Ann Birdgenaw

Black Hole Radio - Bilaluna is a fun Sci-Fi chapter book for young readers. You’ll want to read the first book but despite being book two in the series, readers will enjoy it without having read the first one.
In this book, Hawk and Matt befriend a girl from their school who felt like she didn’t fit in with the other kids. We find out that Celeste has Asperger’s but Hawk likes her for who she is. The three journey through space where they meet a new species and work together to help them build a stronger world. In all, there are lots of great lessons woven into the story.
Spoiler: Like book one, one of the characters is gifted a power by the aliens. That was my only disappointment in the book as I wish the gift didn’t imply that people who have Asperger’s need to be fixed. However, I’m glad to see people with disabilities being represented.… (más)

"Beep, beep, beep, beep," sounds the radio, and Hawk, Celeste, and Matt are off on another adventure through the black hole. This time they find themselves in an alien, cavernous labyrinth, as they try to locate a missing classmate and the way out. Along the way they meet some aliens and help find a solution to an injustice.

The story is interesting and keeps the reader engaged as the three kids learn about the alien world. It includes some bits of social commentary and at the end provides some good information and talking points about the problem of child labor in the mining industry - all done at a level that middle-grade readers can grasp. The glossary at the end provides some useful definitions and context for the space and scientific aspects of the story. The back matter also includes an appealing experiment to try, and the illustrations scattered throughout add nicely to the story.

While the story does give some hints of what's already happened, those parts are not very close to the beginning and so a reader unfamiliar with the previous adventures could be confused. Potential readers would benefit from having read the earlier books before reading this one.

Overall, this was a fun, entertaining book to read, with an important educational element and the opportunity to learn more. An enjoyable addition to the series.… (más)

A great addition to any Elementary or Middle School library

I am not a fan of banning books—which is probably a weird way to start this review, I know. But bear with me. Black Hole Radio - Ka'Azula is a great addition to a school library for many reasons. This is book 3 of the series, and I bring up book banning, because this particular story touches on racism. But never fear. If you’re worried that the topic is too much for your child, this book gently introduces it then shows how singling someone out for being a little different is a lotta bad.

I would put the book's tone and style on par with The Magic Treehouse series, except instead of the treehouse, you have the black hole radio device. And instead of history, you have alternate worlds. This particular book in the series addresses racism in a way that's reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's sneeches. And there are two characters that reflect the idea of being different—Matt, who is of mixed race, and Celeste, who has autism. A nicely diverse set of main characters who do normal things in a normal world as well as an out of this world world.… (más)