Are there signs of intelligent life on this planet? Those words certainly crossed the mind of ultra-intelligent nine-year-old James “Jimmy Rocket” Rockhurst, long before he and his family (including Bart, his beloved Labrador retriever) and 5,000 Earthlings launched into space on the Hephaestus. In Jimmy Rocket, a sci-fi/fantasy novel, everyone is cryogenically frozen before landing on a mineral-rich planet they dub “Ferrous,” where they form a fledgling society and begin to colonize its resources.

When Jimmy discovers another sentient species, his curiosity and open-mindedness take him deep within the culture of aliens. Wise beyond his years, the youngster teaches the furry species English and takes part in a deadly skirmish with a rival alien troop. The ever-astute Jimmy soon realizes there’s a bigger foe lurking among the metal-laden forests: his fellow humans who seem intent on destroying the planet’s naturals resources and possibly its Indigenous inhabitants.

Packed with adventure, Jimmy Rocket will ignite the imagination of youth audiences with its fast-paced scenes and lively hero who quickly comes of age when faced with the need to make difficult decisions and sacrifices. But there are deeper messages in this story—about environmentalism and embracing culture and difference—that are sure to resonate with adults, too.

Jamie Herman has been a longtime science-fiction fan. With a highly active imagination himself, Herman recognized that he had a story inside, which he finally put into words. Jimmy Rocket is his first book.

Jamie Herman lives in Des Moines, Iowa.