turner. In Space, Jason is thrust into the company of the unlikeable Stephen Warrensburg, who's got a chip on his shoulder and a mystery to share. The unfolding adventure tests Jason's wits and intelligence, even as it brings him closer to understanding the science of space. A captivating blend of fact and fun, as only Roger Reid can write it.--Anne Dalton "author of Dream Ghost"

Reid infuses his writing with real narrative settings, interesting facts, and characters that face questions about values. Most importantly, however, is that sense of story--the reason a writer writes and a reader reads. 'The bottom line is, they have to want to turn the page to find out what happens next. My first goal was to tell a good story.' I think he succeeded.-- "ValleyPlanet"

Roger Reid does it again. Space, the second in his saga of the brave, young Jason Caldwell, is an out-of-this-world good read. With brilliant dialogue, gripping action, and a cast of colorful characters, Space is another page-turner from Reid's prolific pen. Let us hope that, like Homer's Jason of Jason and the Argonauts, Reid's Longleaf was only just the beginning of a long line of Jason Caldwell's heroic adventures.--Charles Ghigna (Father Goose) "author of Score: 50 Poems to Motivate and Inspire"

Roger's Reid's Space is exciting, suspenseful, and informative. It will put his readers in orbit--and in a good way!--Rodman Philbrick "author of Freak the Mighty and The Last Book in the Universe"

Stephen and the reluctant Jason become like twenty-first-century Hardy Boys, gathering clues, eavesdropping, getting into dangerous situations, and escaping from those tight spots. I am not a middle-schooler but I am happy to say I read right along, carried by the plot and the personalities of the two teenagers, turning each page to find out what happened next. The action takes place in an observatory and around Huntsville installations Reid, whose day job is writer/director/producer for the Alabama Public Television series Discovering Alabama, has clearly developed a satisfying avocation here. There will surely be more Jason Caldwell adventures, and why not?--Don Noble, Alabama Public Radio

About the Author

ROGER REID is a writer, director, and producer for the award-winning Discovering Alabama television series, a program of The University of Alabama's Alabama Museum of Natural History in cooperation with Alabama Public Television. He lives with his family in Birmingham.