I’m an only child so I never know if sibling relationships are “accurate” but the way these siblings interacted – from imitating and nagging each other to saying things they don’t mean but then showing up when it matters – made me feel like I was part of the family.
We have Bird who has always been the glue that holds their clan together, Cash who feels a lot of pressure to do well but doesn’t understand why it’s so hard for him, and Fitch who lashes out at the people he cares about without meaning to. The Thomas Nelson siblings also just felt incredibly real. Whether you’re 12 or 45, there is a lot to learn in this book about astronomy, fears of failing to measure up and dreaming big even when those dreams may fall through. This is perhaps one of the things I like most about middle-grade fiction: you learn something new even if you’re an older reader and information isn’t “dumbed” down for the younger audience and instead explored in a reader-friendly, engaging manner. Salonga recreating the launch with her pupils and begging the question why exploring space is worthwhile even if it’s dangerous. From the scenes of Bird dreaming of becoming NASA’s first female shuttle commander to the enthusiastic science teacher Ms. The author takes the reader on a journey of discovery of space and engineering and though I’ve never been the biggest fan of either, I was completely hooked.
I remember loads of references to it in newspapers in the late 90s but that’s about it. I am going to be honest and say that I didn’t know that much about the Challenger disaster of 1986. Luckily, books like We Dream of Space exist and make my dream come true…about a decade and a half late, but we’ll gloss over that fact. I feel like this genre is so often glossed over when it is filled with some of the fiercest friendships, most realistic sibling dynamics, and topics that I would have wished to read about when I was a tween.
You know what I like about middle-grade novels? Everything.
0 kommentar(er)
