Alien Investigation: Searching for the Truth about UFOs and Aliens

Kelly Milner Halls is a full-time children's writer, specializing in quirky topics for reluctant readers. Kelly lives in Washington with her two daughters, one dog, too many cats, and a four-foot rock iguana.

As a young child, Rick C. Spears was fascinated by dinosaurs and spent many hours drawing pictures of prehistoric animals in various scenes of combat. Time passed and, though still a pretty good artist, his teenaged interests replaced dinosaurs with Japanese monsters, Star Wars, and girls (not necessarily in that order). It wasn't until after college that Rick rekindled his love of prehistory and began to fancy himself a paleoartist. Since then, his artwork has found its way into museum displays, books, magazines, and even a board game. Rick currently resides in Georgia with his wife, Darlene, who patiently tolerates all this dinosaur/monster/alien stuff as a part of everyday life.

"With a surprisingly even-handed tone, this book uses an interest in aliens to inspire scientific inquiry. It discusses the history of UFO sightings, crashes, and hoaxes, providing thoroughly researched, factual information while remaining non-judgmental about explained phenomena. A fictionalized thread of an alien mission is interspersed with the nonfiction. The author’s interviews with experts and witnesses are particularly insightful." --The Horn Book Guide

"This is a clever book for anyone interested in flying saucers and UFOs. Halls uses an 'imagine if' short story that starts the beginning of each chapter to draw the reader into her subject. Her use of newspaper accounts, first-hand remembrances, photographs, and charts make this an easy and interesting read. Halls looks at different types of UFOs, actual close encounters, and world renowned hoaxes. Although her belief in UFOs and alien life forms is evident, she is careful to formulate a conclusion that looks at both sides of the debate. A fun read with its mix of colorful pictures, news articles, and firsthand accounts, this book will keep readers entertained while learning." --Library Media Connection

"The author begins with an alien alter ego named Yllek (Kelly spelled backwards) who is planning a possible journey through space. His perspective is sprinkled throughout this historical survey of UFO and extraterrestrial sightings, providing a humorous touch to the information. Beginning with a 1947 incident over Washington State, the narrative succinctly describes similar incidents in such places as Florida, Iran, Arizona, China, and New Mexico. One-page interviews with the witnesses of UFO/ET sightings inject personal details into the description. Possible terrestrial explanations follow each incident. Jaunty full-color illustrations flash off every page and provide a good contrast between what people claim to have seen and what the experts think they may have seen―clouds, lightning, and other weather phenomena; secret U.S. planes; weather balloons, etc. A double-page world map pinpoints modern sightings. A bibliography of books and websites and lists of UFO organizations and festivals might lead readers further into the field. While not as comprehensive as Eric Elfman's Almanac of Alien Encounters (Random, 2001) or as skeptical as Judith Herbst's UFOs (Lerner, 2005), this attractive, balanced view will update collections." --School Library Journal