WE DREAM OF SPACE

Ramon de Ocampo infuses his narration of this emotionally powerful story with direct and subtle emotions that define the three Nelson-Thomas siblings and their middle school experience. The story begins in January 1986 with the excitement of the CHALLENGER mission and ends with its tragedy. As the siblings’ parents’ domestic tragedies dominate the children, 12-year-old twins Fitch and Bird both suffer. Bird, absorbed in all things science, lacks confidence in her appearance and finds comfort in imaginary conversations with CHALLENGER shuttle commander Judith Resnick. Her twin, Fitch, is as quick at playing video games as he is to fly off the handle in anger. Their brother, 13-year-old Cash, who is repeating the year with his two siblings, feels like a failure and hates school. De Ocampo delves meaningfully into the separate lives of each child until they, finally, come together in unity. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2021 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]