Space Race (Volume 2)

Abby in Orbit

by Andrea J. Loney, Fuuji Takashi (Illustrator)

Is Abby too far ahead to see that she's left her friends behind?

It’s time for the first ever OASIS Space Race, a virtual reality obstacle course designed to make space’s required exercise fun. Abby and her classmate Dmitry both want to win for their age group, so much so that they don’t pay attention to the rules and accidentally get stuck in the simulation, glitching their friend Gracie’s designs. If they want to find a way out, they’re going to have to work together.

Genres: Science Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books

96 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2023

About the author

Andrea J. Loney grew up in a small town in New Jersey and received her MFA in dramatic writing from New York University. Since then, she has worked various jobs, from screenwriter to toy designer to software trainer, and she even ran away to live with a circus. Today Andrea spends most of her time writing the kind of books that she wishes had been available when she was a child—stories that embrace and reflect the humanity of all children. She lives with her partner, their two cats, and a betta fish in Los Angeles, California. Visit her online at andreajloney.com.

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader]

This is book 2 in the Abby and Orbit series and follows Abby and friends as they work on a coding project for school. Their assignment is to build a virtual reality game to keep people entertained while exercising. Abby, Gracie, and Dmitry are apart of the same group and they each have different ideas as to what the game should be. It's a learning experience about working together and listening to each other's ideas. Just like in Blast Off this sprinkles in real life science in an easy to understand introduction.

[Vilma Diaz]

This was a cute, quick read. I liked that Abby learned such an important lesson about listening to others. I also liked that we got to see Dmitry as more than just an antagonist. I especially liked the notes at the end, particularly Abby’s Orbital Observations.

This is a cute series with a diverse cast. And I love that our main family is Afro-Latine. It’s funny and futuristic and I would definitely recommend it.

[Pam]

Abby continues to learn some hard lessons as she doesn't pay attention to anyone else's feelings or wants. She hurt her father with a comment on coding. However, she also expressed her opinion. She didn't listen to her friend and her constant arguing with her classmate is repetitious. Loney does show the damage done by parents who place pressure on their children.

[Deborah Zeman]

Another cute story about friendship and coding, and understanding that you need to work as a team in order to get things to work right.

[Sandra Matthews]

Awesome combination of science and tech and imagination.

[Margaret Boling]

11/4/2023 ~ I enjoyed the descriptions of liquids in the microgravity of a space station. Definitely adding this series to my elementary library.