WHAT FELL FROM THE SKY

In the small town of Soledad, Texas, in 1952, 12-year-old Pineda encounters a young alien when she crash-lands on his family's pecan farm. Unfortunately, the U.S. military has just taken over the town for a war games exercise. Giordan Diaz gives a winning performance as Pineda, communicating his humor and kindness and switching easily between English and Spanish, which Pineda speaks with his Cuban mom. Chapters alternate between Pineda's point of view and Luisa's--that's what Pineda calls the alien, since he can't pronounce her name in her language. P.J. Morgan gives Luisa an appropriately nervous, hesitant voice as she slowly learns English. As Pineda and his friends try to reunite Luisa with her parents, the chorus of voices for other characters who chime in during the story's climax reinforces the message about the power of community. Warm, funny, and timely. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2025]