Space Case

Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, first published in 2014, is the first in a science-fiction series about Moon Base Alpha. Stuart Gibbs is an award-winning young adult author with two other series: The FunJungle series and The Spy School series. In Space Case, Gibbs establishes a fictional future in which humanity has built a colony on the moon in a preliminary effort to live more permanently in space. The protagonist of the story is 12-year-old Dashiell, a resident of the moon base who embarks on an investigation after an elderly scientist dies in an apparent accident. Gibbs has received numerous accolades for Space Case, which has appeared on multiple state reading lists, placed as a finalist for the California Book Award and Mark Twain Award, and nominated for the Iowa Children’s Choice Award. These acknowledgements reflect the positive reception of the book both as a strong example of science fiction and a powerful young adult novel. While the book uses age-appropriate language and descriptions, readers should be aware that one character is murdered, and that the death of that character is a central component of the plot.

This study guide refers to the 2015 paperback edition published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.