Grade 8 English Language Arts: Unit 4: Aliens

Twelve-year-old Gratuity "Tip" Tucci is left to fend for herself after Earth is colonized by aliens and her mother is abducted, and must try to stop another alien invasion with only the help of a cat named Pig and an alien named J. Lo.

Abandoned on Earth because of her inability to survive on other planets, Jarra crafts a fake background for herself to join a class of norms who are excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities.

"High school senior Cara Sweeney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in earth's first intergalactic high school exchange program"--Provided by publisher.

"Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors"--Provided by publisher.

"Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found"--Provided by publisher

An investigative approach to the curious phenomena and mysterious circumstances surrounding Area 51, from conspiracy theories to claims of extraterrestrial sightings to hard facts.

Examines reports of unidentified flying object encounters.

"Uncover the amazing story of astronomy from telescopes in space to outstanding observatories. Learn about the latest space probes, how rockets lift off, and what it's like living in the weightlessness of space. And find out about the remarkable astronauts who have spacewalked their way into history"--Provided by publisher.

Looks at the history of astronomy from pre-history through the twenty-first century.

Provides details about NASA's New Horizons space probe, looking at its mission to explore Jupiter, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt.

The spacecraft Discovery journeys to the outer edge of the solar system, and two navigators become uneasy when Hal, the craft's talking computer system, demonstrates unusual behavior.

"Cassie Sullivan, the survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her young brother from the enemy with help from a boy who may be one of them"--Provided by publisher.

Seconds before Earth is destroyed to make room for a galactic freeway, a young man is rescued by an alien friend who whisks him away on a space-traveling adventure.

Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded and completely alone on Mars, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive, but Mark isn't ready to give up. Drawing on his engineering skills and determination, he faces each obstacle with resourcefulness, but will it be enough for him to survive?

Young Ender Wiggin may prove to be the military genius Earth needs to fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race that will determine the future of the human race.

The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple award winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

"Chase has been reunited with his younger sister, Lilli. He doesn't remember his past, but Lilli does--she remembers their parents, and life before their planet was destroyed"--Provided by publisher.

"All her life, Spensa's dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true--he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself--and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to"--Provided by publisher.

Four linked stories of discovery and survival begin with a Paleolithic-era girl who makes the first written signs, continue with Anna, who people call a witch, then a mad twentieth-century poet who watches the ocean knowing the horrors it hides, and concluding with an astronaut on the first spaceship from Earth sent to colonize another world

"When an Earth-like planet is discovered, a team of six teens, along with [four] veteran astronauts, embark on a twenty-year trip to set up a planet for human colonization--but find that space is more deadly than they ever could have imagined"--Amazon.com.

Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents' footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.

"The invasion begins--but not as you'd expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout--overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom--and release toxic pollens. They bloom--and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom--everywhere, unstoppable. Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What's their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They'd better figure it out fast, because it's starting to rain again"--Provided by publisher.

Santa Rosa, California, junior high school students Gene and Vince try to become famous and popular by publishing a free tabloid about real aliens, but a clash over whether to print a certain story not only damages their friendship, it lands them in the middle of an intergalactic conflict, as well.

With the help of a star-gazing classmate and an unusual assortment of aliens from outer space, teenager Sean Winger tries to find a way to convince his parents to let him pursue his dream of becoming a glass blower.

Twelve-year-old Liam, who looks like he is thirty and is tired of being treated like he is older than he actually is, decides he is going to pose as the adult chaperone on the first spaceship to take civilians into space, but when he ends up in outer space with a group of kids and no adult supervision, he must think fast to make things right.

"When his pet gerbil, Henrietta, is beamed aboard an alien spaceship--along with a package of beef from his parents' fridge--Nicholas's life takes a surprising turn. Soon he's being chased all over the universe by the dozens of different alien species that he somehow manages to offend. Can Nicholas save Henrietta and make it back home before his parents find out and ground him forever?"--Back cover.

"Twelve-year-old Fisher Bas and his clone work together to save the world after aliens disguised as twelve-year-old girls invade their town"--Provided by publisher.

"An introduction to the science and logistics of a manned mission to Mars explains how scientists are working to overcome the complexities of interplanetary travel"--OCLC.

"Three years ago, aliens invaded Earth and abducted everyone they deemed useful. The only ones spared were those too young, too old, or too 'disabled' to be of value. Living on Earth under the aliens' harsh authoritarian rule, humanity's rejects do their best to survive. Their captors never considered them a threat--until now. Twins Sam and Wyatt are ready to chuck their labels and start a revolution. It's time for the kids last picked to step into the game"--OCLC.

"Stranded on a planet filled with dry cleaners, nail salons, and chain restaurants Rocket and Groot face killer robots bent on customer service and raccoon eating toilets"--OCLC

Zita rushes to the rescue after her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, and, before long, finds herself hailed as an intergalactic hero.