The Extraterrestrial Zoo 1: Finding the Lost One

By Samantha van Leer

The middle grade debut by New York Times bestselling co-author of Between the Lines Thirteen year old Ava helps run her family's refuge for extraterrestrials. But then a sudden disaster exposes a government conspiracy that upends everything she believed to be true.

When meteors suddenly dropped to Earth -- containing eggs with extraterrestrial babies inside -- the government called in the experts. Ava's parents hatched, cared for, raised, and researched these unique beings -- and Ava was part of the team. So many extraterrestrial living beings (ELBs) arrived that the government funded a Zoo for visitors to see them up close. It was a huge success in its day.

But now Ava is 13, and so much has changed. A terrible car accident claimed her mother. Her father, in deep despair, left Ava and the Zoo in the care of his brother, who's healing from his own emotional wounds. Then the alien babies stopped coming, and so did the public.

So when fifteen year old Harley shows up as an intern for the Zoo, Ava feels blindsided. This is her show

And then a terrible storm changes everything. Now the once-beloved ELBs are loose in the world, and being hunted. Ava's uncle is MIA. And all she has is this strange new boy to help her save everything she loves.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1645952959
• ISBN13: 9781645952954
• Release Date: February 2027
• Publisher: Pixel+ink
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9