Grace Needs Space is a phenomenal story about the struggles of an inquisitive young girl and a parent who can’t stop working. The story takes place in space and does a great job of teaching the reader about space, the space station, and Titian, Saturn’s largest moon, where a colony now lives.

When the main character, Grace, gets invited to visit Titian with her Baba, the trip does not turn out how she would like. The story does a great job of showing the struggles that a child might have when a parent is fixated on their work. The parent is dismissive, with offhand remarks to the child’s questions or statements, and is glued to their work screen while the child holds back excitement or concern so as not to upset the parent, pretending that broken promises don’t matter. The author’s depiction of a parent/child relationship is very authentic. When character development happens in the story, it is not a sudden change to perfection, but rather a gradual one where mistakes are still made.

Grace Needs Space does a remarkable job of explaining the struggles of work-life balance in the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. The story shows different ways a parent might interact with an inquisitive child and the struggles separated parents have raising a child. The art and storytelling are outstanding and a must-read for children and parents alike. For ages 9 to 14.

Reviewed by Marina Pamplona, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library