Planet Earth Is Blue

Reach for this book when your child feels like they are looking at the world through a window that no one else can see through, or when you want to foster deep empathy for neurodivergent peers. Nova is a nonverbal, autistic girl living in the foster care system in 1986, waiting for the Challenger shuttle launch and the return of her big sister, Bridget. While the world sees Nova as low functioning, the reader is invited into her brilliant, astronomical internal world. This story explores themes of grief, the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, and the frustration of being underestimated. It is a profoundly moving look at how we communicate love and intelligence beyond traditional speech. Because it deals with the Challenger tragedy and the realities of the foster system, it is best suited for mature middle-grade readers who are ready for a story that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Parents will appreciate the way it humanizes disability and validates the emotional lives of children who process the world differently.