Moongarden (Plotting the Stars #1)

by Michelle Barry (Author)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

Failed climate change policy, an intergalactic conspiracy, and the magical, unlikely heroine who could unearth it all. An explosive STEAM-inspired series starter perfect for young change makers.

Centuries ago, Earth's plants turned deadly, and humanity took to space to cultivate new homes. Myra Hodger is in her first year at an elite school on the Moon, and she's crumbling under the pressure. She doesn't fit in and, worse, the tattoos that signal her Number Whisperer magic aren't developing. In her heart, she knows she doesn't have a Creer, and soon everyone else will, too. Wandering the halls while cutting class, she discovers a secret lab hidden behind one of the unused classrooms and, beyond that, a secret garden overflowing with plants. Dangerous toxic plants. As she learns more about the garden, Myra begins to wonder if she does have a Creer after all--one that died out when the Earth did. One that could help solve the food shortages the government doesn't want anyone to know about.

Re-envisioning The Secret Garden for a new generation, Moongarden weaves together STEAM themes and intense social pressures in a stunning series starter, and introduces a dynamic heroine who might just grow a revolution.

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Kirkus

Debut author Barry smoothly incorporates contemporary--and perhaps perennial--issues of elite education, pressure to succeed, corporate corruption, class divides, systemic prejudice, and environmental depredation while delivering a boarding school story in a believable off-world setting. . . Nicely realized, intriguingly complex, and well set up for sequels.

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review

This Secret Garden retelling . . . works beautifully in its new space setting. . . . The storytelling is immersive and engrossing, touching on environmental issues, class structure and prejudice, and the struggle to find one's truest self. Readers will be eager for the next installment in this marvelous, magical universe.

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Michelle Barry
Michelle A. Barry grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was later cajoled over the border into Connecticut by her future husband. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer and editor, and marketing professional. She currently lives in Connecticut with her charming husband and their two delightful children. Moongarden is her first novel.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781645951261
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Pixel+ink
Publication date
November 01, 2022
Series
Plotting the Stars
BISAC categories
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV059000 - Juvenile Fiction | Dystopian
JUV053020 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction | Space Exploration
Library of Congress categories
-

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