📖 Orbiting Jupiter
By Gary D. Schmidt
📅 Paperback – March 2, 2017

🌟 A Powerful, Emotional Tale of Friendship and Family
"Orbiting Jupiter" is a poignant young adult novel by award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt. This heartfelt story is filled with complex emotions, raw human connections, and the challenges of love and loss.

🔍 Plot Overview
The novel follows Joseph, a troubled 14-year-old boy who has been placed in foster care after spending time in a juvenile facility. Joseph has a difficult past, including becoming a father to a daughter named Jupiter whom he has never met. Now living with a new foster family, the Hurds, in rural Maine, Joseph struggles to adjust to his new life, all the while yearning to find his daughter.

The story is narrated by Jack Hurd, the 12-year-old son of Joseph’s foster parents, who becomes both Joseph’s friend and confidant. Through Jack’s perspective, readers experience Joseph's journey of redemption, his pain, and the profound friendship that grows between the two boys. Together, they navigate the challenges of school, bullies, and Joseph’s haunting past as he remains determined to reunite with Jupiter.

🌱 Themes

• The novel deals with heavy themes such as parenthood at a young age, redemption, the foster care system, and the power of love and family.
• Schmidt masterfully portrays the struggles of adolescence and the impact of trauma, while also emphasizing the importance of kindness and understanding.

🖋️ Writing Style
Gary D. Schmidt’s writing is spare but deeply emotional, creating a touching narrative that will resonate with both teens and adults. The novel is short but packs an emotional punch, filled with quiet, reflective moments that stay with readers long after the final page.

💖 For Readers Who Enjoy:

• Stories of friendship and family
• Thought-provoking young adult fiction
• Emotional and uplifting narratives about overcoming adversity
• Characters with emotional depth