Andrew Cranna, The Astronaughties: Moon Mayhem, Walker Books, May 2022, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760653378
One look at the cover of the Astronaughties is enough to let you know you’re in for a wild ride. This middle grade graphic novel is fast, furious and funny. The popularity of graphic novels in Australia is rocketing (sorry) and Andrew Cranna does his best to cram his novel with high-jinks, space facts, aliens, robots, three very naughty kids and one pet octopug.
It is the year 2120, and the moon has been transformed into an intergalactic amusement park for the ultimate entertainment experience that is out of this world. The Astronaughties are the kids of the park’s designers, who get the chance to visit the park but when they arrive, they find their parents are missing and the plan for the moon might not be what it seems. There are parents to be found, baddies to be defeated and, if they’re lucky, a rollercoaster or two to be ridden.
Suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Teacher ideas are available at Walker Books Australia.
Reviewed by Deborah Abela
