Tethered to Other Stars
Written by Elisa Stone Leahy
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope that will win the science fair, and stay on her family’s safe orbit.
But that’s easier said than done when there’s a woman hiding out from ICE agents in the church across the alley—and making Wendy’s parents very nervous.
As bullying at school threatens Wendy’s friendships and her hopes for the science fair, and her family’s secrets start to unravel, Wendy finds herself caught in the middle of far too many gravitational pulls. When someone she loves is detained by ICE, Wendy must find the courage to set her own orbit—and maybe shift the paths of everyone around her.
Primary ISBN: 9780063255487
Publication Date: October 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Guatemalan/Guatemalan American, Salvadoran/Salvadoran American
Themes: Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Coming of Age, Cross-Group Friendship, Detention & Deportation, Discrimination: Racial, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Family Separation: By Detention, Format: Audiobook, Generation: 1st, Identity: Multilingual, Immigrant: Undocumented, IYNB Recommends: ASCA School Counselors 2026, IYNB Recommends: Justice & Belonging, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: United States (Columbus OH)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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