Book Review: We Dream of Space - Highly Recommend

Erin Entrada Kelly is a Newbery award-winning writer, yet I don't believe I've read any of her other books. I will remedy that! Her writing is impressive. We Dream of Space is an outstanding middle grade book about a girl, with a complicated home life, who longs to venture into space like her role models on the Challenger mission. I well remember, as I'm sure others do, the images of the Challenger explosion (the Y puffs of smoke) and the feelings of astonishment and devastation. The author steps into the shoes of those children who watched the televised launch while at school. 

Bird and her brothers, Cash and Fitch, each respond in their own way to the parental friction within their home. This proves, once again, that parents give their children an enormous gift when they strive to love one another. But family life is often complicated, and this novel will resonate with those who struggle with such difficulties. The book appeals equally to boys, as it outlines the pent-up rage of Fitch and the frustrating failures of Cash as they both try to find their place in the world. Kelly captures the emotions of tweens. She presents historical fiction sure to inspire young readers to reach for the stars.