Praise for A Toaster on Mars:

"Readers will progress from snickers to giggles to, finally, belly laughs and shouts of outrage."—Kirkus

"This satirical, quirky sci-fi adventure might appeal to fans of Douglas Adams' well-loved Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." —Booklist

Twelve-year-old Bobby Baxter's not the bravest kid on Earth. His list of things that scare him is up to number 689, and includes lightning, crowds, spiders, alien abductions, crocodiles, falling from great heights, falling from small heights, and eggs.

So when he learns that he's the first Earthling ever chosen to attend the Space Academy, light years away from home, he's terrified—and that's before he discovers that someone at the academy wants the boy from Earth gone.

Darrell Pitt is the author of A Toaster on Mars, shortlisted for the Russell Prize for Humour Writing, and the Jack Mason Adventures, a series of five novels including The Firebird Mystery, a CBCA Notable Book. He lives in Melbourne.