BLUE MOON ELEMENTARY

This book for young readers, set in the not-so-distant future, explores the life of a young girl who moves onto the space station where her father works.

Sadie Eloise Trill doesn’t want to leave her home in Vancouver, British Columbia, or her best friend, Wendy. But depart she must, as her father has been assigned a new job on the Blythe Space Station, where he’s been instructed to bring his entire family. Sadie’s little brother, Gilbert, doesn’t seem to mind. He’s excited to go up in the shuttle and live in space. But Sadie is leaving a lot behind. She has to make new friends, and she won’t have any summer vacations. School runs in three-week sessions, broken up by one-week apprenticeships. When Sadie sees a man in a space suit working on repairs on the outside of the ship, she knows that she wants her first apprenticeship to be in the Mechanics division. But then she finds out that the head of that department, Mr. Grande, is notorious for being mean and grumpy toward students who try to work for him. Still, she’s determined to get on his good side, and after a video chat with Wendy, who tells her that she’ll come visit next summer, Sadie is committed to making the best of her time on the space station. Debut author Joyce’s story explores the all-too-familiar feelings of loss after a big life change and the difficulties of being the new kid without ever feeling heavy-handed. She employs a clear, simple prose style that will keep youngsters engaged and curious. The story also provides an excellent example of a young girl aspiring to work in a mechanical field. American readers may be confused by occasional Britishisms, such as the term “lift” instead of “elevator,” or references to “primary six” grade level. The grayscale illustrations by debut illustrator Wiens throughout the story bring to mind images in how-to-draw-anime books.

A cute, imaginative story that will appeal to young sci-fi fans, as well as kids interested in space exploration.