The Bright Family

Gr 5-8–Adopted by a genius power couple, Nia and Jayden Bright are naturally science nerds. When the siblings sneak into their parents’ lab and teleport themselves to another dimension, they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. While moving through different portals to find the way home, they spot their parents and go on a mission to catch up with them. After helping various planets sort through unimaginable crises, the Brights are reunited and must work together to make it through all of the worlds in the portal loop. Together, they face freezing temperatures, boiling conditions, and deadly quicksand. This charming, funny story emphasizes family relationships and the importance of communication. Characters vary in terms of personality; nearly every reader will find a character or situation to relate to. Information is laced into the narrative, too—in one scene, the Brights must remove invasive species from the wrong dimension to save plant life. The thoughtful language and storytelling complement Brooks’s illustrations, resulting in a family that readers will want to see more of. Nia appears to be South Asian, Jayden is Black, the children’s mother is Asian, and their father is brown-skinned.