Cosmic Cadets (Book One): Contact!

Our parents can’t stop a galactic war… but maybe we can? Strap in for a colorful and action-packed space adventure about friendship, family, and fear of the unknown!

Humanity has gone to the stars, and the ESS Khonsu and its crew are leading the charge to explore the galaxy. As the son of the ship’s captain, Jimmil might not always live up to his mom’s expectations… but right now he and his friends might be the galaxy’s only hope.
 
After they’re stranded on a strange alien planet, they’ll have to do what their parents couldn’t: explore the surface, discover the secrets of the terrifying race that lives there, and try to prevent a full-scale war!
 
Working together, these Cadets will discover that sometimes being a hero means learning to see new perspectives, and sometimes bravery means admitting when you’re wrong.

In their debut graphic novel, Ben Crane and Mimi Alves serve up a heartfelt, thrilling, and vividly colorful and escapade about kids taking the lead, for middle-grade readers who are ready to seek out new life of their own!"Alves’ bold artwork really captures the intensity of the situation and the anxiety of the characters expertly. A stellar choice for middle-grade comics fans." —Booklist

"An irresistible and charming planetary escapade for all ages.” —SPACE.com

"A rambunctious space adventure." —Publishers WeeklyBen was almost a mathematician, but instead went into visual storytelling. He has lived in North Carolina, Connecticut, South Korea, and now Los Angeles, where he works in film development. In his spare time he plays board games with Mimi or walks their two dogs.

Mimi is a multi-talented artist who has been drawing and creating stories since they were first able to hold a pen. They were the artist for the long-running webcomic Rapture Burgers, and have created illustrations, storyboards, or animations for clients ranging from self-published books to The Disney Channel. They live in Los Angeles with their husband and co-creator Ben and their two dogs.