Lindsay Lackey

Just did a school visit with this author & started her book. So far it is a quick read with compelling characters, well written dialog & an engaging story.

This is a solid book & I can easily recommend it but it didn’t quite make it to favorite level for me.

First sentence: The moon hovered above them, a silver-white orb in the black Colorado sky. Its light illuminated the treetops on the mountainside behind the house and washed the two boys' small faces in a pale glow.

Premise/plot: Houston Stewart loves, loves, loves, loves his brother, Robbie. The two dream of being astronauts. But as things are, Robbie is unlikely to get to see his dream come true. He has cerebral palsy is wheelchair bound and is nonverbal. Like it or not, there are show more limitations to what he can physically do. That doesn't stop the boys from dreaming and scheming together. The book follows Houston's adventures and misadventures at JARP, Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program, a camp. His brother, of course, always wanted to go too. But now they'll be separated for weeks--and it will be hard for both.

My thoughts: This is a coming-of-age novel that celebrates FAMILY and LIFE. It doesn't shy away from harder topics. But it isn't overly melodramatic. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and spending time with them. show less

This was a great book. I loved learning so much about NASA and the space program. The author did it in a way that that was entertaining, not like a science lesson. I was also happy with learning about cerebral palsy and how a family works together. The story is a good one, too.

A fabulist allegory for the inner storm of a child struggling in the foster care system and between the longing for a stable home and the longing to be with her unstable mother.