About the Author

John Huddles is a screenwriter, film director, and novelist. His writing career began as editor-in-chief of Brown University's student magazine, and as one of Brown's first-ever Undergraduate Writing Fellows. He is also a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Nitze School Of Advanced International Studies and the American Film Institute Conservatory. His debut novel, the kids' sci-fi/adventure story, Boon On The Moon, extended his love of sci-fi/fantasy from storytelling for the screen to the page. With Asha Of The Air, John shifts into sci-fi/fantasy for an adult readership, in a novel that weaves together European chivalric legend and India's sacred texts for a mythological diptych of past and future.

Reviews

"A boy and his robot move to Earth's moon in John Huddles's wonderful Boon on the Moon . There's a raw, childlike joyfulness to Boon's story; his unabashed enthusiasm for discovery is infectious. Combining innocent wonder with hard science, Boon on the Moon is a terrific and memorable science fiction tale." Peter Dabbene, Foreword Reviews

" Boon on the Moon is a work of children's fiction focused on science fiction and space travel, and it was penned by author John Huddles as part of The Booniverse. The central titular character is Byron 'Boon' Barnett, a highly imaginative boy who is often told off for getting carried away by his own overactive thoughts and excitable temperament. But when Boon gets to board a rocket ship and move with his family to a new lunar colony called Cosmopolis, excitement is the order of the day. That is, until Boon realises that a huge disaster is brewing, one which will see him face life or death challenges to save his brand new homeland. Author John Huddles has a great sense of what will captivate middle grade readers in this fun and high-octane adventure novel, especially for those extra-active and rambunctious boys who usually wouldn't want to sit down and read a book. Byron 'Boon' Barnett represents his audience well, and the narrative is chock full of fun moments of Boon getting into trouble and getting totally carried away with the adventure of it all. But the plot is also well balanced, and it gradually develops into a strong story with high stakes consequences and plenty of new ideas to discover once readers are invested in the events unfolding. I liked the overall message and what Boon and his behavior represent, and the space-age world in which the story is set is sure to be a hit. Overall, Boon on the Moon is a fantastic tale for MG readers to devour." K.C. Finn, Goodreads

"A boy and his robot move to Earth's moon in John Huddles's wonderful Boon on the Moon. Byron "Boon" Barnett's dream comes true when his father gets a job opportunity on the Moon; with some lobbying from Boon, the whole family is soon on their way. Boon gets right to exploring the Moon with his robot, Jose Ignacio, and is soon confronted with several hazardous situations, foremost the arrival of a "White Worm"a part black hole, part wormhole destructive force of nature. A series of exciting rescues by Boon, and ingenious scientific thinking by his family, avert the crisis, saving humanity from a terrible fate. Boon's relationship with Jose Ignacio is special: to everyone else, Jose Ignacio is just a twelve-inch-tall toy robot, but to Boon he's a seven-foot-tall giant. In Boon's mind, they banter and bicker like a comedy team, and the reproachful robot serves as foil and sounding board for Boon's schemes. The ultimate fate of Boon's imaginary friend is a poignant instance of growing up. Italics emphasize bits of dialogue throughout, an enjoyable oral element through which the book begs to be read out loud. This technique makes conversations more emotional, humorous, and realistic, as when Mrs. Barnett discusses Boon, saying, "Get rid of his fears? I've been working his whole life to get some fears into him!" Novel featureslike the moon's Worship Dome, which is equipped with a hologram generator so its interior can look like any house of worship; and space art, which uses a laser to create images on celestial objectsamplify the immersiveness of Boon's future world, one that's full of advanced technology. There's a raw, childlike joyfulness to Boon's story; his unabashed enthusiasm for discovery is infectious. Combining innocent wonder with hard science, Boon on the Moon is a terrific and memorable science fiction tale." Peter Dabbene, Foreword Reviews

"Exemplary characters enliven a comical lunar romp Huddles' literary debut is a brisk, delightful story. The prose and action are fast-paced and often funny: A bus that swerves to avoid a crashing meteoroid contains passengers "of the screaming variety." This book launches a prospective series featuring Byron, and the time-jump ending is a clear setup for a sequel." Kirkus Reviews