Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Beth Hollar Gier for the opportunity to read It's Like We Touched the Moon in exchange for an honest review.

It's Like We Touched the Moon is a HiLo novel-in-verse, and what a verse novel it is! The writing uses repetition, rhyme, and slant rhyme, all to make a flowing beat to the tale. There are these interlude poems that kind of show the passing of time and also give more of that reminiscence of childhood for the reader as it transitions time and events in the book through a more traditional poetic verse style. Gier's writing style is an exquisite way to explore the many immersive topics this novel covers. The novel is well researched for the time period, and everything about it makes for a fun educational read.

Grace is thirteen and loves space, but space is a boy thing, especially in 1969 where gender norms are still shifting. Girls can't be astronauts or work at NASA! This novel reminds me a bit of the Rocket Girls as well as Last Night at the Telegraph Club when it comes to the main character's dreams and aspirations in relation to a space-related career. When a space camp becomes available during the summer, Grace wants nothing more than to go, so she signs up. When she gets the list and her name isn't on it, she notices it is all boys! Apparently they couldn't find a female chaperone... Grace makes it a point to find a female teacher who will chaperone while also collecting forty signatures for a petition. This is the power of an individual, though sometimes there are events in life that happen that are out of our control, but we make do.

The novel takes place during the Apollo 11 launch, which is an iconic aspect sprinkling around the news at the time. Grace's father is also overseas in the Vietnam war, which still has another six or so years to go, so many of Grace's dreams and aspirations she wants to be able to share with her father. While she prays for his swift return, letters suffice for the present.

I really loved everything about this novel. The research involved with the various sprinklings and aspects related to the time period, progression, and the power of self. There were some nice family and friendship lessons, even is some of those are hinted to be more challenging than others. The writing style is truly just absolutely brilliant and really makes the elements of this novel the eloquent middle grade adventure it is. The verse style is appealing for middle grade and young adult readers, but anyone of any age can immerse themselves in the ingenious that is It's Like We Touched the Moon.

A beautiful verse novel - I read it in one sitting but I'm sure it will have a lasting impact!
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***I received a free E-arc from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
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Wow! What a cool story! - I love how the author wove in these short true-to-age poems within the story - they were my favourite!
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The story itself is well written, it's impactful, it flows really well. There are beautiful highs and lows, and even an unexpected twist or two!
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I love how the story explored different sorts of friendships and family dynamics.
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Sidenote, I think I was roughly Grace's age when my own dad did his tour with the army. I don't remember much about it now, but I remember the day he left, and I remember missing him dearly while he was away.
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I would absolutely recommend this story to pretty much anyone! - I think it will resonate with younger readers and older readers alike.
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Five shooting stars!!! 💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you so much to West 44 Books/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Grace loves space she dreams of touching the moon one day. Her dad is in the Vietnamese war, her mom is phased out worrying over him, her sister is a typical teenager. When she finds out there’s a space camp she is desperate to be part of it but after one thing after another goes wrong she has to figure out a plan fast.

This was stunning I loved it so much, for a start it’s inspiring especially for young readers who have similar ambitions to our protagonist, but also to girls in general that are constantly told girls can’t do this. Grace proves that yes girls can do anything they want to do, with the right support and help from people surrounding them.

I was so sad when she kept finding out she wasn’t going to camp, she was so excited and happy, but what happened was even better than the other camp anyway. It brought so many people together and helped to heal her family, gave her a new best friend and was so utterly wonderful.

I really enjoyed this verse book so much, I liked that it also had poems being told as though they were in Grace’s diary, which added an extra layer to the story. I enjoyed reading this so much and getting a wonderful historical book about space was great, I highly recommend.

What a cute story! I loved how Grace acknowledged there were always going to be difficult things- her dad is still gone, her friend is ignoring her- but she could still find the happieness between. I also feel like the theme of misogyny was well handeled as it was clear and present, but not overbearing or offensive. Overall, a wonderful story that was very well done. Congratulations!

This was a fun, quick read that truly empowers young readers, especially girls. It's also great for boys, as it shows a confident and strong female main character. The historical educational element to this book is an excellent bonus to add onto characters you want to cheer for, with a believable family dynamic taking place in its time period. A great middle grade read for all!

The summer of 1969 is an awkward one for Grace. Her best friend seems to have abandoned her for boys, her mum is still suffering the absence of dad/husband in Vietnam, and not everyone is as clued in as Grace is with the space race and the imminent departure of Apollo 11. Still, at least her grades are so great she can go to a professional space camp to witness the moon landing, and meet with a speaking NASA staffer. Oh, no – actually, no female chaperones equal no females at the camp. The moon will just have to stay at her icy remove, then.

This is one of those verse-format Hi-Lo novels, that don't take too long to read but when done well can pack a punch. I didn't think this was really working for me, to start – the text has a lot of reported speech, and there's little that's remotely poetic about all the "he said, she said"s of the piece. Also the way the first chunk is built around Grace building a forty-signature strong petition to get the camp to change their mind is really arbitrary – why forty? Who said that amount would work, and why? There's another large contrivance later you have to be happy about, too.

But hey, I'm happy to report that – just as Apollo 11 (no spoilers) ended well for humanity, so this ends well. Grace even gains a boy friend to call her own, but the reason I have to mention the happy ending is that this just nails it. Here's the sense of personal pride for Grace, but most importantly the sheer momentousness of the occasion is quite superbly done.

This actually, in quiet, measured way, is a book about the whole decade – the birth of the teenager, rock music, protest (even by forty signatures), Vietnam – and of course the space race. And it's all on these enjoyable, concise, impactful pages. This then is able to do a whole lot more than I had expected, or would ever have hoped for. But I still think it's only (only!) four and a half stars – I can see this working equally well if removed from the verse format. Here the bouncy, recapping, rhymed pages of poetry after every section are too breezy and jolly. The whole verse aspect of this wasn't needed for this to be a great read. I mean, it detracts little, but it's enough – yet I am so very happy I got the chance to witness this short-form effort – it's a stunning narrative all told.

My review in Booklist:

In the historic summer of 1969’s Apollo 11 moon landing, Grace is missing her fellow space-loving dad, who is serving in Vietnam. Her mom uses prescription pills to “help her relax,” while her sister, Cyndy, holes up in her room blasting music. Her best friend Denise obsesses over boys and popularity, finding her friend’s fascination with space dorky. After her application for space camp is denied and she discovers it has an all-boys roster, Grace creates a petition, advocating for girls to be included. She meets a new friend and his mother, who reveal something that could shake things up. Readers will root for Grace’s tenacity and spirit. The text is formatted in two styles of narrative, with what appear to be entries in a journal written in rhyme scheme and interspersed throughout the high/low verse novel. The premise is solid, but the main verse reads more as broken prose with minimal use of metaphors or other poetic devices. Hand this debut to STEM enthusiasts, budding feminists, and readers of space-themed stories such as Erin Entrada Kelly’s We Dream of Space (2020).