Far Out!

Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Trade Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-66591-419-2

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-166591-420-8

Audiobook

It’s 1964, the Space Race is well underway, and eleven-year-old Magnolia Jean Crook and the other residents of Totter, Texas, are over the moon about UFOs.

The whole town is gearing up for the First Annual Come on Down Day—in just one week, they are hoping to host any and all space aliens who would like to visit Earth. But right before the kick-off party, a meteorite goes missing—and MJ’s beloved grandmother Mimi, who is the vice president of the Totter Unidentified Flying Object Organization, is the prime suspect.

MJ is desperate to show the town that this Crook is not a thief. The only problem is that there is a lot of evidence against her, and Mimi herself isn’t helping things. She’s acting suspiciously, pulling disappearing acts, and worst of all, can’t seem to answer any questions about where she was or what she was doing.But much like UFOs, extraterrestrial visitations, and sending people to space, the impossible has been known to happen.

Nominee 2024-2025

“Bustard fills her cast with a realistic mix of friends, rivals, supportive parents, and neighborly townsfolk (many given animated faces by Rowland’s vignettes at each chapter’s head), capturing a vivid sense of the rhythms and atmosphere of small-town life in the early 1960s—inspired, she writes, by a real event staged in the 1970s. Readers fond of comfy tales set in small Southern towns (practically a genre all its own) will enjoy meeting Magnolia Jean.” Booklist/John Peters

“…plot centers solidly on the book’s compassionate protagonist, whose colloquial narrative reflects the town’s quirky affability, offers a loving view of an intergenerational relationship, and touches on themes of memory and belief.” Publishers Weekly

“The author expertly weaves a quick-paced tale of both truth and fiction that will surely appeal to readers of all ages…” Ruthie Jones, Reading by Moonlight Book Blogger

“With its pair of relatable young sleuths, nostalgic mid-60s timeframe, small-town Texas ambiance, and the unique and appealing underlying subject matter of visitors from outer space, I recommend FAR OUT! to readers of all ages but especially upper elementary school-aged readers looking for an exciting yet approachable chapter book.” Boys’ Mom Reads! Book Blogger