What Goes Up

August 1, 2018
When a rogue NASA satellite threatens to crash back to Earth, 12-year-old Robyn decides it's time to find her father before it's too late.An albino with pale white skin, pale curly hair, and pale eyes with poor vision, Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow has always looked "out of place." Robyn knows nothing about her father except she resembles him, so maybe his recessive gene for albinism was "stronger" than her mom's (who presents white). When she learns about a local family with albino kids, Robyn decides she's related. Also totally convinced NASA's XR-26 satellite will crash into her house with its infamous "magnet roof" (it seems to attract every falling object in Calliope), Robyn sets out to locate her father before it does, aided by her best friend, Nickel. Even though her mother operates a fairy-themed party venue, Robyn's shocked when her English teacher assigns A Midsummer Night's Dream, with its famous fairy character named Robin Goodfellow. Why would her mother name her after this character? Why has her mother told her nothing about her father? Will she locate her father before the satellite hits? Robyn's anxieties and determination resound through her humorous first-person narration. A cast of very zany local characters and a tension-filled plot driven by the approaching satellite enhance Robyn's quest to uncover her real identity.A quirky, heartwarming story of family and friendship. (Fiction. 8-12)

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September 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Robyn is afraid for her life. She's just learned that a NASA satellite will be crashing to the earth in a few weeks. NASA says it could hit anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and probably not even on land, but Robyn knows it's going to land right on the roof of her house. That's because Robyn's house has a magnet roof and everything lands there. Parachuters, frisbees, kites, cats, and more have turned up on Robyn's roof! She has to hurry and find out who her real father is so that she can get him to help her find a new place to stay until the satellite lands or sign a form to help her change her name to something not so fairyish. The last thing she wants on her gravestone is Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow! Robyn enlists her best friend in one caper after another in order to get to her goal. Robyn's growth in the story is natural and her resolutions to her problems are thoughtful. VERDICT A quirky, fun story set in a town filled with unique and amusing characters. Recommended to fans of Carl Hiaasen.-Terry Ann Lawler, Burton Barr Library, Phoenix

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