Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Something cool happening in Ferrous City? Not a chance.

Until one day . . . when self-proclaimed genius inventor Ethan Fairmont runs into an abandoned car factory to avoid a local bully and accidentally stumbles across his ex-best friend Kareem, new-kid Juan Carlos, and an extraterrestrial visitor. Cheese the alien is stuck on Earth in need of some serious repairs, spicy snacks—and absolute, total secrecy. That’s easier said than done when mysterious agents descend on Ferrous City to search for Cheese. With time running out and their family and friends in potential danger, can Ethan, Kareem, and Juan Carlos pull off an intergalactic rescue before they’re all found out?

E.T. meets Stranger Things in the kickoff to Nick Brooks’s middle-grade series that weaves contemporary issues of racial profiling, industrial community struggles, and everyday life in a fast-paced out-of-this-world adventure.

About the Author

Nick Brooks is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. His short film Hoop Dreamin’ earned him the George Lucas Scholar Award and was a finalist in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Film Fest. His short film Bee won the James Bridges and Jack Larson Award for Writing and Directing and premiered at the American Black Film Festival. Nick currently lives in Los Angeles, California; he’s originally from Washington, DC.

In 2016, Nick created and launched his children’s books series, The Adventures of Yani. The series gained national attention and is currently used at schools across the country. This is his debut middle-grade novel.