The Lost Star

A young woman suddenly stranded on a backwater world with a team of scientists must rethink her priorities and her plans for the future when a mysterious group of alien creatures try to communicate with her. I kind of consider this to be a young teen's version of "Little Fuzzy" by H. Beam Piper. I really loved this story when I was younger and snared it for my collection early on. It's an underdog story with a happy-ending, but it has enough drama and serious issues that it doesn't come across as sweet and sacharine. For young readers of SF, particularly those who like the human side to the genre, I highly reccomend this book if you can find it. It's a great introduction to planetary exploration and alien races.

It's about a young scientist, brilliant but questioning her place in the universe. A crash strands her near an extra-terrestrial archaeological dig. The people are different than she's known and too, there are the enigmatic animals called "Lumpies". With her parents delaying her rescue for the moment, she delves into the complexities surrounding the dig team and the lumpies. A most excellent book,especially for anyone who's ever felt like an alien or an outcast.