The Extraterrestrial Zoo 1: Finding the Lost One

Ages 10 to 14, Grades 5 to 9

A middle grade debut by New York Times bestselling co-author of Between the Lines stars 13 year old Ava, who helps run her family’s refuge for extraterrestrials. But a sudden attack on the zoo leads to her discovering a government conspiracy that upends everything she believed to be true.

When meteors suddenly dropped to earth containing eggs in which alien babies were growing, the government called in the experts. Ava’s parents hatched, cared for, raised, and researched these unique beings. When Ava was born, she became part of the team.  So many extraterrestrial living beings (ELBs) came, that the government funded the Alien Zoo, where visitors could come and see the ELBs. It was a huge success in its day.  

But now Ava is 13, and so much has changed. A terrible car accident claimed her mother.  And her father, in deep despair, left Ava and the Zoo in the care of his brother, who’s still healing emotional wounds from his wartime.  Then the alien babies stopped coming, and so did the public.

So when 15 year old Harley shows up as an intern for the Zoo, Ava feels blindsided. This is her show. And then a terrible storm changes everything. The once beloved ELBs are loose, and being hunted.  Ava’s uncle, MIA. All she has is this strange new boy to help her save everything she loves.

About the Author

Samantha van Leer is the coauthor of the New York Times best-selling novels Between the Lines and Off the Page, which she recently helped adapt into an off-Broadway musical. A graduate of Vassar College, she also holds a master’s in education and was previously a fourth-grade teacher. She now writes full-time in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Frankie, daughter, Stevie, and their chaotic yet beloved puppy, Obi Juan Kenobi.

Author Residence: San Antonio, Texas