The Planet, the Portal, and a Pizza

Gr 5 Up–In parallel storylines, Piper, Raisa, and Lev inhabit separate universes but are set on an inevitable intersecting trajectory. Piper accepts that her life is unusual: her parents’ basement experiments frequently end in small explosions, and her robotic dog, Roody, is sentient. But one morning, when even Piper thinks things are strange, she finds herself on a path involving a cryptic book and a mysterious invisible dome. Meanwhile, Raisa is determined to help her mother, who is on the verge of abandoning her research. With the support of her best friend Lev, she uses her mother’s research to successfully travel through a portal into another universe. When the book she used to travel vanishes, Raisa and Lev are left stranded, desperate to find a way back. As the two storylines unfold, readers will discover keys that connect Piper’s story to Raisa’s and Lev’s. Themes of similarity and difference resonate throughout, underscoring the idea that while people and worlds may vary, shared experiences and values create common ground. Although moments of scientific detail may challenge readers less inclined toward STEM, these passages are integral to understanding the story’s logic and enhance its sense of wonder. Main characters are cued white.