Friday First Chapters #30: Barry Jonsberg reads ‘Nerds vs Aliens’

April 24, 2026

In this episode of the Your Kid’s Next Read Friday First Chapters series:

Barry Jonsberg reads ‘Nerds vs Aliens’

Barry Jonsberg reads the first chapter ‘Nerds vs Aliens’, his hilarious new middle-grade novel for readers 8+

About Barry Jonsberg

Barry Jonsberg has won numerous awards for his books, both nationally and internationally. He has been published in twenty countries and translated into many languages.

His bestselling novel, My Life As An Alphabet, was made into an award-winning film, H is For Happiness, released throughout the world to great critical acclaim.

Find out more.

About ‘Nerds vs Aliens’

Aliens are on their way to Earth, but never fear – the future of our world rests in the hands of three eleven-year-old nerds. A laugh-out-loud alien adventure novel for young middle fiction readers from the internationally acclaimed, bestselling Australian author of My Life as an Alphabet.

‘The world will end at ten thirty-six in the morning, on the fourteenth of March this year.’

This is the message aliens send to eleven-year-old nerds Harrison (Aitch), Ally and Mo. How do they send it? Via the magnetic letters on Mo’s fridge, of course.

Aitch and Ally aren’t sure what to believe, but soon they’re in an alien spaceship travelling at lightspeed to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Mo is worried his mum will be furious that he boarded an alien craft with strangers. And Aitch is not too happy that they’ve kidnapped his dog.

But maybe the aliens aren’t that scary after all? They say they want to save the planet. It’s only humans they’re not so impressed by …

The future of the human race might just be in the hands of three nerds and their lazy dog. What could go wrong

Find out more.

Published by Allen & Unwin