SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

October 13, 2015 by Amanda MacGregor

Book Review: Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

October 13, 2015 by Amanda MacGregor   4 comments

orbiting jupiterPublisher’s description:

The two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

 

 

Amanda’s thoughts: 

Here’s your takeaway from what I’m going to write: Get this book. Get ready to cry. 

 

I was just telling the teens in my book club at the library that I had been having such a reading slump last month. I started and cast aside so many things. Then I’ve hit this great patch for the past few weeks where I’m reading so many phenomenal books that my top ten books of the year list is swelling to way more than that. Orbiting Jupiter is one of those books where I am so blown away by it that I just want to carry around a stack of copies to hand out to anyone I talk to—whether at the library or just in the world. The small summary up there exactly sums up the plot, but also does nothing to convey the real strength and depth of this devastating story. I’m not going to do much to fill all of that in, honestly. This is a book where the less you know, the more powerful the story is. I don’t want to give away too much. 

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Here’s what you can know about Joseph: Joseph, the son of a plumber, is secretly seeing Madeleine, a well-to-do girl whose parents are often gone. When their relationship is discovered, her parents issue an injunction against Joseph to keep him away from Madeleine. She winds up pregnant. He winds up in a group home, then a high-security juvenile facility, then, eventually, with Jack’s family. Joseph is just about one of the most broken, scarred characters I have read in a long time. He’s gone through horrible things in his young life, both at home and in the facility, and now lives his life always on the defensive.

 

Jack’s family does their best to show him kindness, support, and love. He slowly starts to come out of his shell, eventually filling them in on the events prior to him landing at their house. A few teachers at school see beyond the label of troubled teen father and go out of their way to encourage him and help him. Jack tells him he has his back, no matter what. All the while, things with Joseph’s father are brewing in the background. And Joseph is always thinking of his daughter, Jupiter, and desperately wishing he could see her. His new life may be starting to look like it might be okay, but his old life is nipping at his heels, constantly pulling him backwards.

 

Schmidt’s spare writing is beautiful and the voice of Jack, our young narrator, is moving, compassionate, and, at times, appropriately naive. It’s an understatement to say I cried while reading this. It’s an understatement to say that Joseph’s story will stay with me. Schmidt has crafted a heartbreaking story about the redemptive power of love and second chances. No one ever said life was fair, but readers will walk away stunned at the cruel hand some people are dealt. 

 

Review copy provided courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780544462229

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication date: 10/06/2015

Filed under: Book Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Book reviews

About Amanda MacGregor

Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

June 2022

Book Review: The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley

by Amanda MacGregor

June 2022

Book Review: The Loophole by Naz Kutub

by Amanda MacGregor

June 2022

Post-It Note Reviews: Graphic novels, picture books, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

June 2022

Book Review: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

by Amanda MacGregor

May 2022

Take 5: Recent graphic novels reviews

by Amanda MacGregor

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Children’s Books in the Amazon Top 100

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Amazing Bone by William Steig

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Banana Fox and The Gummy Monster Mess | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Continuing the Mock Newbery Process: Time for July Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

by

The Classroom Bookshelf

by

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

10 YA Mysteries To Give You Chills | Summer Reading 2020

Fun and Games: Capitalize on Olympic Excitement with These Titles

Laugh Out Loud With These 16 Funny YA Books

16 YA Novels That Keep It Real | Summer Reading 2021

2 Contemporary Retellings of 'Pride and Prejudice'

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karyn G says

    January 27, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Stunning story and writing. Read this book aloud to my grade eight students–all girls. They cried. So did I– again.

  2. Natalie N says

    April 15, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    This book was amazing my teacher Mrs.martin also loved it. Very big fan of your books and can’t wait for your next one!
    P.S
    Thank you sooo much for coming to sage valley middle school!!!

  3. Adrian Jimenez says

    October 8, 2018 at 2:59 am

    This is the best book I’ve read it’s sad and gets me to remember things:(

Trackbacks

  1. Orbiting Jupiter | Book Discussion Guides says:
    September 13, 2017 at 11:50 am

    […] review). Common Sense Media. Horn Book. Kirkus Reviews. New York Times. Publisher’s Weekly. School Library Journal. Teenreads.com. Blogs: Jen Robinson’s Book […]

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2022


COPYRIGHT © 2022