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No Place on Earth
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, comes a moving novel with a touch of magic, where two boys find themselves in each other's dreams and slowly help one another face the real world.
Since moving to Yellowstone National Park for his mom's job, Gustavo Santos Costa has had a lot on his mind.
For bison stampedes. Did you know that bison can run three times faster than the average person? Why do people always stand so close to boiling hot springs?! the bad dreams. Why have they only gotten worse since the move?
And that’s all before Gus somehow meets his classmate Kordell inside his dreams. While Gus avoids sleeping (and nightmares) at all costs, Kordell finds that dreams seem to be a welcome escape from his real life . . . until one day, they're no longer enough. With the connection between the boys, Gus may be the only person who can help Kordell. But when most things already feel too big to take on, how can Gus find the courage to be there for his friends?
In this powerful novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, two boys confront their fears—and their dreams—to save themselves and each other.
Since moving to Yellowstone National Park for his mom's job, Gustavo Santos Costa has had a lot on his mind.
For bison stampedes. Did you know that bison can run three times faster than the average person? Why do people always stand so close to boiling hot springs?! the bad dreams. Why have they only gotten worse since the move?
And that’s all before Gus somehow meets his classmate Kordell inside his dreams. While Gus avoids sleeping (and nightmares) at all costs, Kordell finds that dreams seem to be a welcome escape from his real life . . . until one day, they're no longer enough. With the connection between the boys, Gus may be the only person who can help Kordell. But when most things already feel too big to take on, how can Gus find the courage to be there for his friends?
In this powerful novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, two boys confront their fears—and their dreams—to save themselves and each other.
- GenresMiddle Grade
256 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 25, 2026
About the author
Andrea Beatriz Arango
7 books246 followersAndrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Gustavo is devastated that he has to leave his family, especially his father, in Puerto Rico when his mother takes a job in Montana at Yellowstone National Park. In addition to missing family, he struggles with anxiety that his family treats as inconsequential, and is petrified of the variety of wild animals in his new home. His sister Lorena doesn’t seem to mind, and his mother is very excited about her new job. Gardiner, where he attends school, is small, but the kids at school are nice. He meets Kordell, a Black student, who has been showing up in his dreams. He is also part of the Bison Brigade conservation and survival group that Gustavo joins because his father is hoping that time in Montana will help him “man up” and not suffer from “chapines” (a feeling like there are fish in his stomach). Gustavo like the leader of the group, Ranger Rob, who says that the group is a safe space and doesn’t seem to mind when he has to wear women’s hiking boots because he has narrow feet, a BIG change from the way Gustavo’s family approaches matters. Gustavo is asked to play Dungeons and Dragons with a group from school, which is helpful since he misses his friends in Puerto Rico, with whom he plays video games. As Gustavo’s dreams start to intersect more with Kordell’s, he learns that their family situations are similar, with their parents being separated and Kordell struggling with depression, but also learns that his mother has taken Kordell’s mother’s job. While this causes a rift, the boys are able to work through their differences, and Gustavo is emboldened to tell his parents that he needs to be in therapy.
Strengths: Gustavo’s longing for Puerto Rico (which is much warmer than Montana) and the inclusion of a lot of Spanish phrases will be appreciated by students who either are experiencing homesickness, or want to understand classmates who are. The Yellowstone setting is intriguing. There is a bit of magical realism, as Gustavo had a great grandmother who was “sensitive” and had some experiences with dreams. The chapters from Kordell’s point of view are in verse. The stress over parents separating and divorcing is not addressed in middle grade literature enough, and seeing how both boys handle their situations differently is instructive. The author’s note addresses the state of mental health challenges facing Latine students, and there are a lot of positive examples of tweens talking through problems and advocating for themselves. It was good to see that there were some positive experiences in Montana, and Gustavo was willing to split his year between Montana and his father in Puerto Rico after his father faced his own toxic masculinity.
Weaknesses: When I described this book to my daughter, she agreed that moving to Yellowstone National Park would be very cool, and most middle school students would embrace this experience with a lot more positivity! I would rather have seen more information about this very cool area of the world, and seen Gustavo have amazing adventures there.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked or have enjoyed books about children navigating mental health issues like Stout’s Making Plans for Nigel Binty, Lumsden’s and Pieplow’s Confessions of a Mango, LaRocca’s Mirror to Mirror, Lerner’s A Work in Progress, Baron’s The Gray, Pyron’s Octopus Moon, or Piontek’s Better With Butter, or Arango’s other works, It’s All or Nothing or Something Like Home. I already have so many books about children working through mental health issues that I may not purchase this, especially since the books I have on the topic do not circulate well.
Gustavo is devastated that he has to leave his family, especially his father, in Puerto Rico when his mother takes a job in Montana at Yellowstone National Park. In addition to missing family, he struggles with anxiety that his family treats as inconsequential, and is petrified of the variety of wild animals in his new home. His sister Lorena doesn’t seem to mind, and his mother is very excited about her new job. Gardiner, where he attends school, is small, but the kids at school are nice. He meets Kordell, a Black student, who has been showing up in his dreams. He is also part of the Bison Brigade conservation and survival group that Gustavo joins because his father is hoping that time in Montana will help him “man up” and not suffer from “chapines” (a feeling like there are fish in his stomach). Gustavo like the leader of the group, Ranger Rob, who says that the group is a safe space and doesn’t seem to mind when he has to wear women’s hiking boots because he has narrow feet, a BIG change from the way Gustavo’s family approaches matters. Gustavo is asked to play Dungeons and Dragons with a group from school, which is helpful since he misses his friends in Puerto Rico, with whom he plays video games. As Gustavo’s dreams start to intersect more with Kordell’s, he learns that their family situations are similar, with their parents being separated and Kordell struggling with depression, but also learns that his mother has taken Kordell’s mother’s job. While this causes a rift, the boys are able to work through their differences, and Gustavo is emboldened to tell his parents that he needs to be in therapy.
Strengths: Gustavo’s longing for Puerto Rico (which is much warmer than Montana) and the inclusion of a lot of Spanish phrases will be appreciated by students who either are experiencing homesickness, or want to understand classmates who are. The Yellowstone setting is intriguing. There is a bit of magical realism, as Gustavo had a great grandmother who was “sensitive” and had some experiences with dreams. The chapters from Kordell’s point of view are in verse. The stress over parents separating and divorcing is not addressed in middle grade literature enough, and seeing how both boys handle their situations differently is instructive. The author’s note addresses the state of mental health challenges facing Latine students, and there are a lot of positive examples of tweens talking through problems and advocating for themselves. It was good to see that there were some positive experiences in Montana, and Gustavo was willing to split his year between Montana and his father in Puerto Rico after his father faced his own toxic masculinity.
Weaknesses: When I described this book to my daughter, she agreed that moving to Yellowstone National Park would be very cool, and most middle school students would embrace this experience with a lot more positivity! I would rather have seen more information about this very cool area of the world, and seen Gustavo have amazing adventures there.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked or have enjoyed books about children navigating mental health issues like Stout’s Making Plans for Nigel Binty, Lumsden’s and Pieplow’s Confessions of a Mango, LaRocca’s Mirror to Mirror, Lerner’s A Work in Progress, Baron’s The Gray, Pyron’s Octopus Moon, or Piontek’s Better With Butter, or Arango’s other works, It’s All or Nothing or Something Like Home. I already have so many books about children working through mental health issues that I may not purchase this, especially since the books I have on the topic do not circulate well.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An upcoming MG coming-of-age story by @andreabeatrizarango you won’t want to miss.
🦬
Since moving to Yellowstone National Park for his mom’s job, Gustavo can’t quiet his racing thoughts or his worsening nightmares. As he tries to avoid sleep altogether, he discovers something impossible: he and his classmate Kordell are meeting inside their dreams. While dreams feel like an escape for Kordell, they become increasingly dangerous, and Gus may be the only one who can help. Facing his fears head-on, Gus must find the courage to show up for a friend when everything already feels overwhelming.
🐟
I loved the blend of prose and poetry, along with the dual point of view. It added so much emotional depth to the story. The last 20% absolutely wrecked me; I cried straight through it. Books like are essential for young readers, especially because they create space to talk about hard, real topics like divorce, mental health, and navigating huge life changes in a way that feels honest and accessible. This one is giving Newbery vibes. Grab it when it releases August 25!
CW: emesis, divorce, depression, anxiety, toxic masculinity, parental abandonment
🦬
Since moving to Yellowstone National Park for his mom’s job, Gustavo can’t quiet his racing thoughts or his worsening nightmares. As he tries to avoid sleep altogether, he discovers something impossible: he and his classmate Kordell are meeting inside their dreams. While dreams feel like an escape for Kordell, they become increasingly dangerous, and Gus may be the only one who can help. Facing his fears head-on, Gus must find the courage to show up for a friend when everything already feels overwhelming.
🐟
I loved the blend of prose and poetry, along with the dual point of view. It added so much emotional depth to the story. The last 20% absolutely wrecked me; I cried straight through it. Books like are essential for young readers, especially because they create space to talk about hard, real topics like divorce, mental health, and navigating huge life changes in a way that feels honest and accessible. This one is giving Newbery vibes. Grab it when it releases August 25!
CW: emesis, divorce, depression, anxiety, toxic masculinity, parental abandonment
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gustavo and Kordell are two middle school boys both dealing with their parents separating and you can feel how heavy that is for them.
Gustavo has to leave Puerto Rico when his mom takes a job at Yellowstone, and everything shifts including his home, his routine, his sense of safety and sense of belonging.
His sleep gets worse, the nightmares come in strong, and it’s clear his body is carrying what he doesn’t always have words for. Kordell is going through his own thing too, being asked to choose which parent to live with while trying to make sense of his grief.
Their friendship slowly becomes a lifeline. There’s something really powerful about the way the book explores dreams especially Gustavo learning about that ancestral connection and how healing can come through culture, connection, and being understood.
This is a story a lot of kids will see themselves in, especially those dealing with divorce or big emotions that show up in quiet ways, like being exhausted at school. Soft, real, and full of heart.
Gustavo has to leave Puerto Rico when his mom takes a job at Yellowstone, and everything shifts including his home, his routine, his sense of safety and sense of belonging.
His sleep gets worse, the nightmares come in strong, and it’s clear his body is carrying what he doesn’t always have words for. Kordell is going through his own thing too, being asked to choose which parent to live with while trying to make sense of his grief.
Their friendship slowly becomes a lifeline. There’s something really powerful about the way the book explores dreams especially Gustavo learning about that ancestral connection and how healing can come through culture, connection, and being understood.
This is a story a lot of kids will see themselves in, especially those dealing with divorce or big emotions that show up in quiet ways, like being exhausted at school. Soft, real, and full of heart.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m sad to say I really didn’t enjoy this book. I loved the author’s second novel, Iveliz Explains It All, but No Place on Earth just didn’t have the same appeal.
As much as I sympathized with Gustavo, Kordell was more difficult to connect with. Since his chapters were all written in verse and Gustavo mainly interacted with him through lucid dreaming, he just constantly felt at a distance. The conflict between the boys seemed forced and I'm still not sure about the resolution.
I think this novel would have been stronger if the author spent more time exploring Gustavo’s relationship with his family and the pressure he felt to overcome his anxiety. The dreamscaping plotline sounded interesting, but it made this feel like two separate stories that were mashed together.
As much as I sympathized with Gustavo, Kordell was more difficult to connect with. Since his chapters were all written in verse and Gustavo mainly interacted with him through lucid dreaming, he just constantly felt at a distance. The conflict between the boys seemed forced and I'm still not sure about the resolution.
I think this novel would have been stronger if the author spent more time exploring Gustavo’s relationship with his family and the pressure he felt to overcome his anxiety. The dreamscaping plotline sounded interesting, but it made this feel like two separate stories that were mashed together.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In an elegant weaving of prose and poetry, “No Place on Earth” leads us through the life of Gustavo Santos Cosas and his family, from Puerto Rico to Yosemite. Dreams thick fight against culture, fight against the needs and understanding of a bright, sensitive 11yr old Gustavo and a new friend he meets at Yosemite. I love the writing, honest, clear and true of Andrea Beatriz Arango in all her books. She shows great respect and understanding of the young characters and their challenges in all of her books, especially Gustavo.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I can't believe my FOURTH book will be out in just over 3 months 🥹❤️. Thank you to anyone who's pre-ordered or asked their library to purchase the novel. It means the world to me ✨.
NPoE has been the most challenging to write out of all my books and I'm so so proud of it. Gustavo's brain & mine have a LOT in common 😅.
See you in Dream Yellowstone on Aug 25th!
NPoE has been the most challenging to write out of all my books and I'm so so proud of it. Gustavo's brain & mine have a LOT in common 😅.
See you in Dream Yellowstone on Aug 25th!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of ARC from NetGalley
It took me a little while to get into this book. I loved the dreamscaping and that it was set in Yellowstone National Park. It was nice to read a book about a friendship between two boys as most books are about girl friendships.
It took me a little while to get into this book. I loved the dreamscaping and that it was set in Yellowstone National Park. It was nice to read a book about a friendship between two boys as most books are about girl friendships.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I enjoyed this as a middle grade read, but I'm not sure my students would pick it up. I love that tells of a boy who has anxiety when there's so much stigma with boys and metal health.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews