Reviews for Planet earth is blue

School Library Journal
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Gr 3–7—Twelve-year-old Nova knows what her testing results will be, how she'll be labeled. But inside she knows she's smart, that she can read and write, and that she knows everything there is to know about space. She's learned a lot from her big sister Bridget, and when Bridget gets back, they'll read The Little Prince together and, most important, watch the Challenger space shuttle take off with the first teacher in space. But the launch is just a few days away, and Bridget hasn't come back yet. Nova sort of likes her new school; after all, it does have a planetarium. Her new foster family is nice, too, but, as Bridget warned her, she shouldn't assume she'll have a forever family. How can Nova communicate what she feels inside, her passion for space, and her ability to feel emotions like any other kid? And why isn't Bridget here yet? Debut novelist Panteleakos creates a character who shares many of her own experiences as a child with neurochallenges. Through Nova she depicts the perspective, intelligence, and rich imagination of someone with an autism spectrum disorder. Readers will cheer for Nova as she seeks to find her own voice and sense of belonging in a world that is changing at the speed of the universe. VERDICT An exceptional debut featuring a character everyone can root for.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In Panteleakos' debut, a nonverbal, autistic astronomy enthusiast counts down to the space shuttle Challenger's launchand her runaway sister's returnin January 1986.Twelve-year-old Nova Vezina hates deviating from routine, which makes moving from 11 foster homes in seven years challenging. But each new school's verdict is the same: "Cannot read. Cannot speak. Severely mentally retarded." A "thinker, not a talker," Nova can't explain that her big sister, Bridget, taught her the alphabet and read her novels, such as Peter Pan. Bridget disappeared after they ran from their last home, but she'd promised they'd watch the Challenger's launch together. As Nova counts down the remaining 10 days, third-person chapters alternate with Nova's printed letters to Bridget ("scribbles" to everyone else), which grow uneasy as Bridget doesn't appear. Interspersed flashbacks reveal the sisters' turbulent past and sensitively illustrate the uncertainty of foster care. The author poetically immerses readers in Nova's mind as Nova endures "the constant scratching of sounds that [invade] her brain," befriends fellow special education classmates, and struggles to be understood by both well-meaning and patronizing adults. Bursting with worry, joy, empathy, humor, and even mischief, Nova is endearingly nuanced. The countdown's multiple conclusions dovetail in an ending Nova might call "Crayola Pine Green": a mixture of conflicting emotions that will linger long after the last page. An author's note provides background on autism and the Challenger disaster. Nova and Bridget are ethnically ambiguous; Nova's foster mother is light-skinned, her foster father dark-skinned, and her foster sister biracial.Stellar. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Panteleakos' debut novel is an intricate and poignant portrait of love, loss, and courage. Nova, 12, is autistic and nonverbal, and she and her devoted older sister, Bridget, have been bounced from foster home to foster home since Nova was five. The story's set in the mid-1980s, so the resources available to Nova are paltry, and the language about her diagnosis is hurtful, though Bridget and Nova's new foster parents, Francine and Billy, are wonderfully supportive. Bridget spent years teaching Nova about astronomy and space travel, reading to her, and defending her. But now Bridget is gone, and Nova is holding out hope that she'll return to watch the Challenger launch with her. Nova writes letters to Bridget, which countdown to the launch, and though the letters are incomprehensible to other characters in the novel, Panteleakos uses the insightful, beautifully written letters to reveal the richness of Nova's inner life as she gradually remembers what happened to her sister. The Challenger disaster coincides with that realization, and Nova's meltdown and heartbreak are piercing. Yet she finds that she doesn't have to reject her past to step into a happy future. Panteleakos masterfully blends character and plot in this gorgeous, hopeful story. An author's note adds helpful context, particularly about the hurtful language social workers use to diagnose Nova and the author's own experiences with sensory processing disorder.--Donna Scanlon Copyright 2019 Booklist


Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Autistic astronomy lover Nova Vezina is 12 years old in January 1986, and although she rarely speaks, she understands much more than people give her credit for. Her older sister, Bridget, is the only person who really sees her, but when Bridget runs away, Nova is placed in yet another foster home, this time alone. To cope, she counts down the 10 days to the Challenger shuttle launch, which Bridget promised to watch with her. In the meantime, her new foster family works hard not only to understand and support Nova, but also to encourage her teachers and social worker to see her in a new light. Readers familiar with the Challenger's fate will recognize the approaching tragedy, but the love of Nova's new family envelops her when its harsh reality hits. Debut author Panteleakos develops a believable, authentic point of view through Nova's letters to her sister (called "scribbles" by her teacher), which distill her own memories, sensitivities ("pencils scratch papers, which bothers my ears"), and interests alongside 1980s attitudes about autism. A sensitively told story that may help young readers stretch their compassion and empathy. Ages 8-12. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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