Brandon Sparks and the Hidden Sun

Twelve-year-old Brandon Sparks is an everyday kid. He lives on Long Island, goes fishing with his dad, gets bullied at school, and dreams of one day becoming a pilot. But what if this everyday kid suddenly found himself captain of an untested military starship?

After his parents take jobs as botanists on a galactic aid ship, the Hidden Sun, Brandon is ecstatic. He'll be right in the middle of the action, living on a real starship. But when all of the adults aboard the Hidden Sun are attacked by the evil Ptevos, a race of powerful aliens with dreams of enslaving Earth, Brandon must take command of the ship if he and the rest of the children are to survive.

With the help of his best friend, Charlie, an intelligent house computer with unique abilities, Brandon and his adolescent crew must work together to discover the secrets of the Hidden Sun. The Ptevos have size, ugliness, and an armada of over a thousand starships on their side. Only the crew of the Hidden Sun stand in their way. It's a lot to ask of a boy from Long Island, but maybe, just maybe, Brandon Sparks will save the world!