We're Not from Here

By: Geoff Rodkey

Narrated by: Dani Martineck

Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! From the creator of the Tapper Twins, New York Times bestselling author Geoff Rodkey delivers a topical, sci-fi middle-grade novel that proves friendship and laughter can transcend even a galaxy of differences.

The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we'd been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home.

That's how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They're very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that's not why it's so hard to live here. There's a lot that the Zhuri don't like: singing (just ask my sister, Ila), comedy (one joke got me sent to the principal's office), or any kind of emotion. The biggest problem, though? The Zhuri don't like us. And if humankind is going to survive, it's up to my family to change their minds. No pressure.

Critic reviews

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year!

"A quirky sci-fi adventure with a surprising layer of political irony."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Rodkey explores heady concepts such as immigration, tolerance, culture shock, and relative humor in this slapstick-laden allegory"—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An excellent title for discussion.” –The Bulletin

“Whip-smart, wildly inventive, and truly important.” –Katherine Applegate, author of Newbery Medal winner The One and Only Ivan

"Who knew that giant talking mosquitos and brilliant marshmallow girls on a distant planet could provide such crucial insight into what is happening on our planet right now?" -Adam Gidwitz, author of Newbery Honor book The Inquisitor's Tale

Omg so sad 😭

The nug made me so sad and “ Taylor swift world tour 2028” made me laugh! But…is lan a boy or girl?

Wow

Rarely do I want a book to continue on But this world and the conflicts that the humans faced were so intriguing. I really could have listened to more of the story before the main conflict gets resolved. I appreciate that the side characters were developed and played a significant role. It made listening to them and understanding their culture so fascinating.

Read it in one day

I have do read this for school but it was so interesting it didn’t feel like a school reading it felt like casual reading instead Overall very good

Amazing

The story was creative and fun and I loved how music won the trust of the thousands of zhuri amazing narration too

We all agree

This book is good entertainment. It is very clever and funny, with a great performance by the reader.