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Space for Saffron
A budding scientist must figure out how to help save her family’s cafe and impress at her new school’s science fair in this charming young middle grade read, perfect for fans of the Meena Zee and Front Desk series.
Ten-year-old Saffron Sawyer loves science, experimenting, and learning new things. From making homemade slime in the back of her moms’ (Mama and Mimi) coffee shop to adopting tadpoles out of the river to learning how to fix bikes from watching YouTube videos, Saffron is confident she’s prepared for any challenge. But when Mama announces they are moving to Silicon Valley to take over Gran’s café, it’s Saffron’s biggest undertaking yet.
Silicon Valley is very different from what Saffron’s used to. The streets are filled with electric cars instead of pick-up trucks, and instead of fixing their bikes, people buy new ones. Even worse, the coffee shop is struggling, and if it closes, Saffron and her moms will move again—leaving Gran behind.
The one bright spot is Saffron has started at school just in time for the STEM Expo. Science has always been her favorite subject and she’s excited to present her project…until she sees the elaborate presentations her classmates have planned. Convinced she can never measure up, Saffron decides not to join the expo after all.
But when Gran takes Saffron to a space-themed art installation in San Francisco, Saffron has an idea for a STEM Expo project that could help her win over her classmates—and maybe even save Gran’s café for good.
Ten-year-old Saffron Sawyer loves science, experimenting, and learning new things. From making homemade slime in the back of her moms’ (Mama and Mimi) coffee shop to adopting tadpoles out of the river to learning how to fix bikes from watching YouTube videos, Saffron is confident she’s prepared for any challenge. But when Mama announces they are moving to Silicon Valley to take over Gran’s café, it’s Saffron’s biggest undertaking yet.
Silicon Valley is very different from what Saffron’s used to. The streets are filled with electric cars instead of pick-up trucks, and instead of fixing their bikes, people buy new ones. Even worse, the coffee shop is struggling, and if it closes, Saffron and her moms will move again—leaving Gran behind.
The one bright spot is Saffron has started at school just in time for the STEM Expo. Science has always been her favorite subject and she’s excited to present her project…until she sees the elaborate presentations her classmates have planned. Convinced she can never measure up, Saffron decides not to join the expo after all.
But when Gran takes Saffron to a space-themed art installation in San Francisco, Saffron has an idea for a STEM Expo project that could help her win over her classmates—and maybe even save Gran’s café for good.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 11, 2026
What a wonderful story of heart, determination, love, learning, and girl power! I’ve never had so much fun learning about STEM, and I was happy for the opportunity to educate myself by seeing Saffron’s experience as a hard-of-hearing kid. I love the community of friends Saffron found, who all had distinct personalities and came together to rally around her so well. I also loved the way Saffron’s family were to each other — there is a lot of love there, and consideration, and grace. Neal’s imagery and the way she describes emotions and feelings with space-themed words and analogies was so fun, too! I ended the book with happy tears in my eyes for all the characters.
October 26, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ten-year-old Saffron's Mama works at Mr. Millington's cafe in Cedar Springs, Iowa, and Saffron (who has a hearing aid) is allowed to visit after school as long as she stays in the corner, working quietly. When she tests out her volcano and ruins the walls, Mama loses her job. Since her other mother, Mimi, works construction, Saffron can't stay with her after school. When Saffron's beloved Gran wants Mama to manage her coffee shop in Silicon Valley for six months helping out Uncle Toby it seems like a perfect opportunity. Mimi isn't thrilled about leaving Iowa, but agrees to go. Once in California, it is quickly apparent that the cafe is failing. Gran leaves on an extended art vacation, and Mama is in charge of the failing cafe. Saffron doesn't have a great first day at school, but does meet Hannah, whose grandmother is friends with her grandmother. Saffron was very excited about a volcano project she was working on for her other school, but the students in her new school all have much more exciting ones, so she throws hers in the trash. She and Hannah think that having a theme at the cafe tied to the local interest in science would be good. Saffron steals a spring from Hannah's trampoline in order to work on an idea for a swing, and when she finds out that Hannah's mother bought a new trampoline, is glad to get all of the old springs. The girls know that to be successful there needs to be more games, better decor, and an unpdated menu, and get to work. There are some snags along the way, but their STEM related theme seems to work. When Gran returns home suddenly, she is willing to paint the walls of the cafe. Saffron and her mothers will say in the apartment over the space, and Safffron is glad to be in California because of all of the STEM activity at her new school, and because she will get to be near Uncle Toby's new baby.
Strengths: This was a fun look at a family business, and all of the parents were alive! Saffron has some trouble at her new school but quickly adapts, and isn't averse to the move. She rallies her friends around her to help save the cafe, and the science theme will go over well with fans of STEM programs. Ms. Nakamura, her teacher, is an amusing minor character. We even learn a little bit about Silicon Valley. The representation of Saffron's hearing aid is interesting and well explained. The only time she seems to have a lot of trouble with hearing things is when she is eavesdropping!
Weaknesses: Saffron has some trouble with impulse control, and she is never really reprimanded for some of her bad behavior, which has significant impacts on those around her. This seemed odd. Since Saffron is ten, this is best suited for elementary readers.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy a good "save the family business" story like Caprara's The Ripple Effect, Greenwald's Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup: Ellie's Deli, or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.
Ten-year-old Saffron's Mama works at Mr. Millington's cafe in Cedar Springs, Iowa, and Saffron (who has a hearing aid) is allowed to visit after school as long as she stays in the corner, working quietly. When she tests out her volcano and ruins the walls, Mama loses her job. Since her other mother, Mimi, works construction, Saffron can't stay with her after school. When Saffron's beloved Gran wants Mama to manage her coffee shop in Silicon Valley for six months helping out Uncle Toby it seems like a perfect opportunity. Mimi isn't thrilled about leaving Iowa, but agrees to go. Once in California, it is quickly apparent that the cafe is failing. Gran leaves on an extended art vacation, and Mama is in charge of the failing cafe. Saffron doesn't have a great first day at school, but does meet Hannah, whose grandmother is friends with her grandmother. Saffron was very excited about a volcano project she was working on for her other school, but the students in her new school all have much more exciting ones, so she throws hers in the trash. She and Hannah think that having a theme at the cafe tied to the local interest in science would be good. Saffron steals a spring from Hannah's trampoline in order to work on an idea for a swing, and when she finds out that Hannah's mother bought a new trampoline, is glad to get all of the old springs. The girls know that to be successful there needs to be more games, better decor, and an unpdated menu, and get to work. There are some snags along the way, but their STEM related theme seems to work. When Gran returns home suddenly, she is willing to paint the walls of the cafe. Saffron and her mothers will say in the apartment over the space, and Safffron is glad to be in California because of all of the STEM activity at her new school, and because she will get to be near Uncle Toby's new baby.
Strengths: This was a fun look at a family business, and all of the parents were alive! Saffron has some trouble at her new school but quickly adapts, and isn't averse to the move. She rallies her friends around her to help save the cafe, and the science theme will go over well with fans of STEM programs. Ms. Nakamura, her teacher, is an amusing minor character. We even learn a little bit about Silicon Valley. The representation of Saffron's hearing aid is interesting and well explained. The only time she seems to have a lot of trouble with hearing things is when she is eavesdropping!
Weaknesses: Saffron has some trouble with impulse control, and she is never really reprimanded for some of her bad behavior, which has significant impacts on those around her. This seemed odd. Since Saffron is ten, this is best suited for elementary readers.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy a good "save the family business" story like Caprara's The Ripple Effect, Greenwald's Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup: Ellie's Deli, or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.
December 3, 2025
Thoughtfully written to showcase a young girl's voice in both the literal and figurative sense is how this reader characterizes this novel.
The reader will easily hear Saffron's 'voice' given her word choices as well as how she expresses her emotions. To further enhance the read, the author intersperses contemporary acronyms via a respected adult, Saffron's teacher. In doing so, the author demonstrates an understanding of how today's youth communicate.
Then there's the thoughtful, creation of Saffron, a character who possesses a bone in hearing aid. When she is not using it to its full capacity or disables it, the reader sees Saffron lose track of what's being said around her by both other children and adults. This is done in how the prose is written, by conspicuously having parts missing. This provides the reader a glimpse of what the deaf community experiences.
The title chosen comp[iments the read by featuring not just the subject matter Saffron is more than mildly obsessed with but has a broader meaning.
It's a four rather than five read as puzzled as to Mimi's reluctance to move as well as identity of Saffron's uncle's wife and the unexpected intro of an adoption.
The reader will easily hear Saffron's 'voice' given her word choices as well as how she expresses her emotions. To further enhance the read, the author intersperses contemporary acronyms via a respected adult, Saffron's teacher. In doing so, the author demonstrates an understanding of how today's youth communicate.
Then there's the thoughtful, creation of Saffron, a character who possesses a bone in hearing aid. When she is not using it to its full capacity or disables it, the reader sees Saffron lose track of what's being said around her by both other children and adults. This is done in how the prose is written, by conspicuously having parts missing. This provides the reader a glimpse of what the deaf community experiences.
The title chosen comp[iments the read by featuring not just the subject matter Saffron is more than mildly obsessed with but has a broader meaning.
It's a four rather than five read as puzzled as to Mimi's reluctance to move as well as identity of Saffron's uncle's wife and the unexpected intro of an adoption.
November 6, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot as an adult reader, and I think it will be very engaging for middle-grades readers, especially those interested in STEM. I loved how Saffron's bone-anchored hearing aid was highlighted and featured throughout the book, including the author making a point to occasionally omit some words and syllables from overheard conversations to illustrate how Saffron would've perceived the situation with her hearing impairment.
It was a little hard to believe , but I'm perfectly willing to suspend disbelief in these situations for an otherwise entertaining kids' story. It also seemed a little odd that there wasn't a more serious response to , something that could've been a big safety issue. This seemed like it would've been a good place for a lesson about honesty and consequences.
Overall an enjoyable book and a good addition to an upper-elementary or early middle school library or classroom!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
It was a little hard to believe , but I'm perfectly willing to suspend disbelief in these situations for an otherwise entertaining kids' story. It also seemed a little odd that there wasn't a more serious response to , something that could've been a big safety issue. This seemed like it would've been a good place for a lesson about honesty and consequences.
Overall an enjoyable book and a good addition to an upper-elementary or early middle school library or classroom!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
March 24, 2026
Space-loving ten-year-old Saffron moves with her two moms from Iowa to Silicon Valley to help run her grandmother's coffee shop. While the move is just temporary (as Gran will return from a painting cruise in a few months), Silicon Valley seems like the perfect permanent home for someone like Saffron, who is passionate about STEM. Unfortunately, Gran's shop is a bit run down and business isn't exactly booming. Enterprising Saffron comes up with a plan to use science to rebrand the shop, turning it into a space-themed play cafe with help from classmates working on school projects involving magnets, food chemistry and more. But can fourth grader Saffron pull off this incredibly ambitious undertaking AND convince her moms to stay in California? And what if, despite her best efforts, the cafe still fails?
This sweet story with short chapters, spot illustrations, and affirming ability representation (Saffron has hearing loss and uses a bone-anchored hearing aid) is perfect for readers just getting started with full novels.
This sweet story with short chapters, spot illustrations, and affirming ability representation (Saffron has hearing loss and uses a bone-anchored hearing aid) is perfect for readers just getting started with full novels.
February 12, 2026
A truly delightful book (even as as adult!). It is funny and touching and explores so many of the feelings and frustrations that kids face at this age (and really, that we all face, regardless of age!) and does it with such a genuine voice. From the very beginning, I love Saffron and simultaneously found myself shouting, "No! What are you doing?!" - a really hard balance to strike! The conflict is quiet and universal, but the stakes are so well developed that it kept the story moving beautifully. The depiction of a child who struggles to reign in her impulsivity and to meet new people and figure out new social rules was so relatable that it helped pull us into her world of hearing loss in a really genuine way as well. And, the prose was delightful--witty and engaging and sprinkled beautifully with great space facts that it would be a perfect way to sneakily introduce learning! Can't wait to read more of Rie's books!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book had me smiling SO HARD. As a former (and honestly current) disaster creator, I relate to Saffron’s impulsivity and know so many of my students will, too! I love all of Saffron’s family in this novel, from her awesome moms (can they adopt me?), her amazingly supportive uncle, her grandma, and her new friends, all of whom love Saffron just as she is and see her brilliance from the start. I was inspired by her creativity and loved how the author gave her a strong motivation and a huge win at the end. It was so cool to see her and her friends have so much agency in making a big change (you’ll see) and the support they get from the adults to do so. I NEED to go to a space themed okay cafe. And also that museum they go to!!! Wow. The author writes with awesome space metaphors, fun humor, and some truly heartfelt lines that stop you in your tracks. I loved this book!!!
February 23, 2026
Saffron will rockets straight into readers' hearts! Rie Neal tells her story with such warmth and emotional insight. After a mistake costs one of her moms her job, Saffron heads to Silicon Valley with her family to temporarily manage her grandmother’s struggling coffee shop, determined to help and to prove she can make things right. I especially appreciated that she wears hearing aids, yet her hearing loss is simply part of who she is, not something the story treats as an obstacle to overcome. Her obsession with space feels real and contagious, and I loved watching her pull together a scrappy, loyal group of friends to help make her creative idea possible. In the end, this is a story about the quiet power of family and community, and about what it takes for all of us to find where we belong and feel at home.
March 26, 2026
Saffron is a lovable space nerd who sometimes gets so excited to DO SCIENCE that she just can't get out of her own way. After a particularly embarrassing disaster costs her mom her job, Saffron and her moms relocate to Silicon Valley to take over the ailing family cafe. It's a whole new world for Saffron as she makes friends with the STEM-forward kids in Silicon Valley. When she figures out how to combine her STEM Expo project with an imaginative plan to save the cafe, she'll need all hands on deck. Saffron's deafness and her use of a BAHA (bone-anchored hearing aid) are woven naturally into the story, which is filled with humor, heart, and endearing characters.
November 16, 2025
Space for Saffron is an engaging, STEM-focused early middle grade. Ten-year-old Saffron faces new adventures of moving across the country, making new friends, finding the right STEM Expo project, and helping to save her family's cafe. It was clear that the author was well-versed in space facts and Saffron's bone-anchored hearing aid. I loved how welcoming her new friends were and how her family supported each other. Overall, it was a charming, relatable reminder that "messy can be a good thing sometimes" and "everybody should have a place that feels like home to them."
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
When ten-year-old Saffron and her moms uproot their lives for a six-month stint in San Francisco, Saffron is sure that being in the tech capital of the world will solve so many of her problems. But life in Silicon Valley isn't as easy to slip into as it seems: the family cafe is struggling, her mimi is hesitant to feel settled, and Saffron feels lightyears behind her tech-minded classmates. Will Saffron finally find a space where she fits?
This book includes hearing impairment representation as well, with Saffron having a bone anchored hearing aid.
This book includes hearing impairment representation as well, with Saffron having a bone anchored hearing aid.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advance copy of this book.
Saffron is a budding scientist with a knack for getting into trouble with her experiments. When her family packs up and moves to California to take over the family's coffee shop, she learns to adjust to life in a place that is different than what she is used to.
The story is somewhat short and lacks depth. A content consideration for parents is that the main character has two moms.
Saffron is a budding scientist with a knack for getting into trouble with her experiments. When her family packs up and moves to California to take over the family's coffee shop, she learns to adjust to life in a place that is different than what she is used to.
The story is somewhat short and lacks depth. A content consideration for parents is that the main character has two moms.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A lovely heartwarming story about a girl who loves space, while trying to save her family's buisness. It actually taught me (a 25 year old) a lot about space and I know a lot of middle grade readers will find themselves in Saffron and her great group of friends. My only problem is that Saffron makes some bad decisions and she never gets reprimanded for them. I just wish she learned more about impulse control.
However, the good way outweighs the bad, and I really liked it.
However, the good way outweighs the bad, and I really liked it.
March 23, 2026
Young scientists, rejoice! Space for Saffron perfectly combines changing scenery/difficulties following a move, finding your place in the universe, and wielding science in unexpected, creative ways! Not only did I learn a ton of awesome space facts, but I genuinely loved rooting for Saffron. Author Rie Neal’s voice-y, uplifting debut is out of this world! This book also features some really cool illustrations— it’s a must-add to classroom bookshelves all the way around!
January 19, 2026
Readers will absolutely fly through this book — it’s sweet, funny, & full of so much heart. Loved the STEM aspect, and I found Saffron to be a wonderfully complex and lovable main character to follow along. Especially great for any middle grade readers who are interested in space or who are struggling to find their place.
December 7, 2025
An extremely delightful mix of fun and science! Engaging for kids and adults alike! Introduces scientific concepts in a way that sparks curiosity which is awesome for a book like this!
Loved that I was able to get an advance reader copy of this one! Thanks Edelweiss.
Loved that I was able to get an advance reader copy of this one! Thanks Edelweiss.
May 4, 2026
Space for Saffron is out of this world!! A heartwarming and funny story about finding your place in the world, this debut is perfect for middle grade readers (especially those who love space). Saffron is a main character you can’t help but love. HIGHLY recommend!
May 11, 2026
I don't typically read books as young as this, so maybe my opinion is just because of that. It's not the most memorable or exciting, or long, but I suppose that all fits in with the age range. I do love the representation though.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advance copy from the author after much anticipation, and my goodness, this book did not disappoint! SPACE FOR SAFFRON is an adorable and earnest story of big change, big feelings, and big risks, as fifth grader Saffron looks for a place in which she belongs. I absolutely loved Saffron's deep interest in space - I learned so much from her! - as well as her sometimes disastrous but always well-intentioned impulsiveness, and her determination to fix problems big and small had me rooting for her all the way through. There's also fantastic queer and disability representation, and the cast of characters is diverse in backgrounds/appearances/abilities/personalities; this book feels like a full, complex world with an easy-to-follow story that encourages kids to explore their passions, creatively problem-solve, and be proud of the things they create.
April 28, 2026
A budding scientist must figure out how to help save her family’s cafe and impress at her new school’s science fair.
May 5, 2026
A quick simple book with a STEM focus. Pleasant characters. Simple school and family tension.
May 4, 2026
An engaging STEM story with a plucky main character and short, snappy chapters that are perfect for reluctant readers!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews