Stars: ****
Liberty Johnson loves astronomy. She draws accurate star maps and enjoys looking at the night sky, seeing what she can find. Others see the normal constellations, but Liberty always manages to find other shapes and patterns. Her dad loves this too and they often spend time bonding over it.
One day, her dad leaves and Liberty feels as though her whole world is falling from space. She finds a meteorite on the same day and it becomes her friend – the only thing she feels she can talk to about how she’s feeling.
Liberty has to navigate the new changes in her life, as well as worrying that she suffers from the same symptoms as her father.
The Year We Fell From Space follows Liberty’s life and the incidents that happen after her father leaves. It isn’t long before she starts questioning her new life – it’s a reflection on what life might be like for the child in the middle of a separation. It delves into ways children might use to cope, and how they might feel.
It is written in a way which makes you understand how all the characters in the book might be feeling at any point. Not only the daughters, but also the parents involved too.
It’s an emotional look at a common yet complex event children need to journey through. It helps build empathy and also understand their own feelings, if they’ve gone through something similar. It’s the kind of book which will help promote understanding and emotional literacy.
Teacher Bookworm 