Farther than the Moon by Lindsay Lackey

Houston Stewart wants to be an astronaut, and he promises his brother Robbie, who has cerebral palsy, that he will take Robbie with him to space one day. Houston was accepted into the Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program (JARP) for a month, marking the first step toward reaching his dream.

Once he lands in Texas, Houston meets his crew members: Maverick, Freya, George, Tahmina, and Dongjoo. For the next month, the crew must work together on various challenges to complete the program. Through victories and failures, the crew must learn to work together, navigating their differences and leaning into their strengths.

When Houston tries to bolster his reputation by announcing that his grandfather is famous astronaut Carey Broderick and they have a close relationship, he has to deal with the fallout when his grandfather shows up at the JARP and doesn’t know him. His crew must decide if they can trust him, and he must humble himself and reengage with the group.

When Robbie is unhappy with Houston’s final project, Houston and his crew scramble to come up with a new one overnight. When they present their project, Houston is proud to have his mom, brother, and grandfather in the audience. He learns there are some things more important than winning a coveted internship with NASA.

Reading Level: Ages 8-12
Read Aloud: Age 8+

Lindsey Lackey weaves a beautiful story of brotherly affection, sacrifice, and friendship that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next. The premise of the story is very interesting, especially for a child who has no regular interaction with someone who navigates special needs. However, the flow of the story is interrupted by the heavy inclusivity agenda and feminist undertones.

Different ethnicities are represented in the instructors and the six crew members, with the son of a politician being portrayed as the bully in the group. Tahmina laments that society favors only a certain kind of person at the exclusion of others. And the inclusivity becomes confusing when a professor is referred to by they/them pronouns.

Multiple times throughout the story, a child chants, “Down with the patriarchy!” There is also an emphasis on female astronauts over male astronauts, and the girls in the group insist they be recognized as female instead of one of the “guys.”

All of this leads to the children choosing a final project intended to get Robbie to space—not because it is safe or right, but because it is unfair that he can’t go. Everybody has limitations, and it is important for our children not to buy into the lie that they can do whatever they set their minds to do. Beyond that, this begs the question: Just because we can, does that mean we should?

Language:

Primo, Houston’s best friend, tells him to “Have fun being a bad as–tronaut!” before Houston leaves for the JARP. While there is no bad language in this book, language itself is used to promote the inclusivity agenda. For example, Maverick uses the word “spaz” to mock Freya, which initiates a confrontation. The girls correct the boys anytime they use the term “guys” to refer to the whole group (i.e., “what do you guys think?”). There are many examples of this throughout the story; in fact, it almost feels like the story is built around these snippets.

Questionable Behaviors:

Maverick is portrayed as a bully. He taunts and mocks the other characters until he is humbled in a group “therapy” session. Houston lies about his relationship with his grandfather. Houston’s dad abandoned his family. Houston’s mom accuses her father of putting work before family.

Sexual Content:

Houston has a crush on Tahmina, and it seems that Freya has a crush on Houston. At the end of the story, George and Dongjoo are said to be “going out,” and Houston notices they are holding hands.

Other Things to Know:

There are some scenes in the book when Robbie’s family tries to calm him before he has a seizure, and eventually, the reader witnesses Robbie experiencing a grand mal seizure. Part of Robbie’s care includes feeding him through a tube and changing his soiled underwear.

This review is written by Good Book Mom contributor, Kelli. To learn more about Kelli, click HERE.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.