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Where the Sky Lives: A STEM Adventure About Astronomy and Activism in Zion National Park for Kids
When the private preserve adjacent to Zion National Park is sold, Tuesday's park archeologist mother tells her they're moving, and twelve-year-old Tuesday’s search for closure may lead to unexpected answers.
When life doesn’t make sense, twelve-year-old amateur astronomer Tuesday Beals has always looked to the stars above Zion National Park, where she lives. Her beloved late uncle Ezra taught her astronomy, but now their special stargazing sites are all she has left of him, along with his ashes and a poem that may be a riddle.
Then a new housing development next door threatens to ruin the night skies and her favorite astronomy spots. Desperate to focus on something besides the growing uncle-sized chasm between her and her mother, the park archeologist, Tuesday takes up photography with her best friend, Carter, after they find an abandoned camera. With this new way of seeing the universe, she tries to solve her uncle’s riddle to save the land.
But one day, a photo reveals clues of an endangered animal—one that could halt construction. Will the discovery be enough to save the park and keep the rest of her world from falling apart?
When life doesn’t make sense, twelve-year-old amateur astronomer Tuesday Beals has always looked to the stars above Zion National Park, where she lives. Her beloved late uncle Ezra taught her astronomy, but now their special stargazing sites are all she has left of him, along with his ashes and a poem that may be a riddle.
Then a new housing development next door threatens to ruin the night skies and her favorite astronomy spots. Desperate to focus on something besides the growing uncle-sized chasm between her and her mother, the park archeologist, Tuesday takes up photography with her best friend, Carter, after they find an abandoned camera. With this new way of seeing the universe, she tries to solve her uncle’s riddle to save the land.
But one day, a photo reveals clues of an endangered animal—one that could halt construction. Will the discovery be enough to save the park and keep the rest of her world from falling apart?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
15 people are currently reading
3288 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Dilloway
12 books446 followersAward-Winning Books for Preteens and Adults
Margaret started writing stories in kindergarten. Ever since then, she's used writing to understand the world and entertain people.
She loves improv, attempting complicated baking recipes, hiking, and dollhouse miniatures.
Awards:
-MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS: Winner of the American Library Association's Asian/Pacific American Librarian Honor Award
-THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS. American Library Association's Literary Tastes Award for Best Women's Fiction
Margaret started writing stories in kindergarten. Ever since then, she's used writing to understand the world and entertain people.
She loves improv, attempting complicated baking recipes, hiking, and dollhouse miniatures.
Awards:
-MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS: Winner of the American Library Association's Asian/Pacific American Librarian Honor Award
-THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS. American Library Association's Literary Tastes Award for Best Women's Fiction
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 14, 2023
3.5 stars
Tuesday loves living in Zion National Park, where her mother works as a park archeologist. She has very special memories of stargazing with her beloved Uncle Ezra, and is still grieving over his sudden death. Now, a housing development threatens to destroy all the places Tuesday explored with her uncle, and cause her mom to take a job in South Dakota. And Tuesday is not about to stay quiet and let it happen…
The author describes the beauties of Zion National Park breathtakingly; you will feel as though you are there! Good themes throughout about the importance of family, and learning acceptance when life seems to throw curveballs.
Tuesday loves living in Zion National Park, where her mother works as a park archeologist. She has very special memories of stargazing with her beloved Uncle Ezra, and is still grieving over his sudden death. Now, a housing development threatens to destroy all the places Tuesday explored with her uncle, and cause her mom to take a job in South Dakota. And Tuesday is not about to stay quiet and let it happen…
The author describes the beauties of Zion National Park breathtakingly; you will feel as though you are there! Good themes throughout about the importance of family, and learning acceptance when life seems to throw curveballs.
March 16, 2022
4.5/5 stars
December 14, 2021
Where The Sky Lives, by Margaret Dilloway, follows Tuesday Beals, a twelve-year-old girl who lives in Zion National Park where her mother works as an archaeologist. She is coping with the death of her Uncle Ezra, her mother's brother, who had been an astronomer and had basically been like a father to her. After finding out that developers have purchased Hedges, a privately-owned land preserve next to the park, and that their construction there will not only destroy the pristine land currently kept in Hedges but also deteriorate the quality of the park, she decides to take action by trying to find something that will force them to stop construction.
I really like Tuesday. She's very smart and down-to-earth, though she can be blunt and doesn't always understand people. I liked how determined she always was. I also appreciated her journey with coping with her grief surrounding her uncle, and learning to accept that things won't always be the same as they've been, but that that doesn't mean that you should accept negative changes that can still be reversed. I will say that she does not have much of a character arc, or much in the way of development; she learns some things about allowing people to grieve at their own pace, but there isn't much beyond that.
The other characters are all enjoyable, if not terribly fleshed-out. Tuesday's best friend, Carter, provides a nice foil to her personality-wise during their scenes together. Their dynamic regarding social media was interesting as well, and this is one of the first books I've read where it actually seemed like the author was aware of how social media worked when they were writing it. Carter's much more into social media than Tuesday, but when Tuesday starts learning photography with a camera that the visiting artist at the park gives her, Carter encourages her to start posting her photos online to help spread the message about the park to try and prevent the construction.
Tuesday's relationship with her mom has been complicated since her uncle's death, so seeing them learn how to cope with that loss was very interesting as well. While I do think that that aspect of the book, and Tuesday's coping with her grief in general, could have been more of a focus, I still enjoyed what aspects of it were there. It has some nice discussion of how people deal with loss in their own way and at their own pace, and that there's nothing that you can do to force somebody else to speed up that process.
I also enjoyed Tuesday's friendship with Silas, the artist-in-residence at the park. Her journey with learning photography was definitely an interesting aspect of her character, but Silas' parallel learning to cope with his break up while Tuesday was watching her mother deal with grief as well was definitely an intriguing point as well, and served as the catalyst for some of the discussions about grief and acceptance.
I really appreciated all of the scientific and conservation-based aspects of the book. The national park setting was fun, and I loved all of the archaeological and astronomical references and scenes. Parts of it did feel a little too lecture-y at times, but then I am above the age of the target audience and thus already knew most of the information conveyed, particularly the more basic aspects of conservation and light quality and such. The book also had a lot to say about how anybody can make a difference, and how even small actions can have large impacts, especially in activism-related issues, which I think is a really important ,message for younger readers to hear.
I will say that the plot structure was quite simple; the saving-Hedges plan took up the majority of the story, and then there was the subplot with Tuesday and her mother coping with their grief, and that was about it. The pacing was also a little slow and repetitive at times.
I really enjoyed Where the Sky Lives, and I'm giving it 4 stars. It raised some really important points about coping with loss and about environmental activism, both of which I believe to be important lessons for middle-grade (and older) readers to be exposed to. Tuesday is curious and determined, and is just a very likable character that one can't help but root for. Despite the very simple plot structure and relative lack of character development, I still liked the book a lot and would recommend it to any middle-grade reader looking for a STEM-based narrative, or just for anybody interested in the national parks or in environmental activism.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I really like Tuesday. She's very smart and down-to-earth, though she can be blunt and doesn't always understand people. I liked how determined she always was. I also appreciated her journey with coping with her grief surrounding her uncle, and learning to accept that things won't always be the same as they've been, but that that doesn't mean that you should accept negative changes that can still be reversed. I will say that she does not have much of a character arc, or much in the way of development; she learns some things about allowing people to grieve at their own pace, but there isn't much beyond that.
The other characters are all enjoyable, if not terribly fleshed-out. Tuesday's best friend, Carter, provides a nice foil to her personality-wise during their scenes together. Their dynamic regarding social media was interesting as well, and this is one of the first books I've read where it actually seemed like the author was aware of how social media worked when they were writing it. Carter's much more into social media than Tuesday, but when Tuesday starts learning photography with a camera that the visiting artist at the park gives her, Carter encourages her to start posting her photos online to help spread the message about the park to try and prevent the construction.
Tuesday's relationship with her mom has been complicated since her uncle's death, so seeing them learn how to cope with that loss was very interesting as well. While I do think that that aspect of the book, and Tuesday's coping with her grief in general, could have been more of a focus, I still enjoyed what aspects of it were there. It has some nice discussion of how people deal with loss in their own way and at their own pace, and that there's nothing that you can do to force somebody else to speed up that process.
I also enjoyed Tuesday's friendship with Silas, the artist-in-residence at the park. Her journey with learning photography was definitely an interesting aspect of her character, but Silas' parallel learning to cope with his break up while Tuesday was watching her mother deal with grief as well was definitely an intriguing point as well, and served as the catalyst for some of the discussions about grief and acceptance.
I really appreciated all of the scientific and conservation-based aspects of the book. The national park setting was fun, and I loved all of the archaeological and astronomical references and scenes. Parts of it did feel a little too lecture-y at times, but then I am above the age of the target audience and thus already knew most of the information conveyed, particularly the more basic aspects of conservation and light quality and such. The book also had a lot to say about how anybody can make a difference, and how even small actions can have large impacts, especially in activism-related issues, which I think is a really important ,message for younger readers to hear.
I will say that the plot structure was quite simple; the saving-Hedges plan took up the majority of the story, and then there was the subplot with Tuesday and her mother coping with their grief, and that was about it. The pacing was also a little slow and repetitive at times.
I really enjoyed Where the Sky Lives, and I'm giving it 4 stars. It raised some really important points about coping with loss and about environmental activism, both of which I believe to be important lessons for middle-grade (and older) readers to be exposed to. Tuesday is curious and determined, and is just a very likable character that one can't help but root for. Despite the very simple plot structure and relative lack of character development, I still liked the book a lot and would recommend it to any middle-grade reader looking for a STEM-based narrative, or just for anybody interested in the national parks or in environmental activism.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 3, 2022
The best part of this book, for me, is the setting: Zion National Park. Tuesday (the MC) seems to have some neuro-divergence happening that makes many of her relationships a bit strained (there are references to therapy and strategies but no outright identification), but she carries on mainly thanks to a great best friend. She calls her mother by her first name, that's never really addressed which I thought was odd, and mainly goes about the park doing things that are interesting to her. When she discovers that a large pristine area of land adjacent to the park is being sold to land developers, she attempts to make that stop, with varying degrees of success. All while mourning her uncle's death (this happened prior to the story beginning). I don't know. I wasn't super enthusiastic reading it, but it wasn't bad. It was a case of feeling like I was reading a story that's also ticking off a number of boxes: and now we will have a female MC who is interested in science, and now we will have diversity among background characters, and now we will have a social justice issue. Anyway. It was fine.
March 4, 2022
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.
I really liked the National Park setting and I truly felt transported to Zion, which is a park I've visited several times and always enjoyed. I enjoyed how passionate Tuesday was about fighting to keep Zion dark and the teamwork required to do so, I think we make the most change when we work together.
I do have some questions about the authenticity of kids gaining lots of attraction on social media for their causes, does that truly happen and does the inclusion of this in books encourage kids to use social media in ways that maybe aren't great?
I really liked the National Park setting and I truly felt transported to Zion, which is a park I've visited several times and always enjoyed. I enjoyed how passionate Tuesday was about fighting to keep Zion dark and the teamwork required to do so, I think we make the most change when we work together.
I do have some questions about the authenticity of kids gaining lots of attraction on social media for their causes, does that truly happen and does the inclusion of this in books encourage kids to use social media in ways that maybe aren't great?
August 8, 2022
5 stars. Tuesday is trying to cope with her grief over her astronomer uncle’s death with a new photography hobby. Her archaeologist mother is also having a hard time with the loss of her brother. When a developer begins work on the land adjacent to Zion National Park, Tuesday fears there is nothing she can do to stop the destruction of the park’s potential Dark Sky Park designation. Lots of great things in this book: mother/daughter relationship, friendship with Carter, ecological activism, overcrowding of NPs, moving on, etc.
Quote: “Social media is designed to basically suck out your brain and sell it to companies” 4%
Bootie meteor shower in June - who knew?
Quote: “Social media is designed to basically suck out your brain and sell it to companies” 4%
Bootie meteor shower in June - who knew?
February 16, 2025
Tuesday has grown up next to Zion National Park with her archeologist mother and her recently deceased uncle. While she deals with the grief of missing her uncle she struggles to find a way to keep development from destroying the natural habitat and night sky of the pristine countryside.
The writing was heavy-handed, with kids and adults spouting platitudes not dialogue. I found the characters more cardboard than genuine. And the solution very stupid. ‘A YouTube, fairly godmother.”
I was looking to this to meet my climate fiction prompt. However, while it did deal with environmental issues, none of them were around climate change. I will need to seek out a different book for the prompt. I liked that it was set in Utah, but other than descriptions of the park, we didn’t get the feel for the setting.
The writing was heavy-handed, with kids and adults spouting platitudes not dialogue. I found the characters more cardboard than genuine. And the solution very stupid. ‘A YouTube, fairly godmother.”
I was looking to this to meet my climate fiction prompt. However, while it did deal with environmental issues, none of them were around climate change. I will need to seek out a different book for the prompt. I liked that it was set in Utah, but other than descriptions of the park, we didn’t get the feel for the setting.
March 23, 2022
A sweet story, well-written with a good discussion of grief, a strong sense of place, and clearly written narration. While some of the secondary characters didn't come off a strongly as they were probably intended (Silas, for example, faded for me a bit) it's a nice story about the bonds between family, friends, and nature.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
September 12, 2022
Beautiful, quiet story about environmentalism, family, friendship and standing up for what you believe in.
October 27, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Tuesday lives in staff housing near Zion National Park, where her single mother, Dana, works as an archaeologist. Tuesday's best friend, Carter, lives nearby, since his stepfather, Grant, is a law enforcement park ranger. Tuesday loves her life at the park, but misses her uncle Ezra, who has recently passed away. Her mother is also struggling with this loss, and also is worried about her job. Funding is always difficult, and she's been furloughed several times, which has lead her to investigate jobs at universities. There are big changes to the park as well; a local farm, Hedges Ranch, has been sold to a developer who is going to build high density housing. While the environmental impact, especially on the night sky, is going to be devastating, there's no stopping the developers. This doesn't mean that Tuesday and Carter don't try. Tuesday gets a wooden box camera that a resident hipster artist has thrown away in a huff, and starts to take pictures. She talks Dana into letting her have an Instagram account, and tries to rally support for saving Hedges from development. Rich and famous influencer, Lyla, is visiting the park and gets interested in Tuesday's project, so has her tons of followers interested in it as well. Tuesday is sure that a note her uncle Ezra wrote from the hospital might hold the key to saving the park, and works to investigate what the note might mean. Dana is still concerned about her job prospects, so has applied for a job at South Dakota State University. Will Tuesday be able to save the park by solving her uncle's riddles before she and her mother leave?
Strengths: The description of the national park, and Tuesdays rambles across it in her attempts to save it from development are the best part of this novel. Of course, it made me want to go visit Utah, but also made me want to stay home in order to protect the fragile environment of the park. The small community was an interesting one, and Carter and his family, the artist, and the graduate students working on various projects all added an interesting dimension to the book. Young readers who are fans of Instagram will be enthralled with young Lyla's influence, fame, and wealth, and be glad that she is trying to protect the area. People traveling to beautiful natural places to take photos to post on social media is a big thing, apparently, and it doesn't always end well. Dana's struggles with employment are very realistic, and she's very lucky to get a university job!
Weaknesses: Emotionally, this book is more on the lyrical, contemplative side. I wish it had been more upbeat and adventurous. There was a lot of suspense about the uncle's death that really didn't go anywhere. The mother's grief caused her to not take care of Tuesday as much as Tuesday needed her to.
What I really think: This cover reminds me a bit of Swinarski's What Happens Next, another quiet story with a very particular place for its setting, and the national park setting reminded me a bit of Bowling's The Canyon's Edge. Fans of King's The Year We Fell from Space or Haydu's One Jar of Magic will be intrigued by the mystery as Tuesday struggles with coping with her uncle's death.
Tuesday lives in staff housing near Zion National Park, where her single mother, Dana, works as an archaeologist. Tuesday's best friend, Carter, lives nearby, since his stepfather, Grant, is a law enforcement park ranger. Tuesday loves her life at the park, but misses her uncle Ezra, who has recently passed away. Her mother is also struggling with this loss, and also is worried about her job. Funding is always difficult, and she's been furloughed several times, which has lead her to investigate jobs at universities. There are big changes to the park as well; a local farm, Hedges Ranch, has been sold to a developer who is going to build high density housing. While the environmental impact, especially on the night sky, is going to be devastating, there's no stopping the developers. This doesn't mean that Tuesday and Carter don't try. Tuesday gets a wooden box camera that a resident hipster artist has thrown away in a huff, and starts to take pictures. She talks Dana into letting her have an Instagram account, and tries to rally support for saving Hedges from development. Rich and famous influencer, Lyla, is visiting the park and gets interested in Tuesday's project, so has her tons of followers interested in it as well. Tuesday is sure that a note her uncle Ezra wrote from the hospital might hold the key to saving the park, and works to investigate what the note might mean. Dana is still concerned about her job prospects, so has applied for a job at South Dakota State University. Will Tuesday be able to save the park by solving her uncle's riddles before she and her mother leave?
Strengths: The description of the national park, and Tuesdays rambles across it in her attempts to save it from development are the best part of this novel. Of course, it made me want to go visit Utah, but also made me want to stay home in order to protect the fragile environment of the park. The small community was an interesting one, and Carter and his family, the artist, and the graduate students working on various projects all added an interesting dimension to the book. Young readers who are fans of Instagram will be enthralled with young Lyla's influence, fame, and wealth, and be glad that she is trying to protect the area. People traveling to beautiful natural places to take photos to post on social media is a big thing, apparently, and it doesn't always end well. Dana's struggles with employment are very realistic, and she's very lucky to get a university job!
Weaknesses: Emotionally, this book is more on the lyrical, contemplative side. I wish it had been more upbeat and adventurous. There was a lot of suspense about the uncle's death that really didn't go anywhere. The mother's grief caused her to not take care of Tuesday as much as Tuesday needed her to.
What I really think: This cover reminds me a bit of Swinarski's What Happens Next, another quiet story with a very particular place for its setting, and the national park setting reminded me a bit of Bowling's The Canyon's Edge. Fans of King's The Year We Fell from Space or Haydu's One Jar of Magic will be intrigued by the mystery as Tuesday struggles with coping with her uncle's death.
March 8, 2022
Are #Tuesdaybooktalks a thing because if not, I’m declaring them. It fits perfect with today’s #caittalksbooks!
WHERE THE SKY LIVES by Margaret Dilloway (@fumblingtowardokay) is a middle grade realistic fiction about Tuesday Beals who loves living in the Utah wilderness with her mom who’s an archeologist. When her Uncle Ezra dies & leaves Tuesday a riddle, she has no idea it will lead her on an adventures of saving the dark skies of their favorite stargazing space.
This is a beautifully written story about the process of grief, activism, & perseverance. For much of the book, Tuesday who reads as neurodiverse, works through the grief of losing her Uncle while also fighting for her home.
While it’s a story about grief, it’s also a story about fighting for what you believe in & the power of activism set against beautiful Zion National Park. I loved the deeply rooted STEM themes centered around astronomy, our Natural Parks, & engaged animals. Tuesday is a budding activist who will inspire so many readers, not to mention a fabulous representation of girls in STEM! (As are many of the adult characters in the story as well!)
I felt wholly immersed in the setting as Dilloway’s prose about Zion National Park is gorgeous. It’s clear Zion holds a special place in her heart.
WHERE THE SKY LIVES releases today & I think it would be a really fun one to bring into the middle grade #elaclassroom
Here are a few ways you could use it:
▫️a whole-class read aloud during a study of our National Parks. Pair it with a research project on a park of students’ choice, then have them present their findings to the class
▫️pair with a reading/study of GALAXY GIRLS: 50 AMAZING STORIES OF
WOMEN IN SPACE by Libby Jackson
▫️use it to teach about activism then have students choose a National Park/endangered animal/nature-based problem & create a way to solve it
▫️independent/choice reading for fans of realistic fiction/contemporary/ STEM centered stories
▫️cross curriculum this would be a great book to pull into science class (nature studies! astronomy!) or even social studies (National Parks! Geography!)
Thanks to @netgalley and @harperkids for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.
#readwithcait #mslreads #mglit #middlegrade # WheretheSkyLives #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #elateacher #teachersofinstagram #englishteacherbookrecs
WHERE THE SKY LIVES by Margaret Dilloway (@fumblingtowardokay) is a middle grade realistic fiction about Tuesday Beals who loves living in the Utah wilderness with her mom who’s an archeologist. When her Uncle Ezra dies & leaves Tuesday a riddle, she has no idea it will lead her on an adventures of saving the dark skies of their favorite stargazing space.
This is a beautifully written story about the process of grief, activism, & perseverance. For much of the book, Tuesday who reads as neurodiverse, works through the grief of losing her Uncle while also fighting for her home.
While it’s a story about grief, it’s also a story about fighting for what you believe in & the power of activism set against beautiful Zion National Park. I loved the deeply rooted STEM themes centered around astronomy, our Natural Parks, & engaged animals. Tuesday is a budding activist who will inspire so many readers, not to mention a fabulous representation of girls in STEM! (As are many of the adult characters in the story as well!)
I felt wholly immersed in the setting as Dilloway’s prose about Zion National Park is gorgeous. It’s clear Zion holds a special place in her heart.
WHERE THE SKY LIVES releases today & I think it would be a really fun one to bring into the middle grade #elaclassroom
Here are a few ways you could use it:
▫️a whole-class read aloud during a study of our National Parks. Pair it with a research project on a park of students’ choice, then have them present their findings to the class
▫️pair with a reading/study of GALAXY GIRLS: 50 AMAZING STORIES OF
WOMEN IN SPACE by Libby Jackson
▫️use it to teach about activism then have students choose a National Park/endangered animal/nature-based problem & create a way to solve it
▫️independent/choice reading for fans of realistic fiction/contemporary/ STEM centered stories
▫️cross curriculum this would be a great book to pull into science class (nature studies! astronomy!) or even social studies (National Parks! Geography!)
Thanks to @netgalley and @harperkids for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.
#readwithcait #mslreads #mglit #middlegrade # WheretheSkyLives #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #elateacher #teachersofinstagram #englishteacherbookrecs
January 5, 2023
After the untimely death of her uncle, Tuesday Beals feels like nothing in her world is going right anymore, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to turn the world right side up.
This was a great book that I will recommend to my students. It was one that had a lot of emotions and really captured a kid’s perspective on being on the cusp of growing up, but not quite being there.
I absolutely loved Tuesday as a character. I loved how blunt and headstrong she was and how she struggled to understand social conventions. I loved how unapologetically Tuesday she was and I feel that a lot of kids would relate to her without really knowing why.
There are a few reasons I couldn’t give this five stars. I felt like it was a bit all over the place with the amount of scientific information and it might be a bit hard to follow for a kid. I also found there were quite a few red herrings, whether intentional or not and some of the writing was a bit awkward. There were a couple of sentences I had to read twice because I didn’t understand them on the first try, which disrupted the flow.
Overall, I absolutely adored this book and will definitely recommend it to kids who like science, are dealing with grief, or are maybe just a little bit different.
This was a great book that I will recommend to my students. It was one that had a lot of emotions and really captured a kid’s perspective on being on the cusp of growing up, but not quite being there.
I absolutely loved Tuesday as a character. I loved how blunt and headstrong she was and how she struggled to understand social conventions. I loved how unapologetically Tuesday she was and I feel that a lot of kids would relate to her without really knowing why.
There are a few reasons I couldn’t give this five stars. I felt like it was a bit all over the place with the amount of scientific information and it might be a bit hard to follow for a kid. I also found there were quite a few red herrings, whether intentional or not and some of the writing was a bit awkward. There were a couple of sentences I had to read twice because I didn’t understand them on the first try, which disrupted the flow.
Overall, I absolutely adored this book and will definitely recommend it to kids who like science, are dealing with grief, or are maybe just a little bit different.
October 3, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.
Where the Sky Lives is a sweet novel about letting go of grief and activism! When Tuesday finds out that there will be a housing development where she lives, she is upset. Astronomy is one of her favorite things to do, which was taught to her by her late Uncle Ezra. It is one of the only things left of him, and she is worried that the light pollution will ruin the night sky. When Tuesday finds evidence of an endangered species living there, she goes on a journey to try and save the park.
This was a sweet book and I enjoyed the story. However, I feel like the ending was not very conclusive and I would have liked a bit more backstory. Overall, a heartfelt read that would be a good pick for any middle grade reader who likes environmental activism.
Where the Sky Lives is a sweet novel about letting go of grief and activism! When Tuesday finds out that there will be a housing development where she lives, she is upset. Astronomy is one of her favorite things to do, which was taught to her by her late Uncle Ezra. It is one of the only things left of him, and she is worried that the light pollution will ruin the night sky. When Tuesday finds evidence of an endangered species living there, she goes on a journey to try and save the park.
This was a sweet book and I enjoyed the story. However, I feel like the ending was not very conclusive and I would have liked a bit more backstory. Overall, a heartfelt read that would be a good pick for any middle grade reader who likes environmental activism.
April 4, 2022
Where the Sky Lives is an excellent middle grade novel about grief, environmentalism, and family. Tuesday Beals lives in Zion National Park where her mom, Dana, is an archaeologist. Her best friend Carter also lives in the park with his stepdad who is a park ranger. Tuesday and Carter love to hike, rock climb, and watch the stars. Tuesday’s uncle unexpectedly dies and her mom starts pulling away. And then the neighboring property, Hedges Ranch, is sold to a developer. Tuesday is having a hard time dealing with all the changes. Tuesday and Carter set out to look for a way to save the pristine land. Looking for a way to save the land helps Tuesday deal with her uncle’s death, and eventually gets her mom to start dealing with it too.
This was a great book that deals with grief on a level middle graders can understand. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
This was a great book that deals with grief on a level middle graders can understand. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
April 19, 2022
What I like the most about Margaret Dilloway is that there is no artifice in her writing. She doesn't preach. She tells each story as it means to her.
Where the Sky Lives, as with the other young adult novels she's written, tells the story of young person struggling, in this case that of 12 year old Tuesday dealing with grief, her own grief at the loss of her uncle, who cheered her on, made her braver and understood her thought processes, her mother’s unvoiced grief of the loss of her brother, the grief of losing part of the Zion National Park, where she and her mother live, a secondary characters grief over the loss of his marriage and the prospect that a move will make her lose her best friend.
It's all just too much change for her.
Through a precipitous event, a chance caused by the grief of the secondary character, Silas, Tuesday learns to live through her grief, help her mom to do so, as well, and finds small miracles as she does so.
5 Stars for Where the Sky Lives
Where the Sky Lives, as with the other young adult novels she's written, tells the story of young person struggling, in this case that of 12 year old Tuesday dealing with grief, her own grief at the loss of her uncle, who cheered her on, made her braver and understood her thought processes, her mother’s unvoiced grief of the loss of her brother, the grief of losing part of the Zion National Park, where she and her mother live, a secondary characters grief over the loss of his marriage and the prospect that a move will make her lose her best friend.
It's all just too much change for her.
"It would be nice if everyone could act normal and things could stop changing, only for a day."Amen to that.
Through a precipitous event, a chance caused by the grief of the secondary character, Silas, Tuesday learns to live through her grief, help her mom to do so, as well, and finds small miracles as she does so.
5 Stars for Where the Sky Lives
February 27, 2023
I've been reading this book on and off for a while now, and it took some time for it to hook me, but I finally sat down to finish it this weekend. This ended up being a very cute and heartwarming story about family and friendship. It features Tuesday, a very determined young girl, and her friend Carter, who prove that you are never too small to make a big difference. The book also focuses on conservation and problems that face many of our national parks (overcrowding, development, etc.), as well as the positive and negative powers of social media. For anyone who is looking for a feel-good story for the upper elementary/middle schoolers in their lives or a book for their classroom library, this is it.
April 25, 2022
Ms. Dilloway deserves more than a big thank you for bringing such a timely and authentic look at conservation from the eyes of our future - our children. As an adult reading this middle-grade book my son had checked out of the library, I was mildly intrigued about where the story would go. I'm now so grateful that I chose to read it - and couldn't put it down.
Favorite quote: "I know why the school history books don't say anything about it. They don't want people to feel bad about what their ancestors did. But just because someone doesn't want to know a fact, or doesn't like a fact, doesn't mean the fact doesn't exist anymore."
Favorite quote: "I know why the school history books don't say anything about it. They don't want people to feel bad about what their ancestors did. But just because someone doesn't want to know a fact, or doesn't like a fact, doesn't mean the fact doesn't exist anymore."
June 17, 2022
I’m really excited to this share this book with my students! I feel like this hits on everything I want to see from them and will hopefully be a book they relate to!
I love that this book is about a girl living in a national park because it takes the niche story of a kid trying to make a difference in the world and gives it a whole new spin.
I highly recommend this book to all middle grade readers, adults who love middle grade books and parents looking to share a book with a kiddo they feel might be slipping away from them a little bit.
This book deals with loss, friendship, how to make a keep friends, perseverance, conservation, appropriate adult/child friendships and sprinkles in things that make it relevant to today’s readers— tik tok, influencers, social media use for tweens.
I love that this book is about a girl living in a national park because it takes the niche story of a kid trying to make a difference in the world and gives it a whole new spin.
I highly recommend this book to all middle grade readers, adults who love middle grade books and parents looking to share a book with a kiddo they feel might be slipping away from them a little bit.
This book deals with loss, friendship, how to make a keep friends, perseverance, conservation, appropriate adult/child friendships and sprinkles in things that make it relevant to today’s readers— tik tok, influencers, social media use for tweens.
June 28, 2022
A lovely middle grade novel about grief and photography, science and conservation, friendship and difference. Tuesday Beals lives with her mom at Zion National Park. She loves astronomy but one day sees the resident artist getting rid of a beautiful old fashioned camera. She is soon learning photography, too. She and her mom are grieving her uncle who also functioned for her as a father. And the construction and development of a pristine ranch next to the park is making the grief worse for both of them. What can Tuesday do to help save the land parcel? Will she and her mom ever feel better together again?
(Tuesday is neorodivergent; the photographer is gay; most characters read as white.)
(Tuesday is neorodivergent; the photographer is gay; most characters read as white.)
April 24, 2022
Realistic Fiction
2nd-5th grade
Where the Sky Lives is a great picture that depicts the theme of grief. I think this book would be one that is really good to share with students who you know may be struggling with grief in their lives. I think it highlights the fact that we have pain in our lives, but there are ways we can grow and do positive things to change the world to help us grieve and that helps the pain slowly go away by making the world a better place to live.
2nd-5th grade
Where the Sky Lives is a great picture that depicts the theme of grief. I think this book would be one that is really good to share with students who you know may be struggling with grief in their lives. I think it highlights the fact that we have pain in our lives, but there are ways we can grow and do positive things to change the world to help us grieve and that helps the pain slowly go away by making the world a better place to live.
October 28, 2022
Tuesday lives in Zion National Park with her archeologist mother. She is grieving the loss of her Uncle Ezra and is using their shared loved of astronomy to cope. When she learns of a new housing development planned for the property next door, Tuesday tries to stop it. Perfect for those who love nature, conservation, and astronomy. My one critique is the emphasis is the strong emphasis on social media and its use to find 'fame'.
August 8, 2023
I listened to this book on CD and didn't love the actress's voice but still enjoyed the story. I appreciate learning about Zion National Park and the quest to keep skies dark and land pristine.
The main character, Tuesday, called her mom by her first name Dana and that bothered me throughout the book.
The inclusion of a little mystery in the form of a poem was interesting but didn't hold my interest through the entire book which is why I've given this book 3 instead of 4 stars.
The main character, Tuesday, called her mom by her first name Dana and that bothered me throughout the book.
The inclusion of a little mystery in the form of a poem was interesting but didn't hold my interest through the entire book which is why I've given this book 3 instead of 4 stars.
June 21, 2024
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Having been to Zion National Park, I really loved all the references to to different places in the park. That being said, Tuesday (the main character), and others in the book, end up spending a lot of the narrative being extremely didactic. Although Tuesday is clearly neurodivergent, Dilloway never explains anything about it. I did appreciate how Dilloway explored the expressions of grief that Tuesday and her mother worked through.
Having been to Zion National Park, I really loved all the references to to different places in the park. That being said, Tuesday (the main character), and others in the book, end up spending a lot of the narrative being extremely didactic. Although Tuesday is clearly neurodivergent, Dilloway never explains anything about it. I did appreciate how Dilloway explored the expressions of grief that Tuesday and her mother worked through.
Read
July 4, 2025This book was lovely. I loved exploring Zion National park with Tuesday and her friends. The one thing I wish this book had was illustrations, or photographs of the park! The scenes in the book are so vivid, but knowing it’s a real place, I feel like I’m not doing it justice with the picture in my head. I would love to read an illustrated edition of this someday. The story is beautiful and makes me want to explore the nature in my area :)
March 27, 2022
This was a good book. Tuesday has to deal with the loss of her Uncle and her home all while trying to save the Hedges Ranch.
I liked how straightforward Tuesday was, she never minces words just speaks from the heart.
There were parts of this book that were really emotional and beautiful.
Would definitely recommend.
I liked how straightforward Tuesday was, she never minces words just speaks from the heart.
There were parts of this book that were really emotional and beautiful.
Would definitely recommend.
November 20, 2022
Almost a four and very interesting regarding Zion National Park. The locals call it "Zi-in" which kind of rhymes with "Ryan." And it's NOT "Zions." This book was packed at all levels with all manner of issues, challenges, emotions, and agendas. All of this "cramming in" took away some of the delight of the book.
Read
March 18, 2024I picked up this at first because I love the setting. My family and I fell in love with the landscape of southern Utah years ago and Zion is on our list of places to go. I was unprepared for the emotional journey it would take me on, but loved the tenacity and determination of Tuesday. I’m so glad that he story ended up the way it did in the end. I certainly was routing for her.
April 19, 2024
This is a very good book for 8-12 year olds that deals with grief, conservationism, friendship and family. I love how the different plot points all weave together to form a cohesive story. The main character, Tuesday, is written in a way that gives the feeling that she has autism though it's never specifically said.
This is a great book.
This is a great book.
October 25, 2025
This book was really good and bad because all Tuesday wants to do is find an archaeology site. and she also wants to be smarter then everybody that she is friends with. the end was a little sad but at least Tuesday can move on from Hedges.All in all this book was super interesting and also there were a lot of fun facts in this book.
May 3, 2022
Great book with a unique perspective on the connection between family, nature and life. Would be perfect for students who have passions/interests in STEM. Very inspiring story that would alter a young students perspective on life in the best way possible.
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