The Experiment

Author: Stead, Rebecca

Interest age: from c 9 years

Published on 1 January 2026 by Andersen Press Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 288 pages
196 x 130 x 20 | 234g

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From the winner of the Newbery Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize comes a fast-paced coming-of-age novel - with aliens. Nathan never understood what was 'fun' about secrets, probably because he’s always had to keep a very big one.

Although he appears to be a typical boy, Nathan learned at an early age that his family is from another planet. Now, their time on Earth may be coming to an end.

Nathan and some others are part of an experiment that suddenly seems to be going wrong. Some of them are disappearing without a word. After his family is called back to the mothership, Nathan begins to question everything he’s been taught to believe about who he is and why he's on Earth.

'[A] twisty, thoughtful tale' Publishers Weekly'Compulsively readable' BooklistCover illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz