What if your biggest dream came true, right in the worst part of your life?

Twelve year old Fin loves all things space. With his mom in the hospital after a severe accident, his whole life is different. Then Fin gets life-changing mail: his invention he entered into competition to be one of the first kids in space has won.

He’s going to space.

But from the start, everything is going wrong. Fin and the other three kid winners have to put their smarts to the test to save themselves, their guardians, and the astronauts on the ISS.

Ben Gartner’s latest middle grade novel, One Giant Leap, is action-packed from start to finish. The fast pace and high stakes plot is balanced with Fin’s emotional journey. Both the character journeys and the physical journey through space are engaging and combine to create a book kids and parents alike will love reading.

One Giant Leap is a fun blend of science and imagination. We love seeing well-developed characters grow and be challenged, and there is plenty of that here. Watching these smart kids use their skills in high stakes situations is just so rewarding. These kids know their stuff, and their unique areas of expertise make them capable of not only saving themselves, but helping others.

This novel would make for an excellent companion read for parents and kids. Kid readers are going to love seeing these smart characters take control to try and save the day, while parents are going to brought back to their own childhood love of space (or at least I was!). If you’ve seen and loved the old movie Space Camp, you’re going to love One Giant Leap.

Once again, Ben Gartner beautifully balances great characters in an intriguing, well-developed setting. Kids and their grownups alike will be delighted by this action-filled novel.

Thank you to author Ben Gartner for providing an e-arc such that I could share my honest opinion.

One Giant Leap will be available Tuesday, February 21, 2023. You can pre-order it from Bookshop.org here. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org. I will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.

Did you know? You can also support authors by requesting your library buy their title. This form is typically found on your library’s website, but you can always ask your local librarian as well.

Happy reading!