Deft handling of difficult topics

Schmidt, G. D. (2015). Orbiting Jupiter. Boston, MA: Clarion Books. Joseph’s younger foster brother (Jack) tells Joseph’s story. We learn that Joseph, age 14, has a child of his own. We also learn that Joseph has been in juvenile detention, but the reasons are not stated at first. As Joseph learns to trust his foster family we begin to learn his backstory from Jack. But Joseph’s main desire is to see and love his baby daughter, Jupiter, and will stop at nothing to see her. As the end of the book nears, Joseph has learned to hope, and the reader hopes with him, but not all stories will have a happy ending. A visit from Joseph’s past forces him to make a choice that puts the safety of those he loves above his own. Schmidt’s prose is spare so every word counts. Joseph’s history and abuse is not covered in detail; in many ways the reader must come to his/her own conclusions. This is a powerful story that addresses difficult topics such as abuse and death, but it is well worth the challenge.