Book Review: Lion of Mars

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

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The story The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm is a science fiction novel about an 11-year old named Bell who lives in an American settlement on Mars, far from Earth. All of the adults get sick and the kids must find help. The book is rather short and the problem is solved easily compared to other books and it has a happier ending, so it is good for children. This book explains that politics is not in the interest of the people of the country in which these politics happen. This book also tries to explain to young children that aggressive foreign policy can be destructive for everyone including the people of the aggressive government. However, this book also does it in a way so as to make younger readers of the book understand the message without making the book too dark or traumatizing for young readers. However, the book also contains the theme of friendship and communicating with people who may have ideas that are different from your ideas and your thoughts, which is a valuable lesson for people of all ages. Another theme in the story is that you should always remember your roots and where you came from, but you shouldn’t let it decide who you want to be friends with and who you trust.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 12/21/21