Planet Earth Is Blue

By Nicole Panteleakos

A nonverbal girl awaits a space shuttle launch, hoping to reunite with her missing sister.

4.4/5 Goodreads · 3,404 ratings

240 pages

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Bookroo's summary

Twelve-year-old Nova, passionate about space, eagerly anticipates the Challenger launch, a shared dream with her missing sister, Bridget. In a new foster home, Nova, often misunderstood due to her nonverbal autism, begins to reveal her true potential. As the countdown to the launch continues, Nova hopes for Bridget's promised return. Will the liftoff bring the reunion she longs for, or will it mark a new beginning without her sister? Nova's journey is one of discovery, friendship, and the unyielding hope of seeing Bridget again.

From the publisher

“Tender and illuminating. A beautiful debut.” –Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me A heartrending and hopeful story about a nonverbal girl and her passion for space exploration, for fans of See You in the Cosmos, Mockingbird, and The Thing About Jellyfish. Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger–it’s the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home. While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can’t express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova’s new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she’s counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she’ll see Bridget again. Because as Bridget said, “No matter what, I’ll be there. I promise.”

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