A Green Christmas!

Galaxy Zack #6

by Ray O'Ryan, Colin Jack (Illustrations)

Zack wants to go back to Earth for a white Christmas—but it turns out a green Christmas is just as cool!Christmas is just a few days away and Zack Nelson can’t wait to get back to Earth and spend it with his relatives in Vermont. He’s looking forward to sledding and having a white Christmas! But when a cosmic storm hits Nebulon, the Nelsons have to cancel their travel plans and spend Christmas on their new home planet. Zack is distraught....until the storm hits.What are those green flakes falling from the sky? Could they be...snow? A white Christmas would have been nice, but maybe a green one is even better!With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Galaxy Zack chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Genres: Childrens, Holiday, Science Fiction, Fiction

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like Christmas. I did not like this book because I did not like the part when Zack had to cancel his trip back to earth to have Christmas.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zack and his family are excited about going back to spend Christmas on Earth in Vermont with extended family. In the meantime, they are marveling at the different ways Christmas is celebrated on Nebulon while finishing up their shopping and decorating their house. But when a huge storm heads to Nebulon, it looks like their Christmas is not going to be so great after all.

Anyone who has grown up in an area with regular snow in the winter has probably at sometime experienced messed up Christmas travel plans. It can be devastating to psyched up kids and make a lasting impression. But it is something I really haven't seen in that many books. I like that O'Ryan put such a situation in this book. The storm is a creative way to make it happen on a distant planet. And I liked the way Zack's family made the best of things. I also liked the way Zack's family adopts a few Nebulon decorating ideas while also sharing what's important to them. It is a very realistic look at how expat kids would find Christmas in a foreign land. (I remember my first Christmas in Thailand, I couldn't believe some of the ways the malls decorated for Christmas here.) A fun Christmas story that many TCKs and kids from climates with snow will identify with.

[Andrew J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, while I wish Ray O'Ryan had stopped making interplanetary travel part of every single book, at least the cast gets it over and done with in the beginning. In this one, the entire family goes to Planet Cisnos. That's the planet Zack went to with Drake (Nebulon friend) and Bert (Earth friend) for the theme park. Apparently, this planet also has a really good mall, and the entire family goes shopping for their relatives on Earth. The original holiday plan of the Nelsons is that they are going to planet hop to go back to Earth (the second proposed planet hopping in the same book; oy), but unfortunately, there's a galactic storm coming. Thankfully, the reader can finally learn a little bit about life on Nebulon (which by book 6 is seriously overdue). Disappointed, the family stays at home instead of packing their stuff and the gifts and heading back to the space port (basically an airport for interplanetary travel) when something that looks like green snow begins to fall from the sky.
Well, this family looks a bit rich and perhaps like Zack is a bit spoiled. I still hope some of these books will delve into regularly life on this planet. All in all, not the worst sequel I've ever read. I'm giving this one 2 stars.

[Sejal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on the Golden Duck Awards website. The first book in the series was awarded the golden duck awards, however, I could not find that one in the library so I decided to read this one instead. This book is meant for students in 2nd to 4th grade. It is a simple chapter book. It is about a boy named Zack who moved to a new planet a couple of months ago. In this particular book, he is looking forward to going back to Earth to celebrate Christmas and see snow since Christmas celebrations are a little different than they are on Earth. However, a big storm hits and he is not able to go back to Earth. In the end something happens on his planet to make it feel like Christmas at home. I think this is a great Science Fiction book because it explores the idea of living on a new planet and how those planets might be different than Earth. I think this book could be good for comparing and contrasting Earth to the planet that Zack lives on.

[Melissa Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute story. We really like reading these together!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good one. Fun to read it for Christmas!

[Zazie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy series for any child who loves space and reading. I enjoyed this.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple language, quick read, engaging story for the kiddos. Zack is so grape!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a chapter book and apparently a part of a series. This was our first book of Galaxy Zack; and we weren't 'lost' because we hadn't ever read any of the other books. (But we're gonna look into reading them now.) Zack and his parents have moved to another planet away from Earth. His Dad is a Scientist. They enjoy living where they do but on the planet Christmas traditions are a bit different. Zack and his best friend exchange and explain to each other their traditions teaching each other. Zack's family is looking forward to going back to Earth to visit family and sled and make snowmen in the Vermont snow. But a cosmic storm comes in and prevents them from traveling. And although the planet has never seen snow this year because of the storm they not only have snow but GREEN snow! Zack and his siblings and parents make sleds out of stuff they find and then everyone starts having fun out in the snow.