★ 03/23/2020
Newbery Award–winner Kelly (Hello, Universe ) follows three Delaware siblings in the weeks leading up to the January 1986 launch of the Challenger . Practical, schematics-interested Bird, 12, dreams of being NASA’s “first female shuttle commander.” Her twin, Fitch, who battles a temper, spends his afternoons at the arcade, waiting until the last minute to head home to their quarreling, sometimes volatile parents. After Cash, the twins’ brooding 13-year-old brother, fails seventh grade, winds up in his siblings’ grade, and is dropped from the basketball team, he breaks his wrist and ends up in a cast. Meanwhile, their science teacher endeavors to build her students’ excitement for NASA’s Challenger launch—and for a female teacher heading into space. But January 1986 is difficult for them all: Bird’s feelings of insignificance and Cash’s feelings of inadequacy grow, while Fitch is suspended for belittling a classmate in language similar to his fighting parents’. As Kelly’s chapters count down to the Challenger ’s disastrous launch, they document a family in crisis and three untethered siblings. With painfully accurate insight and clarity, Kelly shows the incredible power of words—the irreparable damage they inflict and their ability to uplift—while crafting a captivating story about family’s enduring bonds. Ages 8–12. (May)
Newbery Medal–winning Kelly contemplates space exploration and sibling bonds in her latest captivating novel. . . . Another wondrous title from a remarkably talented author.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Newbery Award–winner Kelly follows three Delaware siblings in the weeks leading up to the January 1986 launch of the Challenger . . . . Kelly shows the incredible power of words—the irreparable damage they inflict and their ability to uplift—while crafting a captivating story about family’s enduring bonds.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Entrada Kelly tells the story . . . of Cash, Fitch and Bird . . . [and their] power to form the family they want themselves. Lyrical but direct writing, relatable characters, and an engaging 1980s setting give this thoughtful read high appeal for middle grade readers.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“With short chapters focusing alternately on each sibling, Kelly establishes distinct and original characters . . . Kelly creates a crisp, moving portrait of family dysfunction and the resilience of the young.” — Horn Book (starred review)
“It’s January, 1986, and each of the three Nelson Thomas siblings has a focus. . . , Bird, who loves science and engineering and imagines nightly conversations with Challenger astronaut Judith Resnik . . . [is] the calm core of the novel, but readers in the know will feel the tension ramping up as the much-awaited launch date comes closer. . . . Newbery winner Kelly is particularly skillful in weaving the event into the lives of her characters . . . Perceptive.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“We Dream of Space offers an exceptional portrayal of the endless ways in which parental dysfunction affects every member of a family. It’s also a celebration of the need for optimism, compassion and teamwork in the face of disasters both individual and communal.” — BookPage.com (starred review)
“Kelly writes a heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings. . . . Put this book in your orbit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In this captivating follow-up to her Newbery Medal-winning “Hello, Universe,” Kelly . . . has a minimalist’s knack for gesturing beyond what’s on the page. . . . We Dream of Space moves gracefully between small-scale middle school dilemmas and galaxy-size existential questions, such as whether we should go into space at all. Bird, “just a girl in Park, Delaware,” can’t stop thinking about being a speck of cosmic dust. Thanks to exuberant Ms. Salonga, there’s lots of space lore in the novel. Notably, the characters most interested in science are female. . . . A hard-won, timeless lesson.” — New York Times Book Review
“As the country awaits the launch of the space shuttle Challenger , three very different siblings—Cash, Fitch, and Bird—must navigate challenges of their own. . . . A 10 out of 10 . . . Anyone interested in science, sibling relationships, and friendships will enjoy reading We Dream of Space .” — Time for Kids
“Kelly’s skill at mapping the bonds of family shine here—you’ll root for these three [characters] as they develop hard-won resilience.” — Austin American-Statesman
"This moving book follows a family in January 1986 on the precipice of so much—siblings Bird, Fitch, and Cash are all in the same grade, and . . . the siblings are hanging on . . . through their shared science teacher. . . . This slice-of-life book is aching and hard, and when the Challenger launches, all of the pain built up in each of the siblings explodes. Readers who want feelings-heavy books will be enraptured with this one. All of the characters are compelling, complex, and sympathetic.” — Book Riot
“25 children’s books your kids and teens won’t be able to put down this summer!"—A Today Show Pick — Today Show
It’s January, 1986, and each of the three Nelson Thomas siblings has a focus. . . , Bird, who loves science and engineering and imagines nightly conversations with Challenger astronaut Judith Resnik . . . [is] the calm core of the novel, but readers in the know will feel the tension ramping up as the much-awaited launch date comes closer. . . . Newbery winner Kelly is particularly skillful in weaving the event into the lives of her characters . . . Perceptive.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
We Dream of Space offers an exceptional portrayal of the endless ways in which parental dysfunction affects every member of a family. It’s also a celebration of the need for optimism, compassion and teamwork in the face of disasters both individual and communal.
BookPage.com (starred review)
Kelly’s skill at mapping the bonds of family shine here—you’ll root for these three [characters] as they develop hard-won resilience.
Austin American-Statesman
As the country awaits the launch of the space shuttle Challenger , three very different siblings—Cash, Fitch, and Bird—must navigate challenges of their own. . . . A 10 out of 10 . . . Anyone interested in science, sibling relationships, and friendships will enjoy reading We Dream of Space .
In this captivating follow-up to her Newbery Medal-winning “Hello, Universe,” Kelly . . . has a minimalist’s knack for gesturing beyond what’s on the page. . . . We Dream of Space moves gracefully between small-scale middle school dilemmas and galaxy-size existential questions, such as whether we should go into space at all. Bird, “just a girl in Park, Delaware,” can’t stop thinking about being a speck of cosmic dust. Thanks to exuberant Ms. Salonga, there’s lots of space lore in the novel. Notably, the characters most interested in science are female. . . . A hard-won, timeless lesson.
New York Times Book Review
With short chapters focusing alternately on each sibling, Kelly establishes distinct and original characters . . . Kelly creates a crisp, moving portrait of family dysfunction and the resilience of the young.”
Horn Book (starred review)
Newbery Medal–winning Kelly contemplates space exploration and sibling bonds in her latest captivating novel. . . . Another wondrous title from a remarkably talented author.
Booklist (starred review)
25 children’s books your kids and teens won’t be able to put down this summer!"—A Today Show Pick
"This moving book follows a family in January 1986 on the precipice of so much—siblings Bird, Fitch, and Cash are all in the same grade, and . . . the siblings are hanging on . . . through their shared science teacher. . . . This slice-of-life book is aching and hard, and when the Challenger launches, all of the pain built up in each of the siblings explodes. Readers who want feelings-heavy books will be enraptured with this one. All of the characters are compelling, complex, and sympathetic.
★ 04/01/2020
Gr 4–6— It's January 1986, and siblings Bird, Fitch, and Cash's seventh grade science classes are anticipating the Challenger shuttle launch at the end of the month. Twins Bird and Fitch are now in the same grade as their older brother Cash, who is repeating the year. Cash's grades are poor, Fitch can't control his temper, and Bird dreams of becoming an astronaut, but her mother only talks to her about dieting. All three siblings sink into separate coping mechanisms when their parents' daily bickering inevitably erupts into fights. Entrada Kelly tells the story through each sibling's viewpoint in distinct and engaging voices, giving readers a choice of characters to relate to. The Nelson-Thomas family is white, Bird's friend Devonte is African American, and teacher Ms. Salonga has a Filipina surname. Entrada Kelly creates a vivid historical setting by being selective with 1980s details and highlighting elements with high kid appeal, such as arcade games and popular TV shows. There is similar restraint in recounting the Challenger explosion, depicted only by its effect on the characters rather than used gratuitously to complete a dramatic arc. There is no forced march towards a resolution, and the book simply ends with a greater resilience on the part of Cash, Fitch and Bird, along with an awareness that, by joining forces, they have the power to form the family they want themselves. VERDICT Lyrical but direct writing, relatable characters, and an engaging 1980s setting give this thoughtful read high appeal for middle grade readers.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library
2020-02-26
The Thomas siblings—13-year-old Cash and 12-year-old twins Fitch and Bird—all struggle to navigate the doubts of middle school and their dysfunctional family. Cash sees himself as a failure. He isn’t good at anything, and now he’s repeating seventh grade with his two younger siblings. Fitch is good at video games but bad at controlling his temper. Bird likes tinkering with machines but feels invisible. The Thomas household is toxic with their parents’ constant fighting, and Bird feels like she has to keep their family from malfunctioning altogether. It’s January 1986, and their teacher is gearing them up for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger . Bird is enthralled with the space mission and decides she’s going to be a shuttle commander one day. But when the Challenger disaster occurs, Bird finds herself in need of the support she’s been giving. Each chapter begins with a date in January 1986, then divides into short vignettes following each sibling on that day. Kelly writes a heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings. Even though readers are transported to 1986, the characters’ social, emotional, and familial struggles will feel familiar and timely. Characters seem to default to white, with the occasional surname hinting at ethnic difference.
Put this book in your orbit. (historical note, resources) (Historical fiction. 8-13)
