This book is similar to E.T., as it tells the story of an alien visiting a boy, yet, Danny Flash and the Alien Crash carries an original plot. A typical teen named Danny Flash lives a normal life with his parents, Anita and Spencer, and little sister Annabelle in a place called Thompson, near Thompson Woods. The only unordinary thing about this cookie-cutter life is Danny’s magic.
The story opens with Danny reading a great passage about believing in one’s dreams: “If you really, really believe you can do magic…you can do magic.”
Danny wants to be a magician and even owns a wand, patiently waiting for it to become “magical”. One night, beaming lights outside wake him up. He finds a metallic object, which he believes to be a spaceship and brings it to his bedroom. Danny does everything he can to get a little door on the ship to open, but it finally opens by itself, and a little alien, 3.5 inches tall, walks out!
The alien is green with beady eyes, wears a silver jumpsuit and red shoes, and is friendly. He repeats the words that Danny says to him, but Danny doesn’t know if the little guy understands what he’s saying. But, he does learn that the alien loves potato chips–and this alien is good at magic!
He has sharp teeth but seems to want to be Danny’s friend, so Danny takes him to school in his backpack! It is pretty much impossible to keep the little alien hidden, and eventually, Danny’s friend, Andrew, and his crush, Penny, learn of him. Danny even takes the alien to meet Mr. Greigson, a local store owner who shares Danny’s enthusiasm about the fantastic and possible life beyond what we know.
Eventually, some guards begin to pursue Danny, his friends, and the little alien, and they even capture Danny’s little sister! We won’t give the entire story away, but it is a tale that teens will enjoy reading, as it involves lighthearted magic, friendship, and a bit of romance.
There are a few mild moments of tension and violence, and Danny lies to protect his alien friend a couple of times, but the truth eventually comes out. Some mildly crude humor includes Alien flatulence, but overall, this is a clean read.
This wonderful story shows the importance of believing in one’s dreams and the importance of friendship. We are awarding it our Dove seal for Ages 12+.
The Dove Take:
This original story will remind the reader of the classic E.T., but it remains a fresh take on friendship and believing the impossible can become possible.
