Earthdark

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Pickering, Ontario.

These classic stories by the very popular and prolific writer of
young-adult fiction, Monica Hughes, were first published in the
mid-1970s.

Crisis on Conshelf Ten introduces Kepler Masterman, the 15-year-old son
of the moon’s governor. In Earthdark, Kepler visits earth for the
first time and explores an undersea colony that faces many of the same
issues that the moon colonists are grappling with. The comparison of the
two societies invites Kepler to understand how each society functions
according to its values.

Both books explore the issue of the colonists’ relations with their
former homeland. This is played out primarily with regard to who
controls the resources of the new environment. The question of whether
or not development is appropriate is not an issue, only how it is done
and who controls it. The idea that habitat influences character and
affects personality appears as well. The physical descriptions of the
moon and the sea contribute to an expanded awareness of different
environments.

Character development in the books is less effective. The female
characters are strong, knowledgable, and intelligent, but also have some
failures in judgment, which are brought to light by the events of the
stories.

There is a good level of suspense to involve the reader, which nicely
balances the description and value-oriented subject matter. These
high-quality books are highly recommended.