Friend or UFO (The Area 51 Files) by Julie Buxbaum, Lavanya Naidu
Series: Area 51 Files, #3, #3
Published by Delacorte Press on April 16, 2024
ISBN: 0593429540
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Sky’s exciting and unusual life in Area 51 continues in the third book in this series.  In this novel, Sky and her friends (alien and human) must work together to find and rescue Sky’s grandmother, an FBAI agent, who has been kidnapped.  Together they put together clues and codes and determine she is stuck in Area 52, an alien portal almost impossible to reach. Meanwhile, Sky is excitedly preparing for her first Drop Day (when items from earth fall from the sky), but can’t shake the feeling she is being watched.  Upper elementary readers who have read the other two books in this series will enjoy this one as well, though readers do not need to have read those to appreciate this one.  Buxbaum’s fast pace and humorous style will continue to engage readers. Black and white cartoonish drawings are found throughout the novel, adding to its humor and suspense.  This is a fun book in a fun series for a school or public library.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library