LLO, NEBULON!

HE

By Ray O'Ryan Illustr ated by Colin Jack

New York LITTLE SIMON London Toronto Sydney New Delhi

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book. This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

LITTLE SIMON An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 Copyright 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Designed by Nicholas Sciacca Manufactured in the United States of America 0213 FFG First Edition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data O'Ryan, Ray. Hello, Nebulon! / by Ray O'Ryan ; illustrated by Colin Jack. 1st ed. p. cm. (Galaxy Zack ; 1) Summary: Moving from Earth to the futuristic planet Nebulon in 2120, eight-year-old Zack is nervous about starting school and meeting people. ISBN 978-1-4424-5386-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4424-5387-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4424-5388-3 (ebook) [1. Science fiction. 2. Moving, HouseholdFiction. 3. Human-alien encountersFiction. 4. FriendshipFiction.] I. Jack, Colin, ill. II. Title. PZ7.O7843He 2013 [Fic]dc23 2011052777

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Ooh! Look, Zack, called Shelly Nelson from the front seat of the Nelson familys space cruiser. She pointed out of the large, round windshield in front of her. Its Venus! And theres Mars! Sitting in the backseat of the

cruiser, eight-year-old Zack Nelson sighed. He knew his mom was just trying to cheer him up. But at the moment all he wanted to do was go hometo his real home, Earth. Not his new home on some planet called Nebulon. Zack punched a code into the keypad below his window. The glass in the

window changed from dark to clear. Billions of stars glittered in the inky blackness beyond the window. This was the part of space travel Zack liked best. Sure, he could see tons of stars with his berzoom galactic telescope back on Earth. But being out among the stars and planets, seeing them close up, always made Zack happy. Except today, February 11, 2120. Moving day.

Glancing out his window, Zack looked past Venus and Mars. He had visited both planets many times. His family had often taken weekend trips to the Low Gravity Amusement Park on Venus. And they had always gone to the beaches at the Red Planet Resort on Mars for spring break.

But today all Zack could see was Earth. The tiny blue and white ball grew smaller and smaller in the window. The Nelsons space cruiser zoomed farther away from the only home Zack had ever known. Zacks dad, Otto, was up front in the pilots seat, steering the cruiser.

How ya doing back there, Captain? he called. Zack smiled. He was years away from getting his pilots license, but his dad always called him Captain whenever the family took a space trip. I guess Im okay, mumbled Zack. Hes just sad because . . . , began Charlotte. . . . hes going to miss Bert . . . , Cathy continued.

. . . and Luna, they said together. Charlotte and Cathy Nelson were Zacks eleven-year-old identical twin sisters. They often spoke as if they were one person. They sat side by side in the seats next to Zack, finishing each others sentences.

nd had rou sisters Zacks s. freckle with faces ming d fla ha both her. They eir fat ke th hair li in a red er hair ept h rlotte k hair Cha re her y wo as il. Cath . That w ponyta gtails tell ided pi e could two bra in peopl y most y wa the onl rt. em apa th

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. . . especially Luna, they added. The girls are right, Captain, said Dad. Luna will join us as soon as we get settled on Nebulon. Then the whole family will be together again. Zack just shrugged and stared out the window, watching Earth grow tinier by the second.

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