Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War

Gr 4–7—Daniel's mind has been "wiped clean." He remembers language and numbers, but he has no memory of other portions of his previous life. He has returned to the Racks where the "grubs" are. They remember him, but he has no memory of them. Enslaved by Overseers, the grubs fend for themselves as they dig in a relic mine searching for a civilization of long ago. Set in outer space thousands of years in the future, the book starts out with vivid descriptions of its characters, including Nails, a grub who has dirty fingernails growing out of his scalp where his hair should be. Along with Daniel's action-packed journey, Pavlou offers up interesting themes on truth, power, and wisdom. Forty-four short, fast-paced chapters make for page-turning action that is sure to zip readers through this zany outer space adventure. A glossary is included to help with the unusual author-created vocabulary.