Very fun read, recommend for preteens. My only complaint is the lack of girls and women in the story. I spent more than half the book wondering if this world even had girls - two of the characters' mothers were mentioned, so I knew there were women, but where did they come from?

I think this was probably the first book I ever read in the post-apocalyptic/dystopian genre. Years later I could still recall how I felt when I read it and tried in vain to remember the title so that I could seek it out. Happily, with the advent of the internet and places like GoodReads, I've finally found it again! I'm giving it 5 stars just because a book that sticks in your memory like that, one that shapes your imagination for years to come, is a really good book.

Essentially The Death of Grass for kids, and while this starts off as a fun premise it quickly becomes clear that the more unlikeable elements of that former text will also be dominant features of this one, namely the often conservative main character; which in the former text seems like pointed satire, here seems like an unlikely choice stemming from the lacking of a different narrative voice at the author's command.

Still the world is a lot of fun and the book is a total breeze, with me reading the majority of it in an hour long period in one day (being for nine year olds and all that), it doesn't dumb its themes down for children and that's really important and would probably make this quite the mature read for somebody of the intended target audiences age.

Read this as a kid, but first time reading it in 20 years. Cute book for pre-teens. Easy to read and follow. Kinda slow and very predictable, hence 3 stars, but it's what you would expect from a young adult book.

I am re-reading this series, which I first read in middle school, to figure out why they made such an impression on me at that time. I am still not sure :)

I remember reading this book eons ago for a science-fiction unit in fifth grade. I remember we created a class mural dealing with a science fiction city and we also had to write a short science fiction story. It was a fun unit, and I remember liking this book well enough. I don't know if I would read it again though.

I am reading this to my son, who is almost 10. I loved this series as a kid, probably a little older than him. My husband read it when he was his age or even younger. I think a teacher read it to me. Anyay, it's interesting to read a book written for kids that long ago. The main character is a bit darker and more flawed than today's main characters are. I think we make them much more granola now. My son is loving it, and I'm enjoying it again too.

As far as kids books go this one isn't bad. It's very easy to read, short, and full of things kids might find amusing like mispronounced words and characters confused by things like metros. It does have a pretty typical theme of humans being harnessed/brainwashed/controlled by alien technology (Falling Skies), so it's a good introduction to the genre for kids. It leaves you wanting to know more about the Tripods, but it's enough of a self contained story to leave you somewhat satisfied. Most of the novel is travelling though, with the characters coming across nothing interesting. I skipped most of it because it was definitely filler and didn't add anything to the story for me, so I read it very quickly. I don't think I'll be continuing the series, but the general idea and setting is good and it has potential, I'd recommend it for young kids.

Classic sci fi