Where the Sky Lives
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the author of Five Things About Ava Andrews comes a new middle grade stand-alone novel with STEM and activism themes, set against the backdrop of beautiful Zion National Park. With the perfect blend of humor and heart, this poignant story about family, grief, and changes beyond our control is perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Meg Medina, and Lynne Kelly.
When life doesn’t make sense, twelve-year-old amateur astronomer Tuesday Beals has always looked to the stars above Zion National Park, where she lives. Her beloved late uncle Ezra taught her astronomy, but now their special stargazing sites are all she has left of him, along with his ashes and a poem that may be a riddle.
Then a new housing development next door threatens to ruin the night skies and her favorite astronomy spots. Desperate to focus on something besides the growing uncle-sized chasm between her and her mother, the park archeologist, Tuesday takes up photography with her best friend, Carter, after they find an abandoned camera. With this new way of seeing the universe, she tries to solve her uncle’s riddle to save the land.
But one day, a photo reveals clues about an endangered animal—one that could halt construction. Will the discovery be enough to save the park and keep the rest of her world from falling apart?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As a former artist-in-residence at Zion National Park, Dilloway (Five Things About Ava Andrews) displays her deep love of Utah's landscapes in this introspective story. Twelve-year-old pale-skinned Tuesday is grieving the sudden death of her beloved uncle Ezra and fixated on the meaning of his riddle, the last gift he left her. His death has caused her tan-skinned mother Dana, an archeologist and park ranger, to withdraw into her work, leaving Tuesday longing for connection ("At least, I tell myself, we're together"). Their already tumultuous lives—plagued by furloughs and park overcrowding—are further unsettled when a company buying up a bordering preserve threatens to encroach on park land. With the help of a visiting social media celebrity, Tuesday is determined to stop the development and to solve Ezra's riddle. Tuesday's aversion to change, dislike of touch, literal interpretations, and heightened observational skills (" ‘Have you been crying?' I blurt out") make for a detail-oriented narrative about learning to forge ahead in the face of uncertainty. Readers will feel like Tuesday's trusted confidante as she delves into the park's beauty, adventures, and secrets in this bighearted and leisurely paced novel. Ages 8–12.
