Lucas Adebayo has always dreamed of piloting spaceships for the Navy, and he's ecstatic to become the first kid from the asteroid belt accepted aboard the teaching ship Orpheus. Lucas has had a very different life from the kids from Mars, Earth, and Luna. While some of his new crewmates are friendly, not all of them are eager to make him feel welcome. The training is hard, too an environment that has always evaluated certain skills in certain ways, it's easy for his unique talents and experiences to be undervalued or overlooked. Lucas feels impossibly torn between his past and future, but when a rebellion targets the Orpheus, seeking to exploit the simmering discontent between Belters and the Navy, he's the only one who can navigate his two worlds to peace. A fun read with lots of heart and evergreen middle-grade themes, Swiedler's sophomore novel, following the Mars-set standalone In the Red (2020), delivers more high-stakes space adventures, accessible (and cool!) science, and relatable characters that make handing this to young readers a no-brainer.

A young Belter cadet deals with a rebellion in space.Lucas Adebayo's dream has come true: He's the first Belter cadet in the Earther Navy. Well, the first openly Belter cadet-the true first was his adopted sister, Tali Chen, who's posing as the only Martian. Though Tali's actions are understandable given the Navy's history of bias against people from the asteroid belt, who are marginalized and disdained by those from Earth, Luna, and Mars, Lucas is hurt that Tali doesn't want anyone to know they are siblings. After Tali discourages him from joining the Navy with ambiguous, ominous warnings, Lucas sees her planting a device on the ship's hull, investigates, and a rebellion plot unfolds. Lucas wrestles with guilt over his enjoyment of being in the Navy, loving the thrill of the chase but feeling conflicted about arresting Belters for relatively minor infractions while knowing how devastating imprisonment will be for them. Unfortunately, the theme of marginalized communities seeking justice is presented without nuance in a way that feels culturally disconnected from current events and seems to equate identity and difference with conflict while erasing the fundamental problem of an existing imbalance in power. The narrative's assertion that the oppressed simply need to talk with their oppressors to bring about change feels simplistic at best, undermining what is otherwise a well-paced and well-plotted book. Racial and ethnic diversity are suggested through names.Disappointing. (Science fiction. 10-14)

Though the Naval Academy has never accepted a cadet from the Asteroid Belt, Lucas Adebayo, 13, a crack pilot who grew up on his father-s mining ship, dreams of joining his adoptive sister Tali Chen, 16, who was accepted because of the lack of discrimination against Mars-born applicants. When Lucas is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend, he accepts wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, he-s subjected to anti-Belter prejudice and bullying, constantly forced to justify his presence. Worse, to protect her own reputation, Tali pretends not to know him. With the aid of his roommates-tall, blonde Elena, who cannot tell a lie, and Rahul, who uses corneal implants to overcome astral vertigo-Lucas perseveres. But when the academy teaching ship Orpheus is drawn into the middle of a miner-led uprising, Lucas must decide where his loyalties lie, especially when torn between duty and conscience. Though themes surrounding marginalization feel poorly wrought, Swiedler (In the Red) offers a fast-paced tale about defying expectations; the novel-s focus on character dynamics and scientific plausibility makes this a read reminiscent of Robert Heinlein novels. Ages 8-12. Agent: Bridget Smith, Dunham Literary. (June)