- Publisher: Keira Gillett
Book One in the Adventures of Lemon Peel and Ant
Summary in a Nut-Shell: A boy crash lands onto Earth with a message for its leaders, but before he can get to them he has to convince a teenage girl he’s an alien.
Full Summary:
Lemon Peel was minding her own business, playing in her treehouse fort when a drone crashed through the side wall and a sticky boy in a funny black rubber suit spilled out from inside a hidden hatch. He said his name was – well, Lemon only understood “Ant” – and that he must deliver an urgent message to Earth’s leaders. It had something to do with the planet’s existence being at risk and sinister shadowy figures hunting him across the space-time continuum. Lemon’s not sure what to make of him, but if he’s an alien, she’d eat her best Sunday hat.
Excerpt from Working Draft:
Ant trailed her into the house through the back door. Lemon took her shoes off as she entered and motioned for Ant to do the same. He toed off his boots. Despite not believing Ant’s intergalactic tall tale, she half expected to see six toes or something, and was disappointed to see normal gray socks on his normal feet.
“Do you like peanut butter and jelly?” she asked, leading them into a small galley kitchen. “I can make us that and we can grab a glass of milk. Maybe even some cookies if I can find where Mom hid them. She doesn’t like to share her Milanos with anyone.”
“I don’t know what that is, but I am willing to eat just about anything at the moment. Do you like it?”
Lemon stared at him in astonishment. “You’ve never had peanut butter and jelly? What did your rich parents feed you, escargot and caviar sandwiches?”
“I’m not from Earth,” he reminded her. “On my planet we eat a lot of plants, fruits, roots, nuts, fungi, and vegetables.”
“No meat?” Lemon asked curiously. “You eat rabbit food? Why?”
“We live in a symbiotic relationship with the wild life.”
“Or as my dad would say, ‘New Age hippie-dippy nonsense’. Meat is fuel and it’s delicious. You can’t turn down bacon.”
“If you say so,” Ant said unconvinced. “I wouldn’t want to eat a Glomphant. I’ve seen them eat their own poo.”
“You mean an elephant?”
“No, a Glomphant. They’re these great hairy –”
“Well, peanut butter and jelly will be right up your alley. It doesn’t have meat,” she said, pulling out the silverware drawer and selecting a knife.
