Kathryn Hulick displays copies of her work at the Hopkinton Farmers Market.

When children are asked the perennial question of what they would like to be when they grow up, adults don’t expect a definitive answer. But Hopkinton’s Kathryn Hulick knew at age 8 that she wanted to become an author — and she can prove it.

“I actually found my first draft for my new book, thanks to my mom saving everything I ever made,” she said as she displayed a few notebook pages taped together. “I didn’t even remember it.”

“The UFO Files: Notes of an Alien Encounter,” her latest book geared toward young adults, will be released on Aug. 5. In a recent interview with the Independent, Hulick spoke of how her early desire to fuse her love of writing with her fascination with science led to a rewarding career.

This is Hulick’s first science fiction book. Her previous nonfiction titles include “Welcome to the Future: Robot Friends, Fusion Energy, Pet Dinosaurs, and More” and “Strange but True: 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Explained.” Hulick also has written about 30 educational books, stressing topics including artificial intelligence, coding, robotics and virtual reality.

“I was always drawn to art and writing, especially to fantastical stories,” she explained. “The interest in science came about later.”

Different frontiers explored

After graduating from Colby College with a degree in fine art, Hulick joined the Peace Corps. She taught English for two years in Kyrgyzstan, where she learned Kyrgyz and Russian.

Her passion for writing was rekindled there when she received a donation of several Highlights magazines to use in her classroom.

“That’s when I realized that I wanted to write for kids and write for this kind of magazine,” she said.

Upon returning home, the New Hampshire native began her writing odyssey. While working on fiction novels, she got an internship with a children’s magazine group that specialized in nonfiction science articles. She kept writing there after the internship ended, noting the high demand for work in this genre. She began contributing to more publications, and her career took off.

Current concerns in futuristic setting

In her new book, Hulick describes the declassification of files about the arrival of an alien spacecraft in the year 2033. The lead investigator who compiled the report is aptly called Polaris, another name for the North Star.

Throughout “The UFO Files: Notes of an Alien Encounter,” Hulick weaves scientific knowledge with current cultural themes. She includes side notes that explain concepts such as spectroscopy, photosynthesis, cryptobiosis, fusion and optical computing. She also touches on the importance of respecting the aliens, juxtaposing it with the public’s combined sense of wonder, fear and some paranoia about the paranormal.

“It’s really not a book about aliens,” she explained. “Finding the heart of a book is always important. As I worked on it, I realized that it’s a book about ‘the other’ and trying to understand and respect something that’s different from you. How do you build a relationship that doesn’t harm either of you, you know? How do you navigate that tricky border area with something you don’t understand?”

Hulick highlights the efforts of a multicultural team of worldwide experts whose goal is to create shared knowledge and increased communication. Polaris advocates for sharing the discovery with the world, seeking input from people of all backgrounds. The group includes young people, artists and musicians as well as scientists. Together, they decode the aliens’ language, which is made of light waves.

“I actually read a book about bioluminescence,” Hulick said, noting she explored many nonfiction works while developing the plot. “There are fish and other sea creatures that actually glow to communicate. I wanted my aliens to take in light during the day like plants but then be like fireflies at night.”

The goal was to create a connection that was “curious without being too intrusive.” At times, she shows where things get out of hand, particularly with a government employee and a group of protesters. She alludes to the fears of some characters about colonization and war.

The creatures that first emerge from the spaceship initially are referred to as BugBots. They appeared to be robots resembling a cross between drones and dragonflies. They perform work on the spaceship for the aliens, who are called Blues.

Journalism background fuels research

As a freelance science and technology journalist, Hulick values thorough research. She has written for Muse Magazine and Science News Explores as well as Science News, its adult counterpart publication. Hulick has been interviewed on National Public Radio as an expert on artificial intelligence. She also has a Substack.

“I normally write about mainstream science and technology, so I had some contacts who are researchers who knew me and trusted me,” she explained regarding her approach to her latest book. “A project like this was a little more out there.

“With others, I explained that I am a real journalist,” she continued. “But  I’m telling a science fiction story for kids, and I want to make it as realistic as possible. It’s surprising how many people are willing to put the time in to help you with that.”

One source was a rocket scientist who was excited about her project. He helped her figure out how long it would take the spaceship in the book to travel to Earth and the type and weight of the fuel needed for the voyage.

Added Hulick: “I wanted to make this book realistic, even if it’s a not a real story.”

She also submitted sketches to illustrator Weston Wei and the book’s design team. The final product, Hulick said, captured her concepts well.

Hulick recently promoted her work at the Hopkinton Farmers Market. She is looking forward to an author talk on Sept. 5 at Hopkins Elementary School, which her son attends. Hulick also will have book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Framingham on Aug. 9 and other promotional events, including a contest. For more information, visit kathrynhulick.com.

“My point with the book is we don’t need aliens to arrive on Earth to discover amazing things,” she stressed. “We have so many things on our own planet that we don’t even know yet.”