Space ­Chasers

Gr 4-7–Tia, 11, never thought she would get accepted into the NASA school program, believing it wasn’t for someone like her—a girl with absentee parents, raised by her brother, and much more comfortable working on cars than sitting in a middle school classroom. But against the odds, Tia is in, and is soon bonding with new teammates, enjoying zero gravity, struggling through endurance trainings, and enjoying space simulations all in preparation for a real trip to a space station. When things go awry during takeoff and only half the team (and no adults!) make it to the space station, Tia and her friends must band together using their wits and training to save the space station and themselves. Using a clever narrative countdown, this full-color graphic novel uses dynamic panel layouts and speech bubbles to good effect. Main characters have diverse ethnicities and abilities, complete back stories, and show growth throughout their adventures.