Stuck on Earth

Ketchvar III’s mission is simple: travel to Planet Earth, inhabit the body of an average teenager, and determine if the human race should be annihilated. And so Ketchvar—who, to human eyes, looks just like a common snail—crawls into the brain of one Tom Filber and attempts to do his analysis. At first glance, Tom appears to be the perfect specimen—fourteen years old, good health, above average intelligence. But it soon becomes apparent that Tom Filber may be a little too average—gawky, awkward, and utterly abhorred by his peers. An alien within an alien’s skin, Ketchvar quickly finds himself wrapped up in the daily drama of teenage life—infuriating family members, raging bullies, and undeniably beautiful next-door neighbors. And the more entangled Ketchvar becomes, the harder it is to answer the question he was sent to Earth to resolve: Should the Sandovinians release the Gagnerian Death Ray and erase the human species for good? Or is it possible that Homo sapiens really are worth saving?

Wickedly wry and hysterically skewed, David Klass’s take on teen life on our fabulously flawed Planet Earth is an engrossing look at true friends, truer enemies, and awkward alien first kisses.
Stuck on Earth is a 2011 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year.

Author Biography

David Klass has written several novels for teens, including the books in the Caretaker Trilogy, the first of which, Firestorm, was declared “tremendous fun to read” by The New York Times Book Review, and the second of which, Whirlwind, was proclaimed by The Miami Herald as “Truly intelligent storytelling for teens.” He is also the author of You Don’t Know Me, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Dark Angel, an ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults, as well as several screenplays. He lives in New York City.