AN ILLUSTRATED CHAPTER BOOK FOR AGES 7–9
Every child’s gadgets vanish. Four kids are elected to get them back.
Join Lucy, Evan, Annabel, and Gigi on an adventure that tests their courage, creativity, and friendship—and explores a healthy balance between technology and life beyond screens.
11 chapters · Illustrations throughout · By Alex Durmashkin
For independent reading or sharing aloud with an adult. Preview the actual opening chapter below to see the reading level and artwork.
READ CHAPTER 1 FREE ← For Libraries & Youth Programs
Hardcover edition: November 22, 2026.
Ebook available now. Choose your edition below.
📖 Hardcover Book — $19.99
Ships November 22, 2026 by USPS Media Mail (2–8 business days). Postage is calculated from the number of books — $4.39 for one book.
EPUB edition — pay securely through Stripe and download your ebook instantly after payment.
Reads on iPhone/iPad (Apple Books), Android (Google Play Books), Kindle (Send to Kindle), and computers.
⭐ First review: "an entertaining adventure with a thoughtful message" — Leo Vidal Book Reviews. Read the full review →
⭐ Second review (10/10): "A must-read illustrated children's book." "It will keep young readers invested in the story and help parents connect with their children about how to handle technology today." — Anthony Avina. Read the full review →
Card payments are processed securely through Stripe. Hardcover books are scheduled to ship November 22, 2026; this is the dispatch date, not the delivery date. Delivery time varies by destination.
Read Chapter 1: The Catastrophe
Read the opening chapter and explore the illustrations before choosing your edition. No email address or purchase required.
For Libraries & Youth Programs
How the Aliens Stole Our Gadgets — an illustrated chapter book for ages 7–9 by Alex Durmashkin.
Hardcover ISBN 979-8-234-25730-7 · Publisher: American-Eastern European Council · 78 pages · 6×9 hardcover · List price $19.99.
Libraries and bookstores can order the hardcover through Ingram wholesale distribution.
Read a sample: Chapter 1 is on this page. First review: “an entertaining adventure with a thoughtful message” — Leo Vidal Book Reviews (Leo Vidal Book Reviews).
Group orders: 12 copies — $191.88 ($15.99/copy) · 24 copies — $383.76 ($15.99/copy), plus shipping at cost. School/library programs: email aliensstoleourgadgets@gmail.com for a quote and a free 30-minute Tech-Smart Kids Day activity outline.
Need an invoice first? Email aliensstoleourgadgets@gmail.com with the number of copies and your shipping address — we'll send an invoice, and you pay after you receive it.
About the adventure
One morning, every child’s gadgets on Earth—phones, tablets, game consoles—vanish. The Aliens have taken them all.
Lucy from New York, Evan from Chicago, Annabel from Los Angeles, and Gigi from Miami are elected to represent Earth's children. To win back their gadgets, they face challenges of Imagination, Kindness, Nature, and Unity.
The story culminates in Tech-Smart Kids Day, a celebration within the book of balancing technology with friendship, creativity, and the world beyond screens.
About the author: Alex Durmashkin has spent his life bringing ideas and people together through publishing, journalism, and live entertainment. A lifelong believer in the power of imagination, curiosity, and human connection, he wrote How the Aliens Stole Our Gadgets to encourage children to look up from their screens, think creatively, work together, and rediscover the world around them. He was inspired by his four grandchildren — Lucy, Evan, Annabel, and Gigi — who also lent their names to the story's young heroes.
Watch the official book trailer 👽📚
Watch 'The Why' — the teaser 👽
Follow the adventure: Instagram @aliensstolegadgets · TikTok @aliensstolegadgets