0
    • Close Modal
    0 0
    Download high-resolution image Look inside

    The Star of Moon Village

    Author Jennifer Ann Richter
    Look inside
    Hardcover
    $17.99 US
    Candlewick | Holiday House
    5.81"W x 8.56"H x 0.94"D   | 13 oz | 36 per carton
    On sale Jan 27, 2026 | 272 Pages | 9780823456574
    Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    See Additional Formats
    additional book photo
    additional book photo
    Even in outer space there are frenemies.

    Priscilla Cobb has spent her whole life dreaming of space. The underground scientific labs on the Moon are the stuff of legend. So when an international student research voyage to the Moon is announced, Priscilla trains day in and day out.

    But as Priscilla discovers, research will not be the priority of the trip. In fact, the whole trip starts to feel like a vacation for the ultrarich and famous. And when a surprise secret guest is revealed (someone Priscilla hoped to never cross paths with again), she decides enough is enough. It’s time for science to fight back.

    Combining classic middle school growing pains with a near-future space setting, The Star of Moon Village is a smart and empathetic read perfect for fans of Stacy McAnulty’s The Miscalculations of Lightning, Jennifer L. Holm’s The Lion of Mars, and Jasmine Warga’s A Rover's Story.

    A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
    Strong worldbuilding and a STEM focus allow readers to imagine a world beyond their own.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    Richter (Bird Nerd) offers an optimistic tale of lunar adventure that reflects contemporary society’s attitudes surrounding space tourism and the influential power of fame. Rich with scientifically faithful lunar details and speculation, it’s a story about strength and pursuing one’s dreams that’s sure to spark reader curiosity.
    —Publishers Weekly

    The mix of science, imagination, and heart makes this story accessible and uplifting, encouraging curiosity about space and confidence in one’s own potential.
    —School Library Journal

    Sci-fi readers will likely appreciate the careful, thoughtful descriptions of both near-future space travel and the planning needed for a permanent station on the moon, though realistic fiction fans who don’t mind a bit of futuristic imagining may find the enemies-turned-allies story of Priscilla and Starletta to be just as compelling.
    —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    Told in almost two separate parts, the story will appeal to space-loving kids, performers, and students with big dreams.
    —Booklist
    Jennifer Ann Richter is a poet, novelist, short story writer, birder, and stargazer. Jennifer’s works for children have appeared in Fun for Kidz, Shine Brightly, Balloons Lit. Journal, Cricket, and Spaceports & Spidersilk. Her YA story “Partings” won honorable mention in the 2020 Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. Her debut middle grade novel Bird Nerd was published by Holiday House. She lives in Delaware.
    Jennifer Ann Richter View titles by Jennifer Ann Richter

    Photos

    additional book photo
    additional book photo

    About

    Even in outer space there are frenemies.

    Priscilla Cobb has spent her whole life dreaming of space. The underground scientific labs on the Moon are the stuff of legend. So when an international student research voyage to the Moon is announced, Priscilla trains day in and day out.

    But as Priscilla discovers, research will not be the priority of the trip. In fact, the whole trip starts to feel like a vacation for the ultrarich and famous. And when a surprise secret guest is revealed (someone Priscilla hoped to never cross paths with again), she decides enough is enough. It’s time for science to fight back.

    Combining classic middle school growing pains with a near-future space setting, The Star of Moon Village is a smart and empathetic read perfect for fans of Stacy McAnulty’s The Miscalculations of Lightning, Jennifer L. Holm’s The Lion of Mars, and Jasmine Warga’s A Rover's Story.

    A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

    Praise

    Strong worldbuilding and a STEM focus allow readers to imagine a world beyond their own.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    Richter (Bird Nerd) offers an optimistic tale of lunar adventure that reflects contemporary society’s attitudes surrounding space tourism and the influential power of fame. Rich with scientifically faithful lunar details and speculation, it’s a story about strength and pursuing one’s dreams that’s sure to spark reader curiosity.
    —Publishers Weekly

    The mix of science, imagination, and heart makes this story accessible and uplifting, encouraging curiosity about space and confidence in one’s own potential.
    —School Library Journal

    Sci-fi readers will likely appreciate the careful, thoughtful descriptions of both near-future space travel and the planning needed for a permanent station on the moon, though realistic fiction fans who don’t mind a bit of futuristic imagining may find the enemies-turned-allies story of Priscilla and Starletta to be just as compelling.
    —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    Told in almost two separate parts, the story will appeal to space-loving kids, performers, and students with big dreams.
    —Booklist

    Author

    Jennifer Ann Richter is a poet, novelist, short story writer, birder, and stargazer. Jennifer’s works for children have appeared in Fun for Kidz, Shine Brightly, Balloons Lit. Journal, Cricket, and Spaceports & Spidersilk. Her YA story “Partings” won honorable mention in the 2020 Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. Her debut middle grade novel Bird Nerd was published by Holiday House. She lives in Delaware.
    Jennifer Ann Richter View titles by Jennifer Ann Richter

    Additional formats

    Other Books by this Author

    Penguin Random House Retail

    © 2026 Penguin Random House

    Back to Top
    0
    Wish List (0)