We Dream of Space

ANewbery Honor Book • BookPage Best Books • Chicago Public Library Best Fiction• Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee • Horn Book Fanfare • New York Times NotableChildren’s Book • School Library Journal Best Book • Today Show Pick • An ALANotable Book“A 10 out of 10 . . . Anyone interested inscience, sibling relationships, and friendships will enjoy reading WeDream of Space.”—Time for KidsNewbery Medalist and NewYork Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly transports readers to 1986and introduces them to the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas inthis pitch-perfect middle grade novel about family, friendship, science, andexploration. This acclaimed Newbery Honor Book is a great choice for readers ofKate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Rebecca Stead.Cash, Fitch, and Bird NelsonThomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986,as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger,they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. Cash, who lovesbasketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh gradefor the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc atthe arcade on Main and wrestles with an explosive temper that he doesn’tunderstand. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA’s firstfemale shuttle commander, but feels like she’s disappearing. The Nelson Thomaschildren exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictablehousehold, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher namedMs. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salongagives her students a project—they are separated into spacecraft crews and mustcreate and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changesall of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways.Told in three alternatingpoints of view, We Dream of Space is an unforgettable and thematicallyrich novel for middle grade readers.We Dream of Space isillustrated throughout by the author.