Grace Needs Space!

by Benjamin A. Wilgus, Rii Abrego (Illustrator)

To the moon and back! A sci-fi middle-grade graphic novel about a young girl's long-awaited summer trip across space with one of her moms. But when her relationship with her mom goes sideways, so does her trip. Will Grace be able to save her summer vacation before it ends?

Grace is SO EXCITED to fly a freighter from her home space station (and away from her BORING mother Evelyn) to a faraway moon! Plus, she'll get some quality time with her FUN mom Kendra--something Grace definitely needs. Finally, a real adventure that Grace can get excited about while the rest of her space station friends go away for their summer vacations.

But when Kendra is too focused on work, Grace's first big trip suddenly becomes kind of lonely. Grace had so many plans for fun. But all it takes is one quick decision to explore the moon by herself before Grace's adventure suddenly becomes not so out of this world at all. With her mom mad at her, Grace wants nothing more than to return home. Then their ship breaks down. Will Grace be able to get through to her mom and save their trip in the end?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, LGBT, Comics, Childrens, Space

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2023

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little girl named Grace lives in space and gets up to a little mischief due to the negligence of Kendra, one of her mothers, and then gets into very real trouble due to Kendra's negligence at her job. Thankfully, there's a super-competent mom, Evelyn, to offset the loser, 'cuz them losers gonna lose.

I have mixed feelings about this book because I just felt low-key bad for Grace the whole time and cringed whenever Kendra opened her mouth. It's not a pleasant story by any means

It doesn't help that the relationships in the story are vague and only subtly laid out over time, which is sort of a dumb thing to do in a children's book. The girl refers to bad mom as "ba," which is not a term I'm familiar with but was supposed to be our cue that they have a mother/daughter relationship. Evelyn says a couple of roundabout things to verify she was married to Kendra at some point before Grace was born, but the current relationship goes unstated. My impression is that the two moms are at least separated but probably divorced, and the trip Grace takes in the book with bad mom Kendra is a scheduled child visitation thing.

There's a case to be made for revocation of those visitation rights by the end of the book, but the author and characters choose to go another direction.

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace lives on a space station with one of her moms, while the other is gone for long stretches of time working on a cargo ship. Grace longs to travel, to visit planets, to see trees and lakes. Finally she gets the chance to go with her space fairing mom on a trip to the inhabited moon Titan, but her mom barely has time for her, constantly delaying her requests for games, attention, or adventure. So Grace sets out on her own for the day on Titan with a group of kids she met the day before. This gentle family drama is resolved when engineering mom swoops in to remind Grace and cargo ship mom that working together and being honest is the best way to move forward. I loved the artwork; all of the characters had a cuddly quality and the space ship and station interiors were simple but very effect, especially with the lovely colors.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I was so impressed with this! Excellent exploration of dynamics in a family where two partners have split up, kid life between two “houses”/ways of life (a space station and a ship that explores and docks), expectations and frustrations and feelings—all while being a pretty rad journey into life in space. Protagonist Grace soaks up knowledge about Titan, researching both out of interest and, sometimes, to fill her time and brain when her “secondary” parent, Ba, is blowing her off once again. Appreciated that *two* characters (including Ba) use the honorific “Mx.”, which goes a longer way towards normalizing it than one, and that Grace’s mom is a larger person (oh, and also the space station’s chief engineer). Has the “Smile” mass-appeal kind of a look and feel (with extra awesome space panoramas). Covers navigating a two-not-together-parents situation the best I’ve seen so far in a middle grade graphic (and maybe any?) format.

Reviewed from a digital ARC via #netgalley on a rainy Wednesday morning off

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world had heft to it, it felt very believable. I’m not sure if this was an actual happily ever after, tho, despite it acting like it…? Grace honestly seems pretty miserable living where she does and I didn’t really trust her turnabout by the end. I find myself wishing for a sequel just to tie up some of these things that feel like loose threads to me, even though I figure they’re probably like that intentionally.

Art is lovely, as always.

[Carlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was bad. Spoilers to follow...

The art was good but the story was so bad. The character relationships are unclear (unless you read the back of the book) and Ba / Kendra was a deadbeat mom. No wonder Kendra has like little to no custody she doesn't even pay attention to her child (literally at all she was on her phone/device the entire time). I was sad for Grace. Then Kendra blames her for sabotaging her spaceship when in reality she neglected maintenance on it for years... but no worries! She'll make it up to her by being better next time. Hated it.

Overall, wouldn't recommend it.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 honestly I really enjoyed the art in this, and the character design plus the anti grav stuff, like how that was conceptualized and how people would live on a space station as well as how travel between stations would work, and I thought Grace was a cute character (although her reactions to her mom in the beginning were a bit extreme, I understand they were just going for character development) But I reallllly had an issue with Kendra. Obviously her behavior is not supposed to be normalized or shown as ok, but like she was just infurating to read, especially as someone interested in child development. The amount of times she missed an opportunity to teach Grace how to do something, or to involve her in a task or something, just ughhhhh. I know thats the point. So in that sense it was well written, showing that stability is better than an immature, flaky asshole lmao. But I realllly wanted an actual VERBAL apology from Kendra. I guess her holding Graces hand at the end and making promises to see her soon and take her on another trip is supposed to show that she realized the error of her ways and is changing, but i didn't buy it at all. Like, in a middle grade book it doesn't work to half ass your message like that. I mean, kids are smart, but with a complex message like this, if you try to show something like, oh people are complicated but theyll change at their own pace or whatever, it makes the purpose unclear. What exactly is a kid supposed to take away from that? It feels like it puts the onus on them to forgive their parents for acting this way, even before theres any sign of growth. It muddles it and makes it super mixed up if you don't go all the way. Having Kendra not own exactly what she did that was wrong (falsely accusing Grace of messing with the ship, with no evidence or reason to do so, taking her daughter in a ship that hadn't been properly maintained, potentially putting her at risk of injury or death, not using the MONTHS of advanced notice to plan the trip like at all, leading to Grace being neglected and ignored the entire time) was really not it. Like thats some pretty heinous behavior and I really needed a scene of Kendra fully owning it and taking accountability, as well as having a talk with Grace and maybe her other mom about all the reasons, in detail, that her behavior was not ok and would not happen again, and all the ways she would work to change her shitty behavior. Like, really?? She's shown no change in behavior, by all accounts shes just as immature and flighty as she was at the beginning, but Grace is supposed to be happy and think all is forgiven because she's going on another trip in a few months with her? If I were Grace, I would not be looking forward to that trip at all. I did really appreciate how her other mom fully jumped to Graces defense and was all the way in her corner, not buying into Kendra's bullshit. It really showed the difference in parenting and how that affects a kids self esteem and happiness. She offers support, listens to what Grace has to say, gives her options, lets her explain things from her perspective, gives her tasks so she feels involved, the list goes on. I liked that Grace learned that lesson by the end and the last scene with her and her mom was very sweet. Again though, it felt very unfinished and like there were loose threads regarding Kendra's behavior.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I thought I would just take a quick look at this, and ended up reading it all in one go. This was so much fun,and so emotional, and so real, depsite being set in some future time, of time travel. Some things are universal.

Grace has two moms. One she lives with, and one is a ships captain who halls fright. She loves them both. She loves being with the fun mom, who is going to take her to one of the moons of Titan.
But her mom has to work, and so the trip is not as fun.
What was so great about this was this was written for parents as well as kids. The mom’s excuse makes so much sense when you are running your own business, and I totally got why she did what she did, even if it upset Grace. And I also got her practical mom, who knew what to do in case of emergency.

Great book. I think kids of divorced parents will totally relate to this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5! This was ok!

This book is about Grace, who lives with one of her mothers on a space station, where Grace is constantly bored. Her parents are apparently divorced/separated, and the story kicks off when she goes with her other mother (ba) on a business trip to another planet. Her ba, however, is not very attentive, leading Grace to run away with a school group where she gets lost.

The art in this story was beautiful, but for me, there were just way too many scientific facts about these planets that don't exist, and not enough interactions with our characters. I would have liked to see a more thorough resolution at the end (and maybe revoking visitation rights for the ba because wtf she almost crashes their space ship because she has been avoiding required checks and the ma has to come save them at the last minute??! The art and color scheme was beautiful, and that's what drew me to the book, but as a story, I just wanted a little more of an arc of growth with our characters.

[Julia Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure how this graphic novel ended up on my TBR list (I didn't have it marked as "want to read" on Goodreads, but I had it on hold at the library? Truly have no idea) but I'm glad it did! It was a cute, fun little read. Although, I did find "fun Mom", Kendra, really annoying. Still an enjoyable read though!

[Dactylaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

je me vois pas lui mettre un 3 parce que c’était vraiment mignon, mais c’était pas incroyable non plus donc c’est un 3.5 ou 3.75 ⭐️

[Diana-christie Biancardi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grace was just annoying. I didn't know what 'Ba' meant. Was that her mom or dad? I couldn't figure it out lol. Did she have two moms?

[Callie Chamberlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️
Not my cup of tea, but I can see kids who have an interest in space really liking this book.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute graphic novel. I really enjoyed the artwork and learning a bunch of space facts as I read. In this book, Grace is excited to get away from her over protective mom and spend a weekend with her fun mom. So they go on a trip where her fun mom is delivering some cargo to Titan. Grace is so excited to go to Titan - she desperately wants to see the frozen lake. And while her mom is working Grace explores Titan and befriends some kids that are going on a field trip the next day to the frozen lake. They invite her to join in on the field trip - without telling her mom or the teacher of course - and she meets up with them the next day. While on the field trip she gets separated from the group and gets left behind. Of course her mom is not happy that she snuck off to go someplace on her own but Grace feels very ignored by her mom. They haven't hung out at all and Grace has been left on her own for almost the whole trip. A few more things happen but I don't want to spoil the ending of the book for you, definitely check this one out! It's super cute and the artwork is amazing.

[Tasha Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishers for this ARC.

I found this graphic novel charming. I felt Grace’s angst throughout the story. Being 12 was a challenge and then some and having parental attention was vital. Being letdown by them, even if their intentions are for the best, really stinks. As this is a fun story, there is a great ending and a lesson learned and the entire book is quite enjoyable.

[Andee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 8 | Atmosphere: 10 | Writing: 9 | Plot: 9 | Intrigue: 9 | Logic: 10 | Enjoyment: 10
total: 9.29 / 5 Stars

This was such a fun middle grade. Grace is a lovable character, and while she acts very much her age, I remember being that age and being frustrated with all the adults around me. The familial dynamics were played out really well here, showing sides of the parents/adults vs. children mindset in a tangible way. I think that this could be a good read for parents, as well as children, as it shows the many ways kids interpret our actions around them and the way we affect them. The artwork here was gorgeous and really well done. I had such a fun time reading this one.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 2 out of 5]

pros:

- amazing artwork. like. REALLY amazing. this book is a joy to look at.
- groundbreakingly toxic lesbian deadbeat mom representation

cons:

- the story LOL
- evie and grace both felt like well done enough characters to me. but kendra... i'm just so confused by her role in the narrative.
- i thought this would be. yknow. a pretty classic trope with a space lesbian twist. child of divorce is excited to spend time with the "fun parent" who doesn't have custody of them, they have fun hijinks, the kid learns that maybe there's a reason for responsibility when things go awry. but it's just... not that? kendra is never the 'fun parent'! she's constantly ignoring and shoving grace aside!theres never any sense of betrayal or anything. she's just a deadbeat throughout. she accuses the poor kid of sabotaging her space ship! and then the happily ever after is to assume that they'll just. try the vacation again...?

it put a bad taste in my mouth, unfortunately. for toxic yuri to be potent it must be acknowledged.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle grade graphic novel about a child navigating two households, in space. Grace lives on a space station with her practical mother, Evelyn, and goes on a visit to Titan with her "fun" space mom, Kendra. Evelyn and Kendra seem to be a divorced couple, and Kendra has limited visitation time with Grace because of her career. And it shows, because she isn't a terribly good or present mom for most of the visit. And that's kind of the point, that Kendra needs to learn to be a mom to Grace, and that Grace needs to learn to appreciate the boring but dependable Evelyn. I think a lot of kids will identify with that. And I like that the conflict isn't overly dramatic, but it does get everything in the open with decent communication. Cute art, too.

[Jaime Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found most of it unpleasant with how straight up mean her ba was and vague the story is and pretty lacking in plot. Didn't really feel like this was a "this parent doesn't know how to parent" thing like the book tries to make it out as in the end and more of just Kendra being a really upsetting parent who probably shouldn't be allowed to just have free rights to Grace.
Not a fun space story that I'd recommend to kiddos like it's advertised.

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Childrens for the ARC of this!

Super cute, I loved this outer space story that tackles the difficulties a child might have navigating their parent's divorce but with a more interesting backdrop of an outer space exploration. The art style was really adorable, and I would absolutely read more for these authors in the future.

[Chelse · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, Rii Abrego’s art is the star of the show. I also enjoyed Grace’s excitement for science and space.

The story overall was confusing and not great though. It felt like the message was that one Mom was just a crappy Mom? Who knows.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story about kids reminding adults that sometimes they do need to ask for help and can’t do it all on their own. Love the characters and many moments of learning and also the fun had in this story. The illustrations are lovely and really captured the book.

[Lisa]

I wanted to like this but didn't.

[Aimee Ardonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and surprisingly emotional :')

[Eimear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and sweet! I loved how Grace's mom would give her chores/tasks to help her feel included. And I loved the subtle queerness of her parents and how that's just casual in this time. I'm so fascinated by a future world on different planets and space stations and moons. I hope we get there.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

adorable art & sense of wonder for space and planets but the ending didn't resolve the damaged relationship at all. wishing for better from such a cute book!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED IT! This should be a Miyazaki adaptation. Fits in perfectly with his perennial themes of girlhood experience of growing up inside a challenging yet loving family dynamic. Plus, all the cool space nerd stuff would look SO GRAND onscreen.

Great book!

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Needs Space is a pretty cute story about a young girl excited to go on a trip with one of her moms on her spaceship. A story that highlights the intricacies of shared custody, different parenting styles, and parents learning from their children as well as children learning from their parents, this is definitely a graphic novel worth reading.

I really appreciate the themes of the tale, the importance of having those you rely on and love to support you through difficult times and working together to solve unexpected life snags is such a great and heartwarming thing to see in a family tale.

The artwork really helps the story shine through, making this one a book worth picking up and reading with your kids. It’s also a great one to have in depth conversations about.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

"Grace Needs Space!" is a super cute graphic novel about a young girl who accompanies her mother Kendra on a freight mission through space that turns out to be not so great as she had hoped. It's a great book for kids who are feeling left out/disconnected from their parents. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The artwork is also GORGEOUS.

[Gabriele | QueerBookdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: Indian protagonist, fat queer Indian secondary character, queer white secondary character.

Content Warning: none.

Review to come...