Orbiting Jupiter

Written by Gary D. Schmidt

Narrated by Christopher Gebauer

Publishers Weekly Best Book

 

Golden Sower Award (Nebraska)

 

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award

 

In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

 

Two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. 

 

After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. 

 

When Jack meets his new foster brother, he knows three things about him:

     • Joseph almost killed a teacher.

     • He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain.

     • He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.

 

What Jack doesn't know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl. Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.

 

But the past can't be shaken off. Even as new bonds form, old wounds reopen. The search for Jupiter demands more from Jack than he can imagine.

 

This tender, heartbreaking novel is Gary D. Schmidt at his best. He is the author of the Printz Honor and Newbery Honor Book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; Okay for Now, a National Book Award finalist; and The Wednesday Wars, a Newbery Honor Book, among his many acclaimed novels for young readers.

 

"A powerful story about second chances, all the more devastating because not everyone gets one."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781501901966

Gary D. Schmidt

Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of The Labors of Hercules Beal; Just Like That; National Book Award finalist Okay for Now; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor Book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He lives in rural Michigan.

Reviews for Orbiting Jupiter

[Rajiv More · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My most favorite book in the whole world, read it

[Rosheen Jamil · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So heartbreaking! I was left completely bawling my eyes out.

[Kanishka Ariyathilaka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a book. Heavy at the same time light. Will make you smile and tear up as well. Loved every single word. Superb narrating!! Thank you!

[MarHasHobbies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is good but it's so sad oh my god! Like here I am eating my spaghetti and sobbing

[Rachel Schwab · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book it gets sad at the end but its a good story.

[Allison Arepee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Great read. Amazing how some have a heart so big and others so non-existent.

[Louise Henriksen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great writing, narrated well, with an emotional punch. Loved narration.

[Desiree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing
Thats all I can say really

[Janelle Parsons · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a soft, beautiful, and completely heartbreaking narrative of chosen family and pain. My poor heart :(

[fromthecomfychair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Short and heartbreaking, and heartwarming at the same time--pure Gary Schmidt. I've been meaning to read this for years, but when I saw that he had written a sequel, it was time.

[colie77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't really write too much about this book because of the emotional damage.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Jack Hurd is in sixth grade, his parents agree to take in a foster child, Joseph Brook, on their Maine farm. Joseph is in eighth grade, has been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center (convicted of attacking a teacher), and has a daughter, Jupiter, out there, somewhere.

What a wonderful coming-of-age story this is! Though the circumstances are sad and tug at the heartstrings, there are moments of hope and even joy for Joseph and for Jack, who narrates the story. Schmidt doesn’t sugarcoat the foster experience, though he does give Joseph a loving family in the Hurds. They respect his wishes and yet never stop reaching out, with advice and support. They expect him to do the same chores their own son does on the dairy farm, and to maintain his schoolwork.

Still, they cannot easily fix Joseph’s chaotic upbringing and the rage and hurt he carries with him. And, Joseph is fixated on the daughter he has never seen. Helping him find her is one thing the Hurds are not able to do. How far can a child go to achieve the one thing he desperately wants?

I liked that Schmidt showed a couple of teachers who recognized Joseph’s gifts and nurtured his growth, while so many people had clearly already given up on him. And I really liked how the friendship between the two boys developed.

[smichellehos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A solid story throughout and an interesting premise. My only complaint is how the story ended... The final conflict felt too convenient, though it was easy enough to move past as the author already had me rooting for Joseph, Jack, and Jupiter.

[katielibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ARC courtesy of Edelweiss. This was phenomenal. Heart wrenching - but full of hope as well.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book borders between middle grade and teen fiction. It's got some heavy themes but is a very readable and emotional book. When Jack's parents tell him they are taking on a foster kid, he's excited. Then they follow up by saying that Joseph, the foster kid they are taking on, tried to kill a teacher, and even though he's only thirteen he has a daughter who he's never seen. They doesn't scare Jack though - he's excited to get to get to know Joseph. At first Joseph is quiet and rarely smiles. But as he becomes used to his new foster parents and the farm he starts to open up a little at a time. He milks the cows, reads, and starts to excel in school. How can he possibly have such a big and bad reputation?!? A very quick read that will engage readers.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

middlegrade fiction--teen parenthood, abusive fathers and other issues that lead to juvenile detention, PTSD resulting from juvenile detention (Jack is in 6th grade, Joseph is in 8th). Another great story from Gary D. Schmidt, but I felt that Jack was unusually mature and level-headed for his age (even though, yes, he's had the benefit of wonderfully supportive parents) so I'm not sure it would resonate with actual kids.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heartbreaking YA fiction dealing with some very serious themes (teen pregnancy, juvenile detention, fostering, bullying). I thought I knew about half-way through how it was going to end, but I was a bit off.

[beth.clarke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent quick read. Not quite Wednesday Wars, but good contemporary themes.

[acargile-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What makes this novel so memorable is the tone created. It reads like a legend instead of realistic fiction. There's little character development in that the characters seem more like ideas to me.

Jack meets his foster brother and only knows that he almost killed a teacher, stayed at a place for difficult kids called Stone Mountain, and has a daughter named Jupiter. Jack and his parents represent good. They take a teen who no one wants and about whom rumors exist. They teach him to milk a cow. This milking time calms Joseph and allows him time with a cow that gives him quiet comfort, something Joseph has never had. No one has ever listened to Joseph, given him time, and gotten to know him and understand him.

School is unpleasant for Joseph. Jack agrees to walk to and from school in the extreme cold just to avoid the bus with the bullies who treat Joseph badly. He has several teachers who see the true Joseph just as Jack and his family do. Unfortunately, he is picked on by default by those who judge without knowing him. Joseph only wants to meet his daughter, but he's not allowed because he's fourteen years old.

This quiet novel evokes a cold climate both literally and figuratively. Joseph lives in the cold--sees and experiences little human warmth until this family. He is obsessed with finding his daughter, whom he loves. I say it reads like a legend because the characters exist in this cold atmosphere with good and "evil" characters. You really don't get to know the characters beyond what they are to represent. We have an implied lesson with this story. You won't feel as if you know these characters as you will feel pulled supernaturally into this world that orbits Jupiter. Like all Gary Schmidt novels, it is well written and worth your time to read. If he writes it, read it!

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Joseph is a deeply scarred 14 year old father who is sent to the Hurd's home as a foster child. Jack Hurd, two years younger, welcomes Jospeh as a brother right from the start, in spite of his troubled background.
The book focuses on two themes: Jack's intense loyalty to his foster brother, always "having his back," and Joseph's obsession with finding the daughter he knows he has, but has never seen. Her name is Jupiter.
"Orbiting Jupiter" is wildly different from Schmidt's "The Wednesday Wars." That Newbery Honor book was hilarious. This book is quite serious. The writing is flawless.

[dr_cicle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the first chapter, I was hooked on this book. Since the last book I read was a high fantasy, i was looking for a short contemporary and boy did I get one. This book is only 183 pages but it was an amazing book!

Setting/World Building:

This book takes place in a rural community that snows. Since i've never seen snow and have never lived in a rural area, I thought it was refreshing and nice to read in the summer heat.

Flow/Pacing:

Since this book was short, I thought that the plot was gonna be drawn out but in actuality, everything flowed very nicely. The only time I stopped reading was when I was too tired or when I was crying too much. (I cried twice).

Characters:

The main characters Jack and Joseph were amazing! I fell in love with both of them. At first, Joseph wasn't my favorite until he told his back story, which made me love him so much more. There only character development came from Jack and Joseph but I didn't mind that. Since it's a shorter book, I didn't expect a whole lot of character development. One thing I thought was really interesting was that the author gave character to a few of the cows, which I loved.

Conflict:

The conflict in the story is really interesting and doesn't feel forced. The characters dealt with everything that was happening in a way that makes sense. I hate when characters in books make decisions that literally no one in the world would make. Even though the story didn't have a happy ending, I was still happy with how everything turned out.

Overall, I definitely think that this book deserves 5 stars. I think it will become one of my favorite books of the year and maybe of all time.

[michelleannlib · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A heartbreaker but really well done. Beautiful book.

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Twelve-year-old Jack tells the story of when Joseph comes to live with him and his parents on a farm as a foster child. They offer him a safe home, love, support and loyalty - all things he didn't have before in an abusive household or in prison. But Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter, which is difficult to do because he's only fourteen.

There was something lacking for me, but I can't figure out what it is. This book dealt with heavy issues even though it's a middle grade book, I guess, so maybe the writing didn't really coincide with what the book was about. Maybe it needed to be longer. Or have a bit more depth. The ending was predictable and convenient. But a sad read nonetheless.

[jothebookgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jack, age 14, gets the news his parents are taking in a foster child, a boy Jack’s age who will share his room and chores on the farm. His parents are loving, patient, and thoughtful farmers. They will also both be going into sixth grade. But when Jack finds out Joseph had spent time in juvenile hall for trying to kill a teacher and that he is a father, Jack wonders what they’ve gotten themselves into. Joseph arrives nearly mute, his social worker warning that, because of what he’s been through in detention, he doesn’t like the color orange, to be touched, or to be approached from behind. But Joseph begins to thaws quickly, bonding with narrator, Jack, the last foster child the Hurd’s took in. Joseph share his tragic story: he fell in love with a well-to-do girl, and she became pregnant at 13. The baby, they named Jupiter, is now in foster care, too, and Joseph desperately wants to find her. There are no secrets that last very long in a small-town middle school, and word about Joseph soon travels through the halls, and bullies get to work. But Jack has Joseph’s back, even though it costs him. As time goes on, Jack learns Joseph’s whole, heart-breaking story and meets his abusive father. Then everything changes.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jack's family takes in a foster child, Joseph, who is 14 years old. He almost killed a teacher, he was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain and he has a daughter named Jupiter whom he is very anxious to find.
This is a fast read sure to grab the interest of those who like tender heartbreaking stories.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jack's family takes in Joseph, a 14 year old who has had a life full of hard knocks. He's spent time in juvie, removed from a home with an abusive father. He's a dad at 14 and has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. A quick read with lots of white space on the page. It's the story of the impact Jack and his family have had on Joseph's life and see Joseph start to open up.
What a heartbreaking story. It grabbed me as I began to care about these people and worry for them at the same time.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gary Schmidt is one of my favorite authors. While this book lacked the depth of some of his others, still it is worth reading. In this tale, Schmidt beautifully handles the situation of young Joseph who is a very troubled teen. Fourteen years of age and a father of a baby girl, he also has a very long history of detention home incarcerating and inability to follow rules.

When a loving family in Maine decide to take a chance and bring Joseph into their home, for the first time in his life, he is exposed to a "normal" home life. The family is very understanding and patient with him. There is a wonderful way in which Schmidt shows the healing of interactions with animals. And Joseph develops a very tender relationship with Rosie the cow.

When Joseph shares the fact that he loved the girl he impregnated and that there is a little girl in the world as a result of their union. His main goal in life is to be with Jupiter.

Joseph has a lot against him, some of which is his fault, but the fact that he has a worthless, abusive father certainly is out of his control. Sociologists would note that if Joseph had a better upbringing, perhaps the stint in a detention home would not have occurred.

He is intelligent; he knows vulnerability and the ache that results from it; he could have a future if only he could put the bad pieces of life behind and sew a new patch of goodness in the tapestry.

My only quarrel with the book is that the foster family seems to be too perfect. And, the reality is that children that have long, deep scars, do not heal overnight.

Still, Schmidt does continue to shine, and his books are magical.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An ultimately manipulative story about an abused foster boy who's grieving. Lovely writing, but too many "tragic hero" tropes.

[imtanner2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terrific story about a family who takes in a boy who has had a troubled past and is trying to find a path to the future.