Keo Felker Lazarus (1913-1993) was an American writer remembered for her Young Adult novels, of which the "Gismo" series (comprised of The Gismo, The Gismonauts, and A Message from Monaal) was but a small part. She also wrote fantasy, historical, and western books and picture-books for younger readers, such as "The Billy Goat in the Chili Patch", "A Totem for Ti-Jacques", and "Rattlesnake Run." In "The Gismo," Jerry Cole finds a mysterious device - which he calls a "gismo" for lack of a better term - that turns out to be of alien origin. It was lost by a spaceship, and the aliens' leader, Monaal, needs it to communicate with his people. Will Jerry be able to return it, or will the adults prevent it...and ruin our first contact with Monaal's people? In "The Gismonauts," the action jumps farther into the future, with Jerry Cole's grandson, Chris, encountering an alien way station set up by Monaal and his people on the moon. Monaal is still studying Earth. Can Chris keep the aliens' secret and prove humanity is ready to join the galactic Federation? In "A Message from Monaal," the aliens have a last test for humanity, and Chris may be the only one who can prove we are ready for galactic citizenship!

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