Planet Omar 3 – Incredible Rescue Mission

Zanib Mian's Planet Omar Incredible Rescue Mission is a funny story for 7 year olds about a boy who's sure his favourite teacher has been taken by aliens.

What happens

It's the first day back after the winter holidays and Omar can't wait to see his best friends, Charlie and Daniel. He's even saved Mrs Hutchinson a cupcake from his neighbour's special batch.

But Mrs Hutchinson isn't there. Instead there's Mrs Crankshaw. She dresses in grey, her bun is scraped back so tight it looks laser-zapped, and she's their teacher for the rest of the year. Her first job is splitting up all the chatty friends.

Nobody will say where Mrs Hutchinson has gone. The teachers go all secretive whenever the boys ask. So what's a boy with a HUGE imagination supposed to think?

Omar thinks aliens. After all, Mrs Hutchinson was the one who told them there might be life on other planets. And when the boys cycle over to her house, the clues start piling up. There's a heap of post on the doormat, some very odd circles on the lawn and a very strange creature leaping up at the window. Daniel says it's only a cat. Omar isn't so sure.

It's all told by Omar, and his daydreams run away with him on nearly every page. Charlie is kind to absolutely everyone. Daniel is the one who keeps asking if Omar has gone nuts.

His family are brilliant too. Mum and Dad are scientists who (mostly) refuse to believe in aliens. His big sister Maryam is bossy but turns out to be surprisingly useful. And his little brother Esa lets off a smell at dinner so bad that Maryam has to leave the table.

There's a nice honest thread about rules as well. Omar rides his bike much further than he's allowed, owns up to his parents and has to face the consequences. It's gently done.

If your reader has ever been completely convinced something MUST be a mystery, they'll enjoy Omar's detective work.

What to read next

This is the third Planet Omar book. If they'd like more of Omar, Charlie and Daniel, try Unexpected Super Spy, where the three friends are saving up their pocket money for a Nerf battle and Mrs Hutchinson is teaching fractions with pizza.