Author Bart King, a Sonoma County native, is gearing up to for the release of his debut novel, “The Drake Equation.” Published by Disney Hyperion, this middle grade novel is set in a fictionalized version of Santa Rosa, bearing resemblance to King’s hometown of Sebastopol.

The story follows Noah Grow, a kid that is often seen in a big, floppy hat, peering up into the trees with binoculars as he watches for birds. But Noah isn’t looking for just any bird, he’s on the hunt for a wood duck. According to his calculations – aka the Drake Equation – the odds are pretty good for spotting one. However, in his search for this duck, Noah and his friends happen upon a mysterious disk that give Noah peculiar powers.

What reviewers are saying:

“Much of the humor stems from Noah’s struggles to overcome his cowardice… Mock ‘field notes’ [offer] information from Noah’s perspective in a clever, albeit gratuitous way. A … sci-fi narrative with an enjoyable main character.”
– Kirkus

“Nine to 12 year olds are the target audience, and I think they will really like this story…The author is a middle school teacher and he really gets the way kids talk to each other – especially boys. The witty dialogue is my favorite part of the book.”
– Mr. Steve, GoodReads reviewer

“What I enjoyed about this book is the strong lead character, Noah Grow… I loved the unique perspective of the non-stereotypical boy… Witty dialogue also makes this a pleasurable read. This is a great book for the middle school boy…”
– Zachary West, GoodReads reviewer

“The Drake Equation” publishes on May 10, 2016. Visit www.bartking.net to pre-order your copy.