Planet Earth Is Blue

Ugh, this book slayed me. I had no idea what to expect before I picked it up, and I'm glad for that. As a fan of all things space myself, that was a huge initial draw, but it was the character that kept me reading.

This debut novel is extraordinary. It allows inside the imagination and heart of Nove--a severely autistic, non-verbal twelve year old, with all her hopes, her frustrations, her loneliness, and her longing for a permanent family. She and her sister have lost their mother and eventually Nove loses track of her older sister, who has been… show more.

Nova is counting down the days until the Space Shuttle Challenger launches with teacher Christa McAuliffe on board. Nova, who is nonverbal and has autism, struggles to share her true self with the world, and desperately wants to be reunited with her sister. She believes the launch of the Challenger will bring her sister back into her life for good. But when tragedy strikes, Nova must learn to rely on her own strengths and ability to overcome life’s obstacles. This is one of my favorite stories about a kid who loves space…and one that influenced my second novel.