Book 4: The Elevator Family Goes Abroad - London calling at Christmastime! A display window at Harrods Department Store! A red telephone booth! The London Eye! All those small, cozy places for the Wilsons to stay in! But after some royal heroics at the Tower of London, they end up spending Christmas Eve in a guardhouse outside Buckingham Palace. Only the best!
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"The Elevator Family on Mars" by Douglas Evans is a fun and imaginative children's book that takes readers on a wild adventure through the red planet.
The story follows the Wilson family, who are the first humans to live on Mars. They arrive via an elevator that stretches from Earth to Mars, and their adventure begins as soon as they step out onto the new planet. The family is made up of two children – Whitney and Winona - and their parents, Walter and Winona, who all have their own unique personalities and quirks that add to the charm of the story.
The book is filled with creative and fantastical elements, such as talking plants, robotic pets, and gravity-defying gymnastics. The author's vivid descriptions of the landscape and the unique features of Mars, such as its two moons, make it easy for readers to visualize the story's setting and become fully immersed in the adventure.
One of the strengths of "The Elevator Family on Mars" is the way it incorporates science and technology into the story in a way that is accessible and understandable for young readers. The author provides explanations of concepts such as gravity, air pressure, and the greenhouse effect, which adds an educational element to the book without being too heavy-handed or didactic.
Overall, "The Elevator Family on Mars" is a delightful read for children and adults alike. It's an engaging and entertaining story that sparks the imagination and encourages a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe. The book would make an excellent addition to any child's library or classroom, and is sure to inspire a love of science and exploration in young readers.

Part One: The Desert

 
1. Mountain Lion

            “Go away!  Get out of here!”

            Only the thin nylon of my tent separated me from the mountain lion.  With a deep purr, the huge cat prowled around my shelter.  The flickering flames of my campfire cast its silhouette against the slanted orange walls.  I was terrified.  I shivered both from fright and the cold mountain air.
            “Get!  Get!” I shouted.  “I’m not afraid of you!”
            I placed my thumb on the button of my emergency beacon.  Pressing it would send a distress signal, and rescuers would be here before dawn.  But they would recognize me.  They’d know my real name…Luke Dellar…and age…twelve.  They would know I was the runaway boy from San Diego, and my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail would be over.
            The wild cat hissed.
            "Go away!  Leave me alone!"
            Minutes before, I'd been sitting by the fire, tying knots.  The undergrowth rustled, and I directed my headlamp toward the sound.  The ray of light reflected off the cat’s golden eyes.
            “What are you doing out there?” I shouted.  “What do you want?”
            My thumb stayed poised on the button.  What could I do?  If the cougar clawed through the nylon, I had only a pocketknife to protect me.  I banged the knife on my cooking pot, but the beast kept circling the tent.
            Motionless, I waited.  With every breath steam shot from my mouth and froze on the tent walls.
            “You still there, lion?” I said.  “Or did you run away, scaredy cat?”
            Scuffling footsteps came from the trail.  Through the nylon, I saw two light beams.
            “Knots, is that you?” someone called.  “What are you yelling at?”
            I recognized the English accent.  “Granite!  There’s a mountain lion out there.”
            Two people laughed.
            “Nothing out here, Knots, but a warm campfire.”
            I knew the second voice as well.  Sprinkle was a Canadian woman Granite had met in Sierra City.
            “Come on out, Knots,” Granite called.  “Enjoy your fire with us.”
            Slowly I unzipped the mosquito netting and pulled aside the tent flap.  Not a sign of the mountain lion.  The two thru-hikers sat by the fire holding their palms toward the warmth.
            “The lion was stalking me!” I said.  “It walked around and around my tent.”
            Again the couple laughed.
            “Are you sure it wasn’t Bigfoot you saw, Knots?” Granite said.  “No panther would come into a campsite with a fire blazing.”
            “Hope you don’t mind us sharing your site tonight,” said Sprinkle.  “We’ve hiked twenty-five miles today.”
            “We’ll cowboy camp here by the fire,” Granite said.
            I crawled out of my tent, looking into the trees.  Cowboy camping was a trail term for sleeping out in the open without a tent.
            “Are you crazy?” I said.  “I’m telling you, Granite, a huge mountain lion, as tall as my tent, was just here.  It’s probably watching us now.”
            Granite held out a Ziploc bag full of peanuts, chocolate bits, and raisins.  “Have some trail mix, Knots.”
            Seeing how unconcerned Granite and Sprinkle were, I began doubting what I’d seen and heard.  Had a mountain lion really been in my campsite?  Maybe it was just the wind and the shadow of a waving pine bough.
            That’s when I aimed my headlamp toward the base of my tent and dropped to my knees.
            “Look here,” I said.
            Granite stood and saw them, too.  “Bloody ‘ell,” he said.
            In the dust were paw prints over four inches long.

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Book 6: The Elevator Family Does the Big Apple Book with Tunes- The Wilson are invited to New York City to appear on the Not Too Late Show. The TV studio offers them a room in a five-star hotel. Where do they request to stay instead? In an elevator in the Empire State Building.
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London calling at Christmastime! A display window at Harrods Department Store! A red telephone booth! The London Eye! All those small, cozy places for the Wilsons to stay in! But after some royal heroics at the Tower of London, they end up spending Christmas Eve in a guardhouse outside Buckingham Palace.
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Read Chapter One

Whump! Whump! Whump!
The NASA helicopter soared over the Mojave Desert. Inside sat the Wilson Family, aka the Elevator Family, aka Crew Wilson. Walter Wilson sat in front with the NASA pilot, Tom. Winona Wilson, and the ten-year-old twins, Whitney and Winslow Wilson sat squeezed in the back seat. The Wilson’s scruffy gray dog, Cat, lay on their laps. His long bushy tail swished back and forth.
“Ruff! Ruff!” went the dog
Whump! Whump! Whump! went the chopper blades.
Everyone in the helicopter wore a blue jumpsuit with a NASA patch on the shoulder and a name tag above the front pocket. They also wore headphones to hear each other over the whir of the helicopter prop.
Whump! Whump! Whump!
“Excellent whirlybird you have, Tom,” Walter said.
“Compact and cozy,” said Winona.
“The Mojave Desert is much bigger than I imagined,” Whitney said.
“Not a road or building in sight,” said Winslow.
The pilot nodded. “That’s why NASA chose this location for the Mars Desert Research Station,” he said. “Not only is it remote, but the rocky terrain is similar to the land on Mars.”
“The perfect place for astronauts to practice Mars colony simulations,” said Whitney
“Fantabulous,” said Winslow.
“Only the best,” said Walter.
“And that’s why NASA chose the Elevator Family for this six-month Family-on-Mars sim mission,” Tom said. “Your family is famous for being independent, and working well together. Your role-playing will give NASA a taste of what families may face when living on Mars.”
“Living together in small spaces is our specialty,” said Walter.
“That’s what the Wilsons enjoy doing,” said Winona.
“We’ve been looking forward to this trip ever since NASA gave us the call,” said Winslow.
“I can’t wait to see our new home,” said Whitney.
“Well, there it is,” said the pilot. “The Mars Desert Research Station, the MDRS.”
The helicopter flew over three geodesic domes, one large, one medium-sized, and one small with a glass top. Round white tunnels connected the domes.
Tom circled the helicopter around the site.
Behind the domes stood a water tank, a dozen solar panels, and a spinning wind turbine. A small four-wheeled vehicle was parked beside the solar panels.
“The largest dome is the Living Dome,” said the pilot. “The middle one is the Science Lab, and the smallest dome with the clear roof is the Green Lab, the greenhouse where the last crew started growing vegetables for you.”
“Fantabulous,” said Winslow.
“The station is not too large and not too small,” said Whitney.
“It’s just right,” said Winona.
“Only the best,” said Walter.
“Ruff! Ruff!” went Cat, wagging his long bushy tail.
The helicopter landed in front of the largest dome. Tom stepped out onto the hard-dusty ground. The four Wilsons, each wearing a small backpack, joined him. The air was dry, still, and hot.
“Crew Wilson, welcome to your home for the next six months.,” the pilot said. “You’ve been well-trained and know how to use all the equipment at the MDRS.”
“We certainly have,” said Walter. “The Wilsons know this station better than we know our own tiny home.”
“As soon as you enter the airlock to the living quarters, your Mars role-playing begins,” said Tom. “Whenever you are outside these domes, you will be expected to wear the spacesuits you’ll find inside. There’s even a suit for your dog.”
Ruff! Ruff! went Cat.
“Excellent,” said Walter.
“Of course, the gravity and air here can’t be duplicated with those on Mars,” said Tom. “But NASA hopes everything else at the MDRS to be a true simulated Mars habitat like the one the first colonists on Mars will experience.”
“No ordering out for pizza,” said Winslow.
“Or streaming videos,” said Whitney.
“There is radio communication here as there will be on Mars,” the pilot said. “But calls between the MDRS and NASA headquarters will be delayed thirteen minutes as they would between the red planet and Earth.”
“Oh, this is exciting,” said Winona.
“Can’t wait to start,” Whitney.
“Crew Wilson, I wish you luck,” said Tom. “You are now officially NASA team members.” He walked up to Walter and saluted, “You are Officer Walter, Crew Wilson Commander.”
He stepped up to Winona and saluted. “Officer Winona, you are the Health and Safety Officer.”
Finally, the pilot saluted the twins and said, “Officer Whitney, you are Chief Engineer of this mission, and Officer Winslow, you’re Chief Scientist.”
“Ruff! Ruff!” went Cat.
Tom laughed and saluted the dog. “And Officer Cat, you are in charge of Crew Wilson’s security.
“Ruff! Ruff!”
“Crew Wilson, you may now enter the Mars Desert Research Station and begin your six-month sim mission,” said Tom
“On to Mars,” said Walter.
“Dibs on the top bunk,” said Whitney.

NASA asks the Wilson family to stay six months at the Mars Desert Research Station in the Mojave Desert.
The Wilsons will simulate living on the red planet to see how well a family can work together in a small confined environment. No sweat for this tight-knit family.
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