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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

The three Nelson Thomas kids are in separate orbits in January, 1986. Cash is repeating 7th grade and feels inadequate at everything he tries; 12-year-old Fitch has frequent angry outbursts and finds escape at the local arcade; Bird, Fitch's twin, loves taking apart small machines and drawing their schematics. She draws the machine that is her family, too: gears that aren't working together no matter how Bird tries to fix it. Their parents fight constantly, hurling anger and insults at each other. At school, Ms. Salonga challenges her students to contemplate the how and why of human space exploration as she focuses on the upcoming Challenger launch in science class . Captivated, Bird dreams of becoming the first female shuttle commander and imagines conversing with Challenger astronaut Judith Resnik, who even offers thoughts on Bird being labeled "smart" but "plain" by her classmates. Bird also imagines what it would be like to have her friend Dani's family, with parents who get along and pay attention. Bird is at the center of this story's orbit, but Erin Entrada Kelly masterfully depicts the inner lives of all three children, who are white, as she builds to Challenger's launch, an event Bird is watching. The tragedy of the shuttle's explosion devastates Bird. Her brothers, unlike their parents, see their sister's pain. In a novel rich with motifs and layers of meaning, they rise to meet it with love. (Ages 9-12)

CCBC Choices 2021 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2021. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

Starred review from May 1, 2020
In the foreground of this novel are three siblings. Twelve-year-old Fitch lives for video games and is angry through and through. His twin sister Bird is an amiable, peacekeeping engineering brainiac. Their older brother Cash feels he is a failure at school and everywhere else. In the middle ground is the toxic marriage of their parents, a couple given to sourness, sarcasm, and bickering. In the background, coloring the emotional tone of the book, establishing its historical setting, and propelling the plot, is the upcoming launch of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986. With short chapters focusing alternately on each sibling, Kelly establishes distinct and original characters, doing an especially convincing job of re-creating, in Fitch, the physicality of rage. The form also emphasizes the emotional isolation of each member of the family. Middle school is portrayed in all its intensity, where a social misstep and an existential question about the meaning of life have the same weight. Tension builds until the shock of the Challenger disaster resets the relationship among the three children, releasing kindness in each one. Kelly creates a crisp, moving portrait of family dysfunction and the resilience of the young. Back matter provides information on the Challenger spacecraft and the seven crew members who died when it exploded, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe and mission specialist Judith Resnik (Bird's idol). Sarah Ellis

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from April 1, 2020

Gr 4-6-It's January 1986, and siblings Bird, Fitch, and Cash's seventh grade science classes are anticipating the Challenger shuttle launch at the end of the month. Twins Bird and Fitch are now in the same grade as their older brother Cash, who is repeating the year. Cash's grades are poor, Fitch can't control his temper, and Bird dreams of becoming an astronaut, but her mother only talks to her about dieting. All three siblings sink into separate coping mechanisms when their parents' daily bickering inevitably erupts into fights. Entrada Kelly tells the story through each sibling's viewpoint in distinct and engaging voices, giving readers a choice of characters to relate to. The Nelson-Thomas family is white, Bird's friend Devonte is African American, and teacher Ms. Salonga has a Filipina surname. Entrada Kelly creates a vivid historical setting by being selective with 1980s details and highlighting elements with high kid appeal, such as arcade games and popular TV shows. There is similar restraint in recounting the Challenger explosion, depicted only by its effect on the characters rather than used gratuitously to complete a dramatic arc. There is no forced march towards a resolution, and the book simply ends with a greater resilience on the part of Cash, Fitch and Bird, along with an awareness that, by joining forces, they have the power to form the family they want themselves. VERDICT Lyrical but direct writing, relatable characters, and an engaging 1980s setting give this thoughtful read high appeal for middle grade readers.-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from March 23, 2020
Newbery Awardâ€"winner Kelly (Hello, Universe) follows three Delaware siblings in the weeks leading up to the January 1986 launch of the Challenger. Practical, schematics-interested Bird, 12, dreams of being NASA's "first female shuttle commander." Her twin, Fitch, who battles a temper, spends his afternoons at the arcade, waiting until the last minute to head home to their quarreling, sometimes volatile parents. After Cash, the twins' brooding 13-year-old brother, fails seventh grade, winds up in his siblings' grade, and is dropped from the basketball team, he breaks his wrist and ends up in a cast. Meanwhile, their science teacher endeavors to build her students' excitement for NASA's Challenger launchâ€"and for a female teacher heading into space. But January 1986 is difficult for them all: Bird's feelings of insignificance and Cash's feelings of inadequacy grow, while Fitch is suspended for belittling a classmate in language similar to his fighting parents'. As Kelly's chapters count down to the Challenger's disastrous launch, they document a family in crisis and three untethered siblings. With painfully accurate insight and clarity, Kelly shows the incredible power of wordsâ€"the irreparable damage they inflict and their ability to upliftâ€"while crafting a captivating story about family's enduring bonds. Ages 8â€"12.

From Kirkus

March 15, 2020
Three siblings face their middle school problems as they learn about space. The Thomas siblings--13-year-old Cash and 12-year-old twins Fitch and Bird--all struggle to navigate the doubts of middle school and their dysfunctional family. Cash sees himself as a failure. He isn't good at anything, and now he's repeating seventh grade with his two younger siblings. Fitch is good at video games but bad at controlling his temper. Bird likes tinkering with machines but feels invisible. The Thomas household is toxic with their parents' constant fighting, and Bird feels like she has to keep their family from malfunctioning altogether. It's January 1986, and their teacher is gearing them up for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. Bird is enthralled with the space mission and decides she's going to be a shuttle commander one day. But when the Challenger disaster occurs, Bird finds herself in need of the support she's been giving. Each chapter begins with a date in January 1986, then divides into short vignettes following each sibling on that day. Kelly writes a heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings. Even though readers are transported to 1986, the characters' social, emotional, and familial struggles will feel familiar and timely. Characters seem to default to white, with the occasional surname hinting at ethnic difference. Put this book in your orbit. (historical note, resources) (Historical fiction. 8-13)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Booklist

Starred review from March 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* The prolific, Newbery Medal-winning Kelly contemplates space exploration and sibling bonds in her latest captivating novel. Twins Fitch and Bird and their older brother Cash each have strikingly different personalities and carry on largely separate lives, retreating to their rooms and hobbies to escape their parents' frequent bickering and criticism. Kelly begins her chronicles of the Nelson-Thomas siblings on January 1, 1986, bookending the narrative with the hopes of a fresh year and the historic launch of the space shuttle Challenger. Although some readers may not be familiar with the Challenger mission, the book's lead-up to the tragedy is propelled by the siblings' alternating perspectives and the advancement of the calendar days represented by each chapter, giving readers the sensation of a countdown and resulting in absorbing momentum. Kelly deftly contrasts the hope and possibility of space exploration with the tempestuous home life of the Nelson-Thomas kids, where so much seems mundane and out of their control. The author never shies from difficult realities?whether national tragedy or domestic troubles?and offers no tidy solutions, instead allowing her characters a newfound sense of agency and the sweet reward of finding solace in each other. Another wondrous title from a remarkably talented author. Includes a section with information about Challenger and recommended resources. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Award-winning Kelly is showing no signs of slowing her climb to the heights of kidlit fame. Be prepared for lots of requests for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

From Horn Book

January 1, 2020
In the foreground of this novel are three siblings. Twelve-year-old Fitch lives for video games and is angry through and through. His twin sister Bird is an amiable, peacekeeping engineering brainiac. Their older brother Cash feels he is a failure at school and everywhere else. In the middle ground is the toxic marriage of their parents, a couple given to sourness, sarcasm, and bickering. In the background, coloring the emotional tone of the book, establishing its historical setting, and propelling the plot, is the upcoming launch of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986. With short chapters focusing alternately on each sibling, Kelly establishes distinct and original characters, doing an especially convincing job of re-creating, in Fitch, the physicality of rage. The form also emphasizes the emotional isolation of each member of the family. Middle school is portrayed in all its intensity, where a social misstep and an existential question about the meaning of life have the same weight. Tension builds until the shock of the Challenger disaster resets the relationship among the three children, releasing kindness in each one. Kelly creates a crisp, moving portrait of family dysfunction and the resilience of the young. Back matter provides information on the Challenger spacecraft and the seven crew members who died when it exploded, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe and mission specialist Judith Resnik (Bird's idol).

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Kirkus

Ramon de Ocampo infuses his narration of this emotionally powerful story with direct and subtle emotions that define the three Nelson-Thomas siblings and their middle school experience. The story begins in January 1986 with the excitement of the CHALLENGER mission and ends with its tragedy. As the siblings' parents' domestic tragedies dominate the children, 12-year-old twins Fitch and Bird both suffer. Bird, absorbed in all things science, lacks confidence in her appearance and finds comfort in imaginary conversations with CHALLENGER shuttle commander Judith Resnick. Her twin, Fitch, is as quick at playing video games as he is to fly off the handle in anger. Their brother, 13-year-old Cash, who is repeating the year with his two siblings, feels like a failure and hates school. De Ocampo delves meaningfully into the separate lives of each child until they, finally, come together in unity. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine