The Reading Warehouse

Zack and Amp get a serious surprise in Forces of Nature, the sixth installment of this fun intergalactic chapter book series by Nate Ball, the host of PBS's Design Squad and Design Squad Nation.

Ever since Amp crash-landed his spaceship through Zack McGee's window, Zack's life has gone in some unexpected directions. But when everything goes wrong on the McGee family camping trip, Zack's going to need Amp's alien scouting skills to navigate the great outdoors and find their way back to civilization

Like every book in the Alien in My Pocket series, Forces of Nature mixes Common Core-aligned science with safe, hands-on experiments that young readers will love. This installment includes a build-your-own compass experiment.

Publishers Weekly said of Alien in My Pocket: Blast Off : "With its screwball comedy and lively dialogue, the novel gives readers the opportunity to laugh as they learn."

Macky Pamintuan is an accomplished artist who lives in the Philippines with his wife, Aymone; their baby girl, Alison; and a West Highland white terrier named Winter.

Nate Ball is the host of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning PBS reality shows Design Squad and Design Squad Nation. An MIT graduate with a master's in mechanical engineering, Nate is also the cofounder of Atlas Devices, a two-time All-American pole-vaulter, and a competitive beatboxer. He lives with his wife in Cambridge, Massachusetts.