Jupiter Rising

Gr 7-10–Eighth grader Jack Hurd is familiar when it comes to loss. This companion to Orbiting Jupiter opens with Jack losing his cherished horse, a couple years after the death of his foster brother, Joseph. To make matters worse, Jack’s PE coach sets Jack up to train for cross-country with Jay Perkins, a bully who once ganged up on Joseph in the locker room with his two friends. The light that eases all of this pain is Jupiter, Jack’s foster sister and Joseph’s daughter. Before Jack’s family can legally adopt Jupiter, her grandparents, who have never spent any time with Jupiter, come forward and want custody. They are mourning a loss of their own, their daughter Madeleine, Jupiter’s mom. Jack’s world comes crashing down as he fears he will break the one promise he made to Joseph: that he will always know where Jupiter is. This is a beautiful, poignant tale about love, loss, and fighting for what matters. Jack is a well-written protagonist, whose relationships with Jupiter and Jay are the standouts of the novel. Although the writing style is spare, the emotions in each situation are not minimized. Tissues might be needed for this one.