Reasons to Look at the Night Sky

"A sensitive and sweetly relatable middle-grade novel about a space-loving girl who learns how art and Indigenous Sky Stories can help her look at the world differently. Written in free verse from acclaimed author Danielle Daniel. Luna has always loved the night sky. She's an eleven-year-old who knows everything there is to know about space, and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. The first step in her plan to get there is to ace the space unit in her science class and secure a spot in NASA's summer space camp. Luna's been counting down the days, and now that Christmas break is over, she's ready to hit the ground running. But when Luna's teacher is unexpectedly replaced with a substitute teacher, Mrs. Manitowabi, who is looking to shake up science class by bringing in art, Luna's carefully laid plans are crushed. At first, Luna struggles with new, unfamiliar class routines and procedures, but when Ms. Manitowabi introduces the class to Indigenous Sky Stories, Luna realizes she may not know as much about the night sky as she'd always thought. Can science combined with art actually be a good thing for a girl who loves numbers and facts - certainties - more than anything? Told in verse with graceful attention to detail, Reasons to Look at the Night Sky is an endearing and faithful look into the inner world of a sensitive middle schooler as she adapts to change - at school, in her friendships and at home - and begins to see the world in fantastic new ways"--