Jupiter Rising - by Gary D Schmidt (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Jack isn't happy about Coach's decision to pair him with star athlete Jay Perkins to prep him for the cross-country team. He and Jay have a history-Jay bullied Joseph, and Jack fought back. And besides, Jay doesn't want to hang out with a dumb eighth grader. As Jack begins to get the hang of running and starts to see Jay as almost a friend, the adoption hits a snag. Another couple intends to adopt Jupiter. As blood relatives, their claim is powerful. The adults in charge feel they know what's best for Jupiter, and Jack is powerless to change their decision. Jupiter's future hangs in the balance, and as he faces his own destiny, Jack will learn what love and loyalty can do."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In this tender, gripping story from the award-winning author of Orbiting Jupiter, a boy starts out running on the track team and ends up running toward his future.

When Jack's P.E. coach pairs him up with Jay Perkins for the cross-country team, neither of them is happy about it. Jack is grieving the loss of Joseph, his foster brother, and adjusting to his role as big brother to Jupiter, Joseph's orphaned daughter. Dealing with Jay Perkins--who was definitely no friend of Joseph's--is the last thing he wants to do.

But as Jack's running grows stronger, so do his relationships with both Jay and Jupiter, and he starts to feel more like himself than he has since Joseph died. He's finding his stride . . . until Jupiter's grandparents decide to claim her as their own, and suddenly Jack's past and present smash together, threatening to dissolve both his newfound confidence and his friendships.

Review Quotes

(Orbiting Jupiter) "A powerful story about second chances, all the more devastating because not everyone gets one." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

(Orbiting Jupiter) "Schmidt writes with an elegant simplicity in this paean to the power of love...Readers will not soon forget either Joseph Brook or this spare novel written with love and grace." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

(Orbiting Jupiter) "Told in Jack's spare, direct first-person voice, this story's style demonstrates the beautify of simplicity as it delineates the lives of its characters, each as superbly realized as the tumultuous New England setting." - Booklist (starred review)

(Orbiting Jupiter) "The matter-of-fact narrative voice ensures that the tragic plot never overhwlms this wrenching tale of growth and loss." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"Readers' eyes aren't likely to stay dry considering the sharply felt emotional stakes and the growing tension. . . . Brimming with love and heart." - Kirkus Reviews

"Schmidt writes from the heart in this moving novel, showing how a small community sometimes quietly protects its members as they face inevitable changes. A rewarding reading experience." - Booklist (starred review)