Books for Tweens: Warp Speed by Lisa Yee

Next in Stella’s book recommendations for her peers (she is 10) is Warp Speed, by Lisa Yee. In fact, she’s asked me several times to post this up, but I’m just getting around to it now.

Marley is the central character in this book. As a seventh grader, excluded socially from most of his school’s crowds, he would rather remain invisible or run at warp speed so that he can escape from the bullies. He does, however, find some solace in the AV Club and a mutually shared interest in Star Trek.

As one reviewer on the New York Public Library’s site noted:

“This is a great story for any kid getting through their tween years, but especially for those in social fringe groups.  Everyone can relate to at least one of the large cast of characters, but Marley is an endearing hero for everyone.  Fans of sci-fi, especially Star Trek are encouraged to grab a copy … .”

If you’re not a fan of Star Trek, fear not — Stella’s never actually seen an episode of it in her life and this didn’t interfere with her enjoyment of the overall tale. In the video below, you can hear the author describe the story in her own words.

I asked Stella to tell me, in her own words, why she liked Warp Speed and here’s what she had to say:

• “I found it very realistic that they had a sort of social ladder in your average school.”
• “Another thing was you see the whole story from Marley Sanaleski’s (a Star Trek fan and victim of physical bullying) point of view.”
• “The book really lets you see what goes on in the head of someone who is being bullied.”
• “The one negative I’d say is that the plot line is not totally original because there are a lot of books about boys being bullied in middle school.”