Grace Needs Space is a middle grade graphic novel about a girl learning to navigate the new normal of spending time with her mother's after their recent divorce. Set in a world where humans have learned to live away from Earth on space stations and other habitat options in space, the illustration style is very pleasing and engaging..

This book was so sweet and wholesome and unexpectedly emotional, I loved it! The story itself is fairly simple, but this is a graphic novel that truly benefits from having the art and story intertwined. Being able to see Grace's emotions as she travels through space made this a really good read. The basics of the story are that a 12-year-old girl who lives on a space station with her "boring" mom gets to go on a vacation with her "exciting" mom and realizes those distinctions maybe aren't true or fair. The story handles what it's like being a child of divorce while also being a beautifully-drawn space adventure. I think younger and older readers can both enjoy the art and the relatable depiction of childhood, although they may understand the story through different lenses. Overall, I'm really glad I picked this one up and was able to read it!

Wow, I was so impressed with this! Excellent exploration of dynamics in a family where two partners have split up, kid life between two “houses”/ways of life (a space station and a ship that explores and docks), expectations and frustrations and feelings—all while being a pretty rad journey into life in space. Protagonist Grace soaks up knowledge about Titan, researching both out of interest and, sometimes, to fill her time and brain when her “secondary” parent, Ba, is blowing her off once again. Appreciated that *two* characters (including Ba) use the honorific “Mx.”, which goes a longer way towards normalizing it than one, and that Grace’s mom is a larger person (oh, and also the space station’s chief engineer). Has the “Smile” mass-appeal kind of a look and feel (with extra awesome space illustrations). Covers navigating a two-not-together-parents situation the best I’ve seen so far in a middle grade graphic (and maybe any?) format.

Grace (12 years old) is excited and very very anxious about making the connection to go with her Ba (aka Kendra, a space freighter pilot) for a month--to stay in Porco station on Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

When she finally gets on her Ba's ship, she learns that the trip is just work for Ba, and trying to fit in time for Grace is not a big priority. Nor does she believe kids can do anything helpful without messing them up.

What seems like a pretty-good idea to Grace, doesn't go to plan, and it spotlights the problems between the two. How will they learn to get along when things go wrong?

This story demonstrates communication, working together, and encouraging kids to learn by doing things and asking questions. (Thank you!)

I also enjoyed the inset boxes containing "history" and facts about the moon Titan; they were new to me and fun to learn!

4/5

Thanks to Random House Children's, Random House Graphic, and NetGalley, for the temporary digital preview of this graphic novel; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.

#GraceNeedsSpace #NetGalley
#RandomHouseChildrens
#RandomHouseGraphic
#BenjaminAWilgus #BenjaminAWilgusAuth
#RiiAbrego #RiiAbregoAuth #RiiAbregoIllus
#LexileMeasureGN570L
#MiddleSchoolScienceFictionGirlInSpace
#MiddleSchoolScienceFictionWomenCareersInSpace
##FictionDivorcedParents
#FictionChildrenLivingInSpace
#ChildrensScienceFictionComicsGraphicNovels
#ChildrensActionandAdventureComicsandGraphicNovels
#GraphicNovelsBooks
#ChildrensScienceFictionLivinginSpace
#ChildrensScienceFictionLivingOnASpaceStation
#LGBTQTwoMoms

Wonderful STEAM themed book that also includes divorce and queer family rep. Cannot wait to share this graphic novel with all the kids at my school.

This was a nuanced story set in space where a child has to come to terms with one of her parents not being as wonderful and reliable as she remembers. Grace is finally getting to travel with one of her moms, Ba, to a real moon, as opposed to the 'boring' space station she lives on with her 'boring' mom. But once Ba and Grace head out, all the plans Grace had get sidetracked when Ba's work takes up all of her time and attention. Ba isn't a terrible parent, but she is dismissive and a little negligent - a nuance that many children deal with. Both parents are loving, but Grace comes to appreciate her 'boring' life.

This was such a cute space vacation read! I loved the art style and following along with grace as she goes on a vacation with her mom.

This was such a cute graphic novel. I really enjoyed the artwork and learning a bunch of space facts as I read. In this book, Grace is excited to get away from her over protective mom and spend a weekend with her fun mom. So they go on a trip where her fun mom is delivering some cargo to Titan. Grace is so excited to go to Titan - she desperately wants to see the frozen lake. And while her mom is working Grace explores Titan and befriends some kids that are going on a field trip the next day to the frozen lake. They invite her to join in on the field trip - without telling her mom or the teacher of course - and she meets up with them the next day. While on the field trip she gets separated from the group and gets left behind. Of course her mom is not happy that she snuck off to go someplace on her own but Grace feels very ignored by her mom. They haven't hung out at all and Grace has been left on her own for almost the whole trip. A few more things happen but I don't want to spoil the ending of the book for you, definitely check this one out! It's super cute and the artwork is amazing.

Grace is a young girl with two moms, she lives with one on the space station, Genova, and the other, Ba, is a spacer who travels between space stations and other planets and moons. Grace finds her life on the space station boring and her mom a bit overbearing so she is looking forward to a trip with her Ba to Titan. When the trip starts to go unexpectedly she makes some choices that cause her to reconsider how she views her mom and Ba.

This graphic novel was so sweet. Grace is a girl longing for adventure after feeling trapped in the space station for most of her life. It's a story that many young readers will resonate. I loved how Grace's relationships with her moms' evolved during the story. The relationship between middle school aged kids and their parents is almost always a rocky one and Grace Needs Space! is a great example of that. It allowed Grace's growth to really shine. The art and colors were beautiful!

While I genuinely enjoyed this one it felt like something was missing. Grace was a great character but at some points she felt kind of one dimensional. While I think a lot of kids can relate to the Grace and the situations she finds herself in, it was hard to connect with Grace herself. I would have loved to see her exploring some of her feelings instead of ignoring them. There was also a lot of scientific information presented about Titan that I found unnecessary but can see where it may be enjoyed by others.

Grace Needs space is an adorably drawn graphic novel about a girl named Grace and her divorced parents. Grace is going off her satellite to her ba’s ship and then a separate station entirely. It’s something she’s really looking forward to. She’s double checking landing times, going over everything even though her mom is telling her to relax, she is very much on task.

I instantly loved this kid. So when her ba lands, Grace is off to join her.

Her ba is a cargo hauler and has a schedule to stick to and her own ship which she shows Grace around and tells her how she rebuilt a lot of it on her own. Grace is interested in helping, “I can do this, I can do that” and you get the feeling that this is a child who does not want to be seen as a burden.

The art does an amazing job conveying Grace’s emotions. The lighting enhances it, it’s beautiful to look at and Grace is adorable.

You watch as Grace tries to be close to her ba, goes on a bit of a day adventure that gets her in a lot of trouble and you see the disconnect between her and the parent she doesn’t live with. There’s even a point where her mom has to come help her and her ba because the ship is having problems and this is where I have a big problem.

I’m not a child of divorce, I’m a chiold of parents who really should have divorced. So I get that kids get the blame for things that are not their fault. And in this, Grace’s ba blames her for something going wrong. Saying it was working fine up until Grace showed up.

Grace’s mom tells her that the issue was happening over time and had nothing to do with Grace and they both just keep going. There was no apology, no one actually cared that Grace had been blamed for something that really put them in a lot of danger. And it, to be blunt, pissed me off.

Grace’s ba is a busy woman and that’s a problem that she and Grace have to face but I didn’t like her relationship with Grace. I didn’t like how she treated her, didn’t listen, failed to try to understand her and then blamed her for something she didn’t do.

Grace’s mom is great but her ba? No.

I don’t want to spoil anything but I’m giving this three (3) out of five (5) stars.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishers for this ARC.

I found this graphic novel charming. I felt Grace’s angst throughout the story. Being 12 was a challenge and then some and having parental attention was vital. Being letdown by them, even if their intentions are for the best, really stinks. As this is a fun story, there is a great ending and a lesson learned and the entire book is quite enjoyable.

4.5/5, rounded up
thanks to random house and netgalley for the arc!

this is a super cute middle grade sci-fi graphic novel about grace, a girl who has two moms who are divorced. one she lives with, and one she visits every few months and goes on space adventures. this is a story about a family learning how to communicate, with fun sci-fi elements and cute art!

I really liked the graphic novel, Grace was cute and inquisitive and eager to help with whatever needed to be done. I thought that the world it was in was gorgeous and fun. I loved how it really threw us into the deep space of it all. Overall my only critique is that it felt slow at parts but I loved seeing how Grace interacted with the world and with her mom and her Ba

This is so cute!!! Grace's facial expressions are so Ghibli-reminiscent (those eye sparkles and big smiles and looks of total wonder I love it). The art is so cute it's perfect!

The story made me feel lonely too. It hurt to watch Ba put work over Grave so much during the trip that was supposed to be their Big Adventure (TM).

This story had a wonderful and sweet ending and overall this has become one of my favorites of the year

Oh, I thought I would just take a quick look at this, and ended up reading it all in one go. This was so much fun,and so emotional, and so real, depsite being set in some future time, of time travel. Some things are universal.

Grace has two moms. One she lives with, and one is a ships captain who halls fright. She loves them both. She loves being with the fun mom, who is going to take her to one of the moons of Titan.
But her mom has to work, and so the trip is not as fun.
What was so great about this was this was written for parents as well as kids. The mom’s excuse makes so much sense when you are running your own business, and I totally got why she did what she did, even if it upset Grace. And I also got her practical mom, who knew what to do in case of emergency.

Great book. I think kids of divorced parents will totally relate to this book.

<em> Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Great book with a STEAM related story! Great for little ones interested in space and space travel as well as a good book that teaches about interpersonal relationships.

"Grace Needs Space!" is a super cute graphic novel about a young girl who accompanies her mother Kendra on a freight mission through space that turns out to be not so great as she had hoped. It's a great book for kids who are feeling left out/disconnected from their parents. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The artwork is also GORGEOUS.

This is a cute graphic novel about a girl who lives on a space station dreaming of adventure and setting foot on a planet. Grace lives on a small station with her engineer mother while her other mother runs deliveries all over the solar system, a journey Grace is fascinated with and finally convinces both parents to let her tag along on a trip to Titan (one of Saturn's moons). Things go awry almost immediately, as her mother is too busy working to hang out with Grace, or do any of the things she's been looking forward to once they reach Titan. Grace takes matters into her own hands, leading to a conflict with her mother. I liked the plot, the idea of a space road trip is great and I loved how the author envisioned life on Titan. However, I felt like the family drama took up the majority of the plot, and that was not the most interesting part of the story. The art is fantastic and colorful, and overall the story is a fun read.

Grace is ready for a fun and adventurous space trip even if it turns out a little different than planned!

This was a fun futuristic space adventure with beautiful and Ghibli like artistry (when Grace cries in the spaceship, the way her tears bubble up felt very Ghilbi-esque to me in a wonderful way!). Grace is a kid who just wants to go exploring space with her ba, but unfortunately her ba's work interrupts their time together and Grace winds up taking matters in to her own hands in order to get the trip she wants. Stories about little girls who are so into their chosen interest and actively seek out ways to learn more are always some of the best stories to read.

The diversity was also wonderful and subtle in a way that doesn't make it a big deal, but will be important for readers to see the representation.

On the downside, itt felt like it lacked a little bit of plot, or at least more of a conclusion for the short amount of time we're given with Grace. The end with her ba feels rushed and it feels incredibly open ended, I hope maybe there will be more stories with Grace and her mom and ba in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, Random House Children's, Random House Graphic, for allowing me to read Grace Needs Space! early!

Grace Needs Space! was a nice reading experience with cute illustrations and an enjoyable plot, although it lacked a bit of depth.