The Golden Aquarians

Lorraine Douglas is the youth services co-ordinator at the Winnipeg
Public Library.

The year is 2092, and Walt’s father, Colonel Angus Elliot, has sent
for the teen to join his mission on the planet Aqua. The father is
leading the crew in terraforming the planet into usable resources for
Earth colonists. He is a bully who wants his son to act more
“manly.” In his loneliness, Walt begins to explore the planet; he
meets a girl, Solveig, and together they find intelligent life. In an
exciting climax, the Aquarians force a tidal wave, and the humans
narrowly make their escape.

This suspenseful futuristic novel, intended for upper-elementary-grade
students, will especially appeal to those who enjoyed Hughes’s Isis
trilogy and will interest teachers who need material with an ecological
theme. The attractive cover, however, poses a problem: Walt looks far
younger than the 13 years he is supposed to be. And the Colonel,
portrayed in a one-dimensional manner throughout the novel, at the end
has a sudden personality transformation that is difficult to believe. In
spite of these problems, The Golden Aquarians is an inventive and
compelling adventure. Recommended with reservations.