This was mine and Riley's first bedtime book of the year and it didn't disappoint. Riley couldn't wait to read more every night which I think says a lot about his feelings about it!

The two main characters were fun and well written, each with different personalities and traits. There were great illustrations and the dialogue was perfect for the recommended age group. The author invented a world full of aliens that me and Riley both loved hearing about - especially the names - which along with the illustrations, bought the story to life.

Lots of fun and humour - this will be a hit if you have little ones who enjoy a chapter book that isn't too long.

Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

This book has proved to be SO popular here and it’s always a pleasure to introduce to young readers. So much fun,

I really enjoyed this book!

It had a great mix of characters and they were well developed and their interaction was spot on for the age range. It was an entertaining read and I liked the characters from the different planets too.

The illustrations were great and really added to the book too and helped bring it to life.

A great and fun read for little space fans out there – it is 5 stars from me for this one and I can see this being a great series! Very highly recommended

Space Detectives by Mark Powers and Dapo Adeola combines all the best ingredients of a kids’ book and produces an amusing and entertaining treat. And there’s more to come!

Best friends Ethan and Connor are living the futuristic dream of a Summer spent on Starville. Starville is a city, indeed the first city, that obits Earth and Ethan’s uncle has invited them to stay. They soon get to hone their detective skills (previously used only on Earth) when it’s revealed that Starville’s in somewhat of a quandary – it’s due a collision with the moon, and it’s not an accident!

The two main characters are the kind you love in a kids’ book. They each have their own traits and personalities that should leave most readers able to recognise bits of themselves or their friends in one or both. The minor characters also add loads to the story. We’re offered bits and pieces of information about these characters throughout and how they fit into both this story and the world as a whole. Given it is set in space you would hope for a selection of aliens and you would not be disappointed. All the characters are brought to life delightfully in Adeola’s illustrations. Special shout out to the hilarious muscle-bound anteater on the door written and illustrated quite perfectly.

Like the characters the plot is just what you want. It moves at pace but still manages to give us background information and make us invested in the boys. There’s a villain or two and the plot plays out via a meandering path which provides readers the opportunity to play detective too.

Finally, there’s plenty of action and loads of cool gadgets. The kind of stuff to blow imaginations wide open. I’m not sure how many are due in the series but with the whole of space to provide mysteries to solve and two relatable boys to solve them, there is lots of opportunity here.

Reasons to Read Space Detectives!

It is set on the worlds first orbiting city, Starville.
The detecting characters, Connor and Ethan are a brilliant blend of funny and clever.
The illustrations are fantastic.
Read this for a fun, intergalactic, inter-species adventure to halt the collision course of the city.

A brilliant chapter book full of brilliant illustrations and perfect for readers building their reading stamina as it is a short, snappy read and one full of adventure, humour and alien species!

Fantastic!

This was an absolutely adorable book! The group and their antics was hilarious, I would recommend this to every young reader!

Connor and Ethan can’t resist a mystery and when the space station, Starville is sabotaged and heading for a collision with the moon, it’s up to them to help save the day. Can they solve the mystery in time?! Packed full of great illustrations, Space Detectives is a fast paced chapter book perfect for developing readers aged 7+. Highly recommended!

A smaller story but packed with amazing vocabulary and pictures. Definitely could be read be lower key stage 2 alone but upper keystage two could read it for a simple read as it’s full of images and a simple story line. It has some amazing vocabulary in there for them to get their teeth in as some of the words may be beyond year 3 but should be remembered by them. Reminds me a lot like The Nothing to see here Hotel books with a mixture of humour, cool cartoons and funky storyline. The first in what could be a series about two boys living on a space station, solving crimes. I would love to read the set with my son, whose a huge fan of this style. Will look at for the book when it’s released.
In the classroom it could be used to write newspapers, character description of current characters and imaginary new ones they could make. The children could also create models of the space station or maps of the area. Can the children write a crime investigation of their own following this style.
Thank you Mark Powers for a great book.

A fast-paced cosmic mystery which children will love.

Connor and Ethan are spending the summer selling ice-cream on Starville - a human and alien inhabited city orbiting Earth - but they dream of solving inter-galactic crime as space detectives. When they witness a slimy green Tufted Grotsnobbler stealing a human girl's bag, they stumble onto a case far more difficult and dangerous than it first seems. Soon it's not only handbags, but the life of everyone aboard the space-city, at stake.

Connor and Ethan were a lot of fun and readers will instantly warm to them. They have big aspirations and a lot of bravery. They're also very funny.

Malfunctioning suits, cowboy hat wearing aliens and a lot of oddly named cats ensure this story will have readers giggling from start to finish. It's a great opening to what promises to be a fun series for younger mystery fans.

Adeola's artwork brings the story to life and adds another layer of comic detail. I loved his aliens (especially the Snarltoothed Grizloid). The illustrations caught the eye of my daughter as I was reading, who immediately wanted to know what was going on, so I'll definitely be buying a physical copy of this once it's available.

I was provided with an advanced copy for review on NetGalley.

A super fun space adventure! Dapo Adeola's artwork is just PERFECT for this story. PERFECT. I loved the premise (I mean...space detectives!!!) but the artwork made the book for me!

This was a fun, exciting space adventure suitable for younger readers developing their confidence with chapter books.
Connor and Ethan become involved in solving a mystery with their space detective skills.
Lots of humour and fantastic illustrations. I'm sure this will be really popular in the classroom.

A very cute and exciting story, perfect for those children just starting to read chapter books i.e. confident year twos and year three. The illustrations are great, as expected from Dapo Adeola, with modern relatable children. The two boys team up to solve a mystery, with a good helping of humour. I can't think of many children who would not enjoy this!

This was a lot of fun! I loved the inventions and could definitely find a place for the ice-cream machine :D
Connor and Ethan worked well as a detective team and the inhabitants of Starville - human and not-so-human - were wonderfully described and illustrated. There were enough clues to solve the mystery and lots of action and peril for our detective heroes along the way. Here's to the next space mystery!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

A great adventure filled with laughs & hijinks!! My 7 year-old devoted this and is eagerly hoping for a sequel.

I have recently found myself reading more children books as I’m trying to find the perfect book for my younger siblings and cousins. Space Detectives was the perfect mix of Scooby Doo and Sweet Life of Zack and Cody! I really loved the animation and just the dynamic between the two main characters. This book was definitely a joy and a 5 star.