Kepler's Dream

Reach for this book when your child is facing the quiet, heavy anxiety of a loved one's serious illness or struggling to connect with a distant, difficult relative. This middle-grade novel follows eleven-year-old Ella as she navigates a summer with an eccentric grandmother while her mother undergoes radical cancer treatment. It beautifully balances the weight of medical uncertainty with a captivating mystery involving a stolen rare book. It is a secular, realistic story that treats themes of family estrangement, forgiveness, and intellectual curiosity with sophistication. It is ideal for children ages 9 to 12 who are ready for a story that acknowledges life's complexities while offering a hopeful path toward healing through shared discovery and the wonder of the natural world.