(2) YA In this companion to Orbiting Jupiter (rev. 11/15), eighth grader Jackson Hurd is mourning the loss of Joseph, his "foster brother, sort of," and cherishes his role as brother to Joseph's now-orphaned daughter. Jack adores three-year-old Jupiter and can't wait to watch her grow up and do things for the first time -- read a book, ride a horse on his family's farm, catch lightning bugs, and "look up into the winter sky and pick out the planet Jupiter rising brighter than any star." There's a lustrousness to Schmidt's simply worded first-person narrative, especially evident in passages about the beauty of Maine. "The clouds broke and the full moon threw everything it had at our house. It beamed into the window and flooded us with silver light so bright that my mother gasped." Schmidt also creates a cast of memorable secondary characters -- running buddy Jay Perkins pushing for more, ornery Coach Swieteck dispensing tough love from his wheelchair, even Judge Benedict encouraging Jack to begin "thinking like a judge." They all help Jack deal with news he finds devastating: Jupiter's maternal grandparents are demanding custody. Readers will tread warily through the heart-wrenching, tear-jerking final pages. In this spare novel, Schmidt has created a big world with characters to care about, cry for, and remember.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 4-6 Ethan Fairmont series. Aliens have invaded and plan to leach all of the energy from planet Earth. Even worse, they have kidnapped Ethan Fairmont's guinea pig, Nugget. In this final installment of the trilogy, middle-school tech wiz/inventor Ethan and his squad of friends try to protect their six-eyed, tentacled alien friend, Cheese, and his family from the reptilian light-thieves who have destroyed Cheese's planet. Led by Krawq from the planet Terylya, the light-thieves will return Nugget if Ethan hands over Cheese. Ethan, knowing he cannot stand up to an alien invasion and save his planet on his own, learns to rely on his loyal friends. "None of this would have been possible without the whole team," he says. Brooks's first-person narrative emphasizes action and dialogue. Ethan and his squad are believably drawn middle schoolers, with squabbles and a bit of romance that lend humor to their serious business. With echoes of Men in Black and E.T., Ethan's exploits are all good-natured science-fiction fun. Spoiler alert: be prepared to get teary-eyed during the final scene between the boy and his alien pal.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Chung and Majoka offer a wordless graphic novel for younger readers that presents dystopian science fiction through a gentle, nearly amicable viewpoint. After a brief sepia-tone introduction showcases a classroom of students assembling a time capsule (complete with a retro viewfinder), readers are presented with a time jump by way of a futuristic spacecraft soaring across a cosmic double-page spread of swirling purples and blues. Inside the craft is a young astronaut traveling from planet to planet in search of geological specimens. Lonely, the adventurer sets coordinates for home; however, a detour leads to a very Earth-like planet. There the explorer finds abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and an abundance of luminescent, mushroom-like growths. Only after the protagonist discovers the aforementioned viewfinder can the history of the planet be puzzled together through photo-flashbacks -- and the story culminates in a near-encounter with the viewfinder's original owner. Drawn by Chung and digitally painted by Majoka, the cinematic cartooning has a polished, animated aesthetic composed of endlessly intriguing and imaginative scenes of an abandoned planet, heightened by moments of mild action and skillful lightning effects. A luminous, thought-provoking adventure.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Set on an Indonesian-inspired New Earth, this graphic-novel space fantasy explores themes of love and forgiveness, growth and identity. A young, white-haired, brown-skinned child is found living alone on a moon by hijab-wearing astronaut Dariya Muliadi. Promising loving care and companionship, Dariya encourages the child to join her on the spaceship Eyesun; they do -- despite a foreboding warning from the moon about change and heartbreak. The child, referred to at first with a redacted name and they/them pronouns, eventually confesses to Dariya that they want to change their name: "I don't think I'm...whoever it is everyone thinks I'm supposed to be." That change is a good one, but when Dariya and Indu (the child's chosen name) leave the Eyesun and relocate to New Earth, Indu feels overwhelmed by terrestrial life, a new stepfamily, a new school, and the need to learn a new language. A tutor who is transgender and a special bond with a pen pal who is bisexual and Chinese Indonesian help Indu feel a sense of community and connection. The panel and full-page digital illustrations incorporate nods to past and present Indonesian culture, dress, and architecture. The large cast features Indonesian characters of different ethnicities, skin tones, body sizes, and beliefs. Indonesian language, comprehensible in context, is integrated throughout the text in this heartwarming story whose protagonist finds understanding with friends, family, and a broader community.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) K-3 This lyrical picture book is a paean to the vastness of space and the human drive to explore. The Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977 and still traveling through the stars, narrates its own journey: "I rise up. I am above the clouds. I cross through the daylight." The book starts on Earth--"Since the dawn of time, we have raised our heads and wondered"--and then focuses on the journey as Voyager 2 passes one planet after another. Most pages contain just a few words or phrases, with the emphasis on Decalf's stunning digital illustrations. Broad expanses of black punctuated by countless stars give a sense of the enormousness of space. Color is used sparingly, with most of the images in shades of black, gray, silver, and white. The final spread asks readers to look into the vast night sky and think of Voyager 2, still "out there." The endnote describes NASA's plans for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Space Exploration series. Each volume profiles an aspect of space exploration, from the numerous Mars missions to the latest telescopes that see into deep space. There are profiles of relevant historical scientific efforts, in-depth explanations of the science and technology, and discussions of what missions and projects are planned for the near-future. A space image, artistic interpretation, or photograph of researchers is found on every page. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Space Exploration titles: Breakthroughs in Mars Exploration, Breakthroughs in Planet and Comet Research, Breakthroughs in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Breakthroughs in Deep Space Science, Breakthroughs in Space Travel, and Breakthroughs in Stars Research.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Manley presents a smart, careful, and thorough discussion of exoplanets. Lanan's illustrations take the concepts to the next level; the choices of scale, color, and detail in her planetary landscapes make visible the text's content. The clever use of a parallel visual narrative, which features a (brown-skinned) girl and her family visiting a planetarium, situates the images of possible other life-supporting worlds in that character's imagination. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Keller. Rex and Keller dramatize Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet status in this smart and playful offering of informational comedy. Rex's wry and engaging text is told completely through dialogue among Pluto, the planets, and other celestial bodies; Keller's kinetic mixed-media illustrations include "a bunch of sideline planetary commentary." After receiving "the call" from Earth scientists, a dejected Pluto reluctantly acquiesces to giving a tour of the solar system, since readers "were probably hoping to hang out with a real planet." The remaining eight planets, each with a unique personality and (randomly chosen) gender, are introduced to readers through interesting facts ("If you tried to stand on Jupiter, you'd just fall right through him") and funnily informative jokes ("Neptune is pretty icy. And gassy. I'm not being mean, he just is"). The visually jam-packed pages range from complex panel layouts set against solid white backgrounds to luminous double-page spreads of the immense, maternal Sun. A genuinely moving testimonial by the benevolent Sun extolling the value of Pluto's new role ("You're the planet who doesn't get to be a planet anymore. And people love you for it") beautifully wraps up this expertly crafted ode to Pluto, science, and underdogs everywhere. Back matter consists of solar-system facts and an author's note.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 With Jennifer Swanson. Planetary geologist Ehlmann and her cartoon superhero alter-ego, Dr. E, take readers on a tour of the solar system. The well-organized chapters each start with a two-page comic, then present the latest findings from planetary science research and space exploration. Also included are numerous profiles of contemporary and historical scientists, do-at-home experiments, diagrams, and photos of planets and space technology. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Galaxies presents a guide to our universe of stars and galaxies and includes a rudimentary history of astronomy and telescopes. Planets introduces each planet and the basic concepts of planetary motion. While these two lightly updated editions feature Gibbons's inviting, scientifically rigorous illustrations, two depictions of the solar system in Galaxies still show the outdated nine-planet model. Review covers these titles: Galaxies, Galaxies! and The Planets.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ana Djordjevic. Each double-page spread features a planet, asteroid, nebula, or other astronomical object (plus the ISS and the Webb Space Telescope), in order of its distance from Earth. A list of stats for each covers size, weight, surface temperature, and other attributes. Large illustrations with a retro aesthetic, diagrams, and text boxes provide additional information for a browsable, if somewhat crowded, presentation. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA An intercepted transmission sends scholars and scavengers from Earth to explore the abandoned planet Gaia. Despite opposing missions, scholar Jules and scavenger Mia must join forces to beat an alien temple's puzzles and traps. Their smart-guy/tough-girl romance feels rushed, but readers may enjoy cracking puzzles alongside the protagonists, and a cliffhanger ending will leave readers anticipating the next installment.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford