PODKAYNE OF MARS

 Podkayne of Mars was the first book I read of Robert A. Heinlein. It is the story of a girl named Podkayne Fries. All her life she wanted to be a pilot. So when the chance to take a cruise from her home planet of Mars to Venus then on to Earth with her diplomatic uncle Tom, it was a dream come true. The only trouble was she had to take her bothersome brother Clark along.

Uncle Tom is the Ambassador Plenipotentiary from Mars to the Three Planets Conference. That makes him and his neice and nephew targets for oppossers trying to stop the conference. When Podkayne and Clark are kidnapped from Venus it is an adventure to stay alive.

 Great book. It is a juvenile book, thats where Heinlein started his career, but it is not written like a kids book. Podkayne is smart, confident and and strong. Clark is really smart and clever even if he is trouble. The book is short but the story is entertaining. Even with the the juvenile book he still hit some of the themes he was famous for.