Reeve, Philip
LARKLIGHT, OR, THE REVENGE OF THE WHITE SPIDERS!, OR, TO SATURN'S RINGS AND BACK! : A ROUSING TALE OF DAUNTLESS PLUCK IN THE FARTHEST REACHES OF SPACE
New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, Distributed to the trade by Holzbrink Publishers, 2006.
IL 5-8, RL 8.2
ISBN 1599900203

Dear Diary,

I do not know what to do, or who else I can turn to. Mother was lost some time ago, aboard the Semek. Now Father is lost to Mr. Webster and his band of spiders aboard Larklight. Art is who-knows-where in the galaxy, and I am a captive of Sir Waverly on Mars. This should not be happening to me! I am one of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's loyal subjects, and I should not be treated in such a fashion! I should be preparing to go to Earth -- to London -- and enter into proper society. If I'm lucky, I might even go to the Grand Exhibition in the Crystal Palace, which promises to be magnificent. Perhaps Jack Havock will come with the Sophroma to rescue me. Although he is a notorious space pirate who is wanted by the British government, and although he travels with a rather unsavory crew of aliens, I believe he has good inside of him and his current circumstance is not entirely his fault. After all, he lost his parents when he was young, and was subjected to all manner of horrid tests and whatnot.

Alas, it would most likely be too dangerous for him to try. If only I knew where Art was! As annoying of a brother as he can sometimes be, he is the only family I have left. I never thought I would say this, but I wish it was as it had been before, on Larklight with Father and Art and our servants and my piano. A girl cannot be expected to rescue herself, can she?   I may have no choice, if I am to ever escape from here....   (Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominee 2007-2008)