A high-octane outer-space adventure slated to be the first in a twosome. Preteens Robbi and Azure are best friends, though the girls couldn't be more opposite: Robbi is a sensitive dreamer, while Azure is a driven go-getter with a short temper. Azure's biggest dream is to be picked for Laddertop. This is a program of the Givers, aliens who claim to help conserve Earth's resources by building power-providing space stations 36,000 feet above the Earth; these are reached by giant ladders. Children are chosen to attend Laddertop since their small stature makes it possible for them to perform maintenance in the cramped spaces. Azure is delighted to learn she's picked for the mission, but Robbi is more reluctant. She reveals that her stepfather is abusive, and she worries about the safety of her younger siblings in her absence. Once in the Laddertop training program, strange things begin to happen to Robbi: She's bitten by a strange creature that imprints her with a tattoo that periodically bleeds, and she is plagued by strange dreams. The main characters in this volume are largely female, strong and intelligent, a wonderful departure from male-dominated extraterrestrial offerings. Ibardolaza's muscular art blends manga and Western aesthetics. An intriguing beginning; readers will clamor for the follow-up. (Graphic science fiction. 12 & up)

Although the premise of the story sounds eerily like one of Card's other works, Laddertop twists the space-opera genre enough to keep readers new to science fiction intrigued. When two 11-year-old girls graduate from Laddertop Academy, one ascends to the top of the giant, alien-made Ladder to a space station constructed in such a way that only children are able to maintain its functionality. The other girl, who did not pass the test to work at Laddertop, is recruited by rebels determined to learn more about the aliens who created the Ladders and why they disappeared. There is quite a bit of world building required to set the scene, so having books 1 and 2 bound into a single volume helps considerably with the pacing. The action, once things get going, moves quickly, and tension builds to a satisfying pitch. The artwork is a bit stiff, and the character designs are basic, but readers familiar with manga-inspired art will have no trouble identifying characters after a few pages.

Gr 5 Up-A series of alien platforms lands on Earth, extending from the surface out to space, symbolic and actual ladders for humanity to climb out into the wider cosmos. Students Robbi and Azure are selected to be two of many recruits to attempt to understand and perhaps pilot these extraterrestrial enigmas. Comics in general and manga in particular both come in for much criticism for extending and slowing dramatic sequences with an eye toward gradual serialization. Not so here, with at least 20 characters and three prominent mysteries introduced in this initial volume. Still, it's very much an introductory chapter of a longer story, and the pace at which the stakes deepen and the power dynamics shift is either the result of dropped story threads or massive ambition. Orson Scott Card's world-creation bona fides don't need much introduction, and the central mysteries revolve around clues that Robbi encounters about the extraterrestrials' presence on and intentions for Earth. The central drama comes mostly from the protagonists' reactions to the arcane bureaucracy around them, Robbi taking a considered and hesitant perspective, with Azure relying on a constant and sheer force of will. The manga-style artwork has some mild fluctuations in terms of consistent quality, but is undeniably professional. Ibardolaza is strong at mystery and alienness, but uneven at genuine feeling and the vast spectacle and scale for which the Cards seem to be asking. A solid start that will find an eager audience. Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH