Orbiting Jupiter

by Gary D. Schmidt

Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
A heartbreaking story, narrated by twelve-year-old Jack, whose family is caring for fourteen-year-old Joseph. Joseph is misunderstood. He was incarcerated for trying to kill a teacher. Or so the rumours say. But Jack and his family see something others in town don’t want to.
What's more, Joseph has a daughter he’s never seen. The two boys go on a journey through the bitter Maine winter to help Joseph find his baby - no matter the cost.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Family, Coming Of Age

183 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Gary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. My god, this book was so sad.

I'm not a book crier. Not really. When I say a book made me cry I usually mean that tears filled my eyes, but that's all. This book, though... I got pretty close a few times and then in the penultimate chapter, I just lost it. I actually felt my face crumple and my nose was stinging.

Now I've painted you that beautiful picture of my breakdown, I'm going to try to review this book. It's not easy. I've loved Schmidt's other YA/Middle Grade contemporary novels - Okay for Now and The Wednesday Wars - each had a sadness to it, but not quite like this one.

Orbiting Jupiter is quiet and simple for the most part, which makes it all the more devastating when the blows come. And come they do. Schmidt has a way of effortlessly drawing out emotions in every scene, without ever making you feel like you're being manipulated. This quiet sadness is more effective than any drama I could read.

The story is narrated by Jack, the 12 year old son of foster parents. When 14 year old Joseph joins their family, his life is changed in many ways and not all of them are good. It actually tells two stories - on the one hand, it's about the power of friendship and *sob* "having someone's back", on the other, it's about Joseph's backstory. I'm not sure which one elicited the greatest emotional response from me.

It made me sad and even angry at times. Joseph - we soon learn - is a 14 year old parent to a baby called Jupiter. Both naive and mature, all he wants is to be with his baby and love her. You understand why being with Joseph is not in Jupiter's best interests, whilst also being heartbroken for him. Especially after learning of his abusive, loveless upbringing.

The author's decision to narrate from Jack's POV gives the novel even more strength. We are not clouded by Joseph's blind love for his baby, but we do also see how powerless children are. We feel their frustrations and sadness.

As we reached the novel's climax, I thought I had mixed feelings about the way it was ending, but that last part completely won me over. I recommend this to everyone who enjoys contemporary YA/Middle Grade.*

*The characters are young but it has as much depth as any YA book.

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[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is short. its only about 200 pages and it took me less than an hour to read. the writing is very straightforward and easy. but this book is anything but simple. its a story of the highest quality.

and the overwhelming value of this story outweighs any of its slightness. because i cannot describe how profoundly this moved me, especially the last two chapters.

this book is proof that stories do not need to be long and extravagant or deep with hidden meanings. some of the most touching stories are those that are humble and speak plainly. the kind of stories that dont beg for attention, and yet strongly influence the reader regardless. <3

↠ 4.5 stars

[persephone ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jupiter. I promise I'll always know where you are"
i'm so sad i might throw up

[bruna · Rating 2 out of 5]

★ 2.5 stars

well, this wasn’t as emotional as i thought it would be... before reading it, i saw a lot of videos and reviews about people saying they cried and that the story was incredibly sad — and i don’t know if i’m heartless, but i personally couldn’t shed a tear. i’m not saying the story wasn’t sad, because it was, i just thought it would be way sadder and that’s the main reason why i’m a little disappointed.

i was able to like a few parts, but overall the book wasn’t really as interesting as i expected. i feel like Orbiting Jupiter had potential to be more impactful; however, it fell flat in some aspects and the execution could’ve been a lot better.

is it an amazing book? in my opinion, no.
is it still worth the read? sure, because i do believe others might enjoy it. i don’t think it’s awful, i think it just wasn’t for me and that’s fine.

to me, the most positive thing about this book is that it’s very short and i needed a short read to help me get out of my slump and also help me with my reading goal, so i still recommend it to anyone who’s in the same situation as me.

“Jupiter. I promise I’ll always know where you are.”

───────────

pre-review:

reading this short book to help me get out of my slump 😭

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes all your certainties and let them shaken to the core.

This book quietly breaks your heart through and through... but rarely characters managed to make me feel a love so bright, so pure and real.

This book doesn't need quirky teenagers or fantastic settings to enthrall you, but pictures real life issues with such honestly and tenderness.

This book doesn't do purple prose, clever metaphors, and yet I love this writing to pieces for the powerful way it conveys emotions, quietly, so, so quietly.

This book is aimed to middle-grade readers and yet I could name a thousand adults books that can't even come close to these boys so full of life and despair and longing and whose smiles mean so much.

One might say that its characterization suffered from its shortness, and really, I get that : I can't deny that Jack's family looks a little too perfect and on the contrary Joseph's father reeks too much of evil. I suppose that the only thing I can say is that it worked for me nonetheless? I know that some people are so fucked-up that they seem rotten to the core and I want to believe that there are people out there who genuinely want to help others without waiting for anything in return. Sue me.

One might say that the climax is manipulative, and by all means, perhaps it is. Honestly? I just don't give a damn, because I cared for each and every one of these characters from page one, I smiled with them, I cried for them and the book didn't earn my rating in the end. It earn it all the way.

This book deserves a real review I might write at some point - don't hold your breath, though. I might never find the right words and leave it as it is. If so, I'm sorry.

► This book, though? I won't forget it. It might not be for everyone, but it was oh so right for me.

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and devastating. Don't miss this one, but get tissue for the inevitable sobbing.

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is a benevolent, all-powerful God, then why does He allow evil to persist?

This is the question that this short book made me ponder.

I once saw an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson in which he expressed that the existence of a God that is both omnipotent & benevolent is in itself contradictory to the existence of evil in the world.

God must therefore be one or the other; He must either be all powerful with a capacity for allowing evil, or he must be all benevolent without the ability to intercept evil.

From a logical standpoint, I can identify with this line of thinking. Being confronted with the sad, and often unfair presence of tragedy always inspires me to contemplate the existence of God. But don't let me give you a false impression, this isn't a book that deeply focuses on the existence of God.

This is a book for those of us out there with parents who failed to love their child more than themselves, with teachers who failed to see the seeds destruction blooming in the hearts of their students, with friends who failed to see the need for empathy.

But beneath the surface of all that pain, there is an everpresent hope.

This is a book about the depth & permanence of love.

This is a book about the generational cycle of brokenness.

This is a book about what it means to be selfless.

Though it was heartbreaking, I'm very glad I read Orbiting Jupiter. It's a short novel packing a heavy punch, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to read.

[Hoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

” I had his back and he had mine that’s what greater love is”

The way this book made me cry is brutal 😭 Joseph and his story will stay with me for a long time. The love story(even tho it was only told from one side),and and friendship,the way they got eachothers backs deserves infinity stars from me. This was so short but it made me feel so much 😭❤️‍🩹

”Jackie”
“Jupiter” I whispered back” Jupiter. I promise I’ll always know where you are” 🥲💔

[lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

”jackie.”
“jupiter. i promise i’ll always know where you are.”

help i cant even see through my tears rn. he had his back 🥲 there’s no love greater than that

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is short, beautiful, yet heartbreaking…
Joseph’s story will stay with me….
The troubled life of a teen and the power of love to make the difference ❤️
I listened to the audiobook… very good!

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He really could have been any other eighth-grade kid at Eastham Middle School. Except he had a daughter.”

How do I even write this review?

I love books, in case you hadn't noticed. I dedicate so much of my time to reading because I am constantly searching for those exciting stories with living, breathing characters. Yet out of all the novels I've read, only one I've ever come across has made me cry.

I sniffled at the end of Allegiant and A Monster Calls, but the book that really did it for me was The Fault in Our Stars. For the longest time, that was the only book that was able to make me cry.

Now there are two. What can I say? This book broke me. It ripped my cold, emotionless heart right in two. Schmidt delivered a powerful and original story that played on all of my emotions.

From the first chapter when Jack and his sweet farming family were introduced, to the addition of Joseph's character, a fourteen-year-old who was in juvenile prison, I was totally absorbed in the story. My pulse raced when Joseph got in a fistfight, I was angry when teachers were unfair to him because of his background, and it warmed my heart when Jack's family treated him so kindly.

I never stopped wanting Joseph to see his daughter, Jupiter, whom he's never met before. It broke my heart when he told Jack about his abusive father and Maddie. With all of these emotions combined into an amazing story, no wonder it made me cry.

The writing and plot weren't complicated and there were only about 180 pages—what I would call a ridiculously short novel. But I think some of the simplest stories can be the most effective.

Orbiting Jupiter provided an emotional punch but not in a cheap, manipulative way. It was subtle and raw. I loved Joseph and his quiet inner struggles that were so obvious. I loved Jack's compassion and the boys' relationship that grew into something stronger than friendship. They had each other's back.

“I can’t see Jupiter,” Joseph said. “The moon’s too bright. And I don’t know where she is.”

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautiful and heartbreaking. Orbiting Jupiter is the story of a fourteen year old boy, Joseph, who was in prison and is now joining the twelve year old narrator Jack's family as a foster child. Between these boys, we learn what it means to have someone's back and how powerful friendship can be. We slowly learn Joseph's backstory including the fact that he has a baby daughter, Jupiter, he has never even seen. This is a very quick read and has the message of getting to know someone before judging them. The setting is very realistic with the palpable frigid air. Though the writing is simple, it works perfectly in this middle grade novel. Schmidt successfully evokes emotions I wasn't aware I had without feeling manipulative.

[Zoë! · Rating 3 out of 5]

WOW. The fact that a one hour reading experience could make me cry like that is honestly impressive; for such a short book, “orbiting jupiter” certainly packs a punch!

I will say there were certain parts of this that I found a bit cringy or hard to believe, but that aside, this blew me away. Jackie’s simplistic narration was done beautifully and his to-the-point way of seeing the world didn’t take away from any of the poignant moments in the story. The metaphor of Jupiter (both as a planet and as Joseph’s daughter) throughout, especially towards the end, brought me to tears.

“Jupiter. I promise I’ll always know where you are.”

Break my heart, why don’t you??

I doubt this book will make much of a lasting impact on me, but it’s incredible for what it is and would certainly recommend it to anyone who needs an excuse to let some tears out!

[edie-may ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── 6.00 stars .ᐟ ୧ ‧₊˚ ✧ ⋅


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ❝ Jupiter, I promise I’ll
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ always know where you are. ❞


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ last read:
‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎started: oct 15, 2025 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌝
‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌞ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎finished: oct 19, 2025 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ☆
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ read 2x


‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ age rating: 13+
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ content warnings:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆ abuse
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆ death & grief
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆ violence


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ {read #2}
‎ ‎ ‎ buddy read with ida ✧
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⤷ find her review here !!

‎ ‎ ‎ spoiler-free mini review!


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎all i need - radiohead
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 01:20 ━━━━●───── 03:48
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ ⇆ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 🌨️┆ review:

‎ ‎ ‎ this is definitely one of my favourite books ever. i’m so in love with the story, the characters, the writing style… it’s such a beautiful, emotional book. i don’t think i’ll ever have a bad thing to say about it.


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──〝 in the middle of your picture, lying in the reeds, 〞


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 💌┆ characters:

‎ ‎ ‎ ➝ jack hurd & joseph brook
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ ‘I had his back. And he had mine. That’s what greater love is.’
‎ ‎ ‎ jack is the sweetest boy ever. i hate (love) reading books written from a child’s perspective because i know it’s going to break me every time.
‎ ‎ ‎ joseph’s story will always be tragic to me. it is so delicately written and portrayed so well. the friendship between these boys has my heart.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⤷ ♪ ‘two birds’ by regina spektor


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──〝 i am a moth who just wants to share your light. 〞


┆ ⤿ 🔭 ⌗ pre-(re)read:

‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ this book has a special place in my heart, so i genuinely cannot wait to read it again, this time with the lovely ida! ‪‪❤︎‬


જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ☆

[buket · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Jupiter. I promise I'll always know where you are.”

if you saw me sobbing on the bus today, no you didn’t.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“Christmas is the season for miracles, you know. Sometimes they come big and loud, I guess – but I’ve never seen one of those. I think probably most miracles are a lot smaller, and sort of still, and so quiet, you could miss them. I didn’t miss this one.”



WTF have you done to me, Anna? Good grief. I had feelings two days in a row. My robot heart is obviously in need of a tune-up.

Orbiting Jupiter begins with Jack’s family making a very important decision – that of bringing a troubled foster child into their home. You then are introduced to Joseph – and your guts get ripped from your body instantaneously . . .

“Since he left Stone Mountain, he won’t wear anything orange. He won’t let anyone stand behind him. He won’t let anyone touch him. He won’t go into rooms that are too small. And he won’t eat canned peaches.”

Eventually you learn all of Joseph’s story, including not only how he ended up in juvie, but also how at 14 he became a father to a baby girl named Jupiter . . .



You read about the bond of friendship and the true meaning of having someone’s back . . .

“You want to tell me what a sixth grader was doing in the eighth-grade side of the locker room, in an eighth-grade fight?”

“Winning.”

Oh Jack . . .



And you discover that you should always trust a cow’s opinion of strangers . . .



If you’re an adult, you probably will end up finding the ending more than a bit contrived . . . but this story wasn’t really written for grown-ups to begin with and it still won’t stop the onslaught of feelings you’ve had up to that point. If icewater runs in your veins like it does mine, you may not cry, but you might find you still need a bit of “moral support” to get through the rest of the evening . . . .



I fell in love with Gary Schmidt when I read Okay For Now (I read that before I wrote imaged up book reviews so Anna’s getting a double-whammy of linkage). I’m going to put it on record that I think he writes the most important middle-grade books that I’ve ever read and rather than “required” reading consisting of bullshit like Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer my kids (*cough* all kids *cough*) should be reading Schmidt’s books instead. He makes you think – he makes you feel – and he makes you see the not-so-pretty side of growing up . . . but he manages to do it in a child-friendly way.

[Meagan✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook is under 4 hours. 🎧

Hoda said I will cry and I trust her with my tears.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 2015 and it was one of my favorite books of the year. I just read it again for a YA class and will amend the review a little to account for my current view of it.

I quote Richie Partington's review: "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; The Wednesday Wars; and Trouble are three well-known historical novels for young people by Gary D. Schmidt. Each of the three contains a complex, exceptionally well-drawn father character. Each of the three fictional fathers exhibits notable blind spots and character flaws. These sophisticated portrayals of father characters are one of the reasons that Gary Schmidt is one of my all-time favorite authors."

Ditto for me. This has been described as the third in a trilogy, but if so, it is a loosely based trilogy, which sort of begins (order doesn't really matter, maybe?) with Wednesday Wars, continues with Okay for Now, and concludes with Orbiting Jupiter . In all three of these books there are characters from the same fictional Vermont town. Minor characters from one book become more central characters in the next book. Themes interlock, as Partington alludes to, above. You don't need to have read any of the others to get what is going on. These books are for middle school, I think, though tweens also read and love them.

I am somewhat influenced in my reading of this book by my former student's--Emily, an English teacher--fine MA thesis on this book, so since I liked the thesis I have read from Emily, I am sometimes sharing insights she has put forth, and will try to credit her, but I say nothing I don't believe.

This novel is about fatherhood, parenting, brotherhood, and love, but principally it's a book about grace. About grace, and/or something that Schmidt calls "greater love." All of Schmidt's books are about grace, seems to me. And the opposite of grace, too, the horrors that young people face as they grow up without decent parenting, guidance, love. The book works as Schmidt usually does through repetition of images, humor, and parallelism. I can't show you some of the key parallels without spoilers, but an early dramatic incident at an icy river is the precursor to something that happens later in the book. Contrasts happen, to help you see what this grace might be about, yet I wouldn't call the book didactic.

What we know at the outset is that 14 year old Joseph has been released from prison for attempting to kill his teacher. We later find out why, but hearing this information doesn't make us or anyone in this town likely to be particularly sympathetic to him. We know these stories of classroom violence from the news, and there's no excuse for it. When we read these things in the paper, we think, or some us think: Monsters. Joseph is also the father of a baby, Jupiter, and the son of an abusive father. Jupiter was born to 13 year old Maddie, who (spoiler alert) died of complications giving birth. He loved Maddie and his rage in part derives from that loss, of course. He's moved into a foster family's farm after being released from prison, and he thus becomes the brother of Jack, 12, who "has his back" right from the beginning. Joseph goes to school and does well,and he learns to milk and love cows, and he's both supported (by a few) and bullied/shunned (by most) in school and his new town, but his main goal in life is to find Jupiter, who has herself been put in foster care in lieu of adoption. What does it mean to be a father? Can Joseph be a father? Can a foster parent be a father to Joseph? What does it in fact mean to be a father? Is it a name on a birth certificate, or something else? Can Jack's Dad be a better Dad for Joseph than Joseph's biologcal father? How do you get to be a "brother"?

I loved Okay for Now, and Wednesday Wars, which layered things throughout the central story like Shakespeare, baseball, and art, and masterfully. So when I didn't see these same kinds of layers quite as much in Orbiting Jupiter, I felt initially a little like it was a fault. Like it was too lean, not substantial enough. This is how English types are about books sometimes. The more complex the better. But this book is more direct, less metaphorical, and I don't think it is a fault, finally, that there are fewer layers of meaning. There's the repeated mention of a book Joseph is reading, Octavian Nothing, which is relevant, but there's not much else in the way of extra-narrative thematic links as with the other books. The planet Jupiter is Jospeh's favorite, and it's the name of his daughter. It's like it was written in a kind of white heat, without artifice, more direct. Leaner, and maybe meaner, closer to the core, the source, soul. Obviously the grace and fatherhood issues are everywhere, though.

Part of what makes me think that one reason for the "less literariness" is that Schmidt lost his wife on Christmas eve a couple of years ago. That loss permeates this work, as he says, in an interview. Orbiting Jupiter takes place in the fall leading to Christmas. Joseph and Maddie's giving birth to Jupiter parallels the Joseph and Mary story, in certain ways, and Joseph hears this story in church Christmas eve, and queries the minister about the story, one he had never heard, never having been to church growing up. At the end of the service, Joseph walks up to Pastor Ballou and asks him how much of the story is true.

“I think it all has to be true, or none of it,” he said.
“The angels?” said Joseph. “Really?”
“Why would you not believe it?” said Reverend Ballou.
“Because bad things happen,” said Joseph. “If there were angels, then bad things wouldn’t happen.”
“Maybe angels aren’t always meant to stop bad things.”
“So what good are they?”
“To be with us when bad things happen.”
Joseph looked at him.
“Then where the hell were they?” he said.
I thought Reverend Ballou was going to start bawling.
And that was the end of our Christmas Eve service at new First Congregational (Orbiting 69).

I think Schmidt knows something about love and grace, and also has to deal with the fact that bad things sometimes happen to good people like himself, and kids like Joseph. Where God is in a sometimes terrible world is a question anyone must reasonably ask, I think. But Jack and his family have an answer to that, and a powerful one. And I'm not at all religious anymore, though I grew up in the same faith Schmidt did. But read it to find out.

Cows and milking play a part in this story that I like. The cows "speak" without words, and this is in part what Schmidt has in mind, I think, when he writes about grace and love. Ach, I can't say much else without spoilers! Except this is a lovely, lovely moving book, for maybe fifth grade through high school readers. And me. So, so much for me.

[Lala BooksandLala · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow, for such a short story, I felt invested pretty early on. heartbreaking.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book WRECKED me. It played my emotions like I was a Strad violin and the author a prodigy musician. Seriously, you need to read this book and you need to read it NOW.

Et hem. Excuse me. Let me start again. Please note I will be vague, as I do not want to spoil this book for anyone.

The narrator of the book is a 12 year old boy, living in Maine with his parents on a farm. They foster a 14 year old boy who has a heart of gold and has been through the wringer re: crappy abusive ignorant parent, heart-break and being on the wrong side of the law. Almost everyone judges him without bothering to get to know him. He's pigeon-holed and stereotyped and it's just plum SAD.

Since the narrator is a 12 year old boy, the writing is sparse and direct. The setting is real. You can seriously feel the cold biting at your nose and fingers and toes and you can hear the lowing of the cows in the barn.

This book is nothing short of fantastic. You have peaks and valleys, hope, despair, back to hope and darkness and light again. It's amazing how much is packed into the rather short page count.

This is being marketed as a kids' book and I sort of can see that, but it has a LOT of adult issues in it. They are filtered through a 12 year old and he is a very realistic preteen in his own way, so some of it comes out unintentionally funny, such as when an adult curses in front of him, the narrator says something along the lines of, "He used words I wasn't allowed to say." and "He used some words I didn't know."

This book is just so well crafted. I am SO glad that I read it. It sounded interesting, but I hadn't heard much about it. Now I can't stop talking about it to everyone I meet.

Five humongous, smiling through the tears (you WILL need tissues while reading this book) stars. I highly recommend it for EVERYone. I loved it.

My eternal thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for and eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Sarah Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why are all the books out to break me?!

I feel numb. For a middlegrade this is incredibly deep and touching, it will forever change the way I look at 'trouble kids' and I WANT TO HUG JOSEPH!

There isn't really anything I can add other than the synopsis without spoiling anything, so I won't. Just know that 192 pages can do a lot.

[earth to vivie' · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘴𝘰, 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.”
“𝘺𝘶𝘱. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬.”
“𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩.” 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. “𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥.

i wanna wrap up jackie and joseph and keep them safe and warm in my heart, my boys deserve the world 😭
this story will forever be with me i can barely see through my tears rn, it was so heartbreakingly beautiful, y'all need to read this it's so short yet so beautiful 🥺❤️

“𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.”
“𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺?”
“𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯.”
𝘫𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.
“𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺?” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥.

𝘫𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.
𝘪 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴.

“𝘫𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳,” 𝘪 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. “𝘫𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

pre review: i mean hoda said this was "تحفة" literally 5 times in her vn and i trust her judgement, I'm reading you next just wait for mee🤝🏽
p.s: it was really تحفة 🥹❤️

[&#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8;&#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8; hasfia &#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8;&#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t write a review, there are tears still swimming in my eyes 💔

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this is a kid’s book – I didn’t know this when I grabbed it. So, I groaned – I’m happy to read kids picture books, but YA books aren’t my fare.

This is a story about a troubled teenager called Joseph. He’s spent time in a juvenile correction centre, he almost killed a teacher and he is a father. He ends up with a foster family, living on a dairy farm. His introduction to his new family life and school are a bit rough. He’s rough.

His closest pal is his new foster brother Jack, a couple of years younger than him. Joseph also forms a close bond with a diary cow called Rosie. You know, this part of the story made my heart swell with joy. Animals are beautiful.

Joseph faces bullying at school, strained relationships with one or two teachers, a difficult relationship with his arsehole of a father, and he’s not allowed to see his baby daughter – but he continues to persevere. How can one not love the guy?

As I said in my opening, YA books are a wee bit tiresome for me. BUT, and yes BUT, this one broke my heart. This is a bitter sweet story, one that took me completely by surprise.

4 Stars

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a masterpiece. I loved everything about it. I really loved how Jack's family had adopted Joseph with no problems and how they didn't want to take no for an answer. Joseph was rude somethings but that's because he never had actually anyone to be there to care for him. All Joseph wanted to see was his daughter that was taken away from him. All he had was one measly picture of her and it was the best that he could do for a while. Jupiter was a beautiful name for his daughter. I thought that it was sweet that Maria had named their daughter after Joseph's favorite planet. Jack always had his back and you could tell no one had ever before. Everyone was scared of Joseph because he was an 8th grader with a kid and was always getting into trouble. Jack was never scared of him and he finally had a brother to look up to.
When I read that Joseph had died because his father drove his truck into the river I cried silent tears because I was surrounded by people. Joseph will never get to see his daughter, or his new family ever again. He only went with his father to protect them. He will never get to go to college, milk the cows, or do anything he loved ever again thanks to his father.
I started to cry again when I read that Jack's family had adopted Jupiter. At least now she will get to hear how great her father was from a family that loved him even though he was no longer there.

Quotes I liked or loved:

1,) “You know how teachers are. If they get you to take out a book they love too, they're yours for life.”

2.) “So you want to tell me what a sixth grader was doing in the eighth-grade side of the locker room, in a eighth-grade fight?" he said.
"Winning," I said.”

3.) “We were just about the last ones to leave. Reverend Ballou took Joseph’s hand to shake it, and Joseph said, “How much of that story is true?” Reverend Ballou considered this. “I think it all has to be true, or none of it,” he said. “The angels?” said Joseph. “Really?” “Why not?” said Reverend Ballou. “Because bad things happen,” said Joseph. “If there were angels, then bad things wouldn’t happen.” “Maybe angels aren’t always meant to stop bad things.” “So what good are they?” “To be with us when bad things happen.” Joseph looked at him. “Then where the hell were they?” he said. I thought Reverend Ballou was going to start bawling.”

4.) “You can tell all you need to know about someone from the way cows are around him.”

5.) “Joseph just listened. It was like he was dragging every word about Jupiter into himself so he could remember it and treasure it in his heart.”

6.) “« Around and around, and the sharp stars watched. And the low moon. And Jupiter over the mountains. »”

[Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been so, so much better- and nearly was, until three-quarters of the way through, when all of the plot devices you're hoping weren't going to be pulled out suddenly are, and the book ends on an almost insultingly predictable way. This had all the makings of a truly amazing book- the writing, in particular, was so different from Schmidt's earlier books- haunting, spare, simple language. The characters remained a bit underdeveloped, but in a good way, like acquaintances rather than close friends. Setting is likewise sparse, and everything is just slightly left vague, like the foggy jacket photo. So why do I feel so utterly manipulated by this book? I guessed the minute that Chekhov's Rotten Bridge showed up, remarked upon in a throwaway comment near the beginning of the book, that someone- most likely the tragic, stoically doomed main character- was going to bite it in a completely telegraphed ahead of time way by falling through aforementioned bridge in a tragic and completely avoidable manner. And I wasn't let down. Or rather, I was. The last few chapters of the novel feels utterly throwaway, and "shocking" in a way that feels cheap and undeserved. We barely get to know anything about Joseph, and his death feels pointless and utterly arbitrary. Sure, I guess that's maybe the point, but it just feels like a device.

[ida (semi-ia) ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

“𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙅𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨.”

୨୧ tysm to the lovely edie-may for reading this with me! <33 check out her review here!

╰┈➤ overall thoughts
i loved this book so much. the writing style was right up my alley - simple and not overly flowery but also so beautiful and poignant at the same time. the end (chapter 8 and 9) absolutely broke me and i literally was shedding tears (and trust me, i don’t cry at books very often).

“𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.”

╰┈➤ characters
𝚓𝚊𝚌𝚔
he was so nice and i loved how he was always there for joseph. he was also really emotionally mature, especially for a sixth grader. i felt like he was just an old soul.

𝚓𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚙𝚑
his storyline was so tragic. i felt so much empathy for him throughout the book and loved the depth of his character.

"𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨.”

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

[Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰ 4.25 stars ✰

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

And that’s when I started crying. Crying like a kindergarten kid in front of everyone. Crying because Joseph wasn’t just my friend. I had his back. And he had mine. That’s what greater love is.”



There is something profoundly beautiful about Orbiting Jupiter, that a story can be so short and written in a simple style, but still leave such a lasting impression on me. Told through the eyes of twelve-year-old Jack about the time when a young boy recently released from reform school, Joseph joins his family as a foster child.

Joseph is fourteen years old and he has a three-month-old daughter, Jupiter that he has never met.

It is this gripping emotional story of the friendship made between these two young boys and the pains Jack takes to help Joseph find a way to be reunited with his daughter.

Is it uncomfortable to read that - that a boy as young as thirteen could become a father?

I will admit - it was unsettling to me. But, as I read, that is what Gary D. Schmidt intended for it to be. He meant to show the good and the ugly for this very state of being. For how people can be so quick to judge a child for an act that he committed - out of love, out of need, out of necessity of love. We'll never know, because the story is told from Jack's eyes. It is the honest, real and raw look that we get to see Joseph's growth - from counting the number of times he smiled, to losing count. Jack was that light of comfort that reached out to Joseph, when he needed a beacon to find him.

“So, Jackie, you still have my back.”

“Yup. And it’s Jack.”

“Yeah.” Then he looked up at Jupiter. “Thanks,” he said.

Young brave Jack, not Jackie, who witnessed the ridicule of bullies and did not hesitate to enter an eighth grade fight, even if he is only a sixth grader. To stand up to the contempt of a teacher who frowned upon his association with this rebel - this degenerate - this harmless child that would be his ruin. That faced down the cruelty of a bus driver who would not hold back the spiteful snide remarks targeted at Joseph - to be at his side when Joseph faced the scorn and wrath of his own father, with the taunts that he would never amount to anything. 😔

But, for every act of cruelty, there were the poignant tender moments filled with the warmth of love that in his time with Jack's family, Joseph was able to have. The kindness of a father who when they lay a hand on him, he did not flinch, the comfort of a Christmas embrace a mother could only give, the acceptance from teachers who saw the hidden potential in him, and the love of a brother, who would walk ahead of him - never behind, and help him find a way to reach his daughter. ❤️‍🩹

“Over there,” said Joseph. He was pointing up above the mountains.

“How do you know?” said my father.

“I always know where Jupiter is,” he said.”

The bond of friendship forged between Jack and Joseph - it was with the gentle care of wanting to help and look out for each other, that they become more than just brothers. I'm actually sitting at my screen and I'm remembering all those moments, Jack rushed to Joseph's side. That he braved the path to find out where Jupiter was - that he wanted to reach out and pull Joseph out of the cold and into the warmth of family. 🤧 That he wanted so hard for people to see Joseph as the boy he was - not to judge him simply for one thing - to not be so harsh in their views without even knowing him. And Jack tried - he tried his damn hardest and Joseph - for all his own personal demons, for all his hidden pains - he saw how much Jack cared. And when the time came for him to repay his kindness - he did not hesitate, not even for a second, to show how selfless he could really be. 💔 💔

“If there were angels, then bad things wouldn’t happen.”

“Maybe angels aren’t always meant to stop bad things.”

“So what good are they?” “To be with us when bad things happen.”

Joseph looked at him. “Then where the hell were they?” he said.”

I wondered afterwards, would it have been different if Joseph did not have an abusive father? That he did not know the love of a mother? Would his first experience at first love have been a little different? If Madeline had been there To forgive him? 😢 Would it matter less to others, if he was not only a child himself, a baby, even in their eyes - if he just wanted to see his flesh and blood. It's a strange feeling to be so moved by a Middle Grade book, but it's books like this that can be short and precise, but still punch you in the heart, and still be one that I think, even young adults and adults could read, just to see if they could feel anything from it.😢

“They’re not going to be together,” she said. “Joseph Brook has to understand that. He’s in high school. He can’t give her what she needs.”

“He’s in middle school.”

“Even worse,” she said.

“He can love her.”

The librarian looked at me, and I thought she was going to cry—just like Reverend Ballou again.

Maybe she thought I was going to cry.

Maybe I was.”

The ending made me sad - it made me frustrated - it made me unreasonably angry - it made me want to ask Mr.Schmidt 'why, would you be so unfair?'. ❤️‍🩹 And yet, strangely enough, I did not cry. But, long after I had set the book aside, as I began my daily tasks around the house, I would find tears welling up in my eyes and wonder about this strange heavy emptiness that lingered in my heart. 🥺

“She yawned. “Jackie.”

“Jupiter,” I whispered back. “Jupiter. I promise I’ll always know where you are.”

[☮Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a wonderful YA book, and yes it has affected me emotionally and deeply. A 14 year old boy fathered a baby daughter, got into some trouble at school, was sent to a juvenile detention center, and then into foster care with a loving farm family. Now his greatest desire is to be with his daughter, Jupiter, named after his favorite planet and also in foster care. Joseph's yearning to be with Jupiter reminded me so much of the great Aerosmith song I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing that I just had to include the refrain here:

"Don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing.
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing."

I'd always heard that Steven Tyler wrote this song especially for his baby daughter Liv, but apparently that was just a rumor. He didn't write it, and the only connection to Liv Tyler is her movie Armegeddon. Regardless, it's a beautiful thing and always brings tears to my eyes, like this book did.

Here's the YouTube video of the song so you can get all emotional too: https://youtu.be/JkK8g6FMEXE
...from the movie, where they're orbiting the moon and earth.

[Ri ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 4.5 Stars ★

“Joseph wasn’t just my friend. I had his back. And he had mine. That’s what greater love is.”

This story is gonna stay with me for a long long time and maybe for forever. I love Joseph and Jack's friendship with all my heart. It was so beautiful and heart-aching and I couldn't stop crying because Joseph deserved all the love in this world 🥺❤️‍🩹 Jack, Joseph and Jupter will forever have a special place in my heart ❤️

“Jackie.”
“Jupiter,” I whispered back. “Jupiter. I promise I'll always know where you are”