• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Chloe thinks of herself as a normal teenage girl—if there's any such thing—until a formless alien being inhabits her body.

The being is named Welkin and claims to be a Universal. Welkin has entered Chloe's body as part of a school project. Chloe agrees to let this weirdo observe her life for three days as long as Welkin doesn't interfere. Welkin tries to respect the non-interference portion of the agreement. But Welkin's stream of alien commentary as Chloe deals with boys, her coach and math homework has a comic, and sometimes enlightening, impact on Chloe's life.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

K.L. Denman was born in Calgary, Alberta, and spent her childhood in a house one street away from the open prairie. When she was 11, her family moved to Delta, British Columbia, and she got to know life on the coast: tides, clam digging, rain gear, green grass year-round and enormous trees. It was there that Kim and her sisters got their first pony. She continued to live near Vancouver for many years while finishing school, attending college, and eventually getting married and starting a family. She always loved writing and when her teen children and their friends provided inspiration and re-kindled memories of this challenging passage, writing for teens became an irresistible venture.

Today she lives on a small farm on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast with her family of people, two dogs, three cats, two horses and an elderly mule. When she's not writing or caring for critters, she's reading, trying to grow vegetables, taking pictures, or volunteering at therapeutic riding. More information about Kim is available on her website at www.kldenman.com.

K.L. Denman's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

"Chloe’s voice is strong, and she is a delightful character."

VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Magazine

"The storytelling is solid and easy to fall into. The characters are believable and funny. Highly recommended."

Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group (SOYAMRG)

"Denman's alien point of view provides unique insight and humour to a typical young teen novel."

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"Denman weaves engaging humour into this thought-provoking and fast-paced story...A fun and enlightening novel—another winner in the Orca Currents collection. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials