O P E N I N G H O O K:
I PEER THROUGH THE door at the lone empty seat in the classroom—my empty seat. When most kids cut class, they get as far away as possible, and I will, too. But first I like to check and see if they notice I’m missing. Or listen to what the other kids say when I’m not there. A chime pings through invisible speakers embedded in the walls. I crouch just out of sight. Our teacher, a Number Whisperer like my parents, glances around the class. Light from one of the overhead panels glints off the pin clasped to her chest, mirroring the flash in her eyes as they settle on the one empty workstation in the rows and rows of seats.
Read an excerpt from the first chapter in the excerpt below!
“Why try?”
“Because when you don't, you always get the same result. Nothing. But if you try—you never know what sort of magic could happen.”
~MOONGARDEN
Growing up, THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett was one of my favorite books (As was her novel A LITTLE PRINCESS, though I wouldn't realize it was the same author until later in life, but that's another story). When I heard that there was a new middle-grade novel landing inspired by THE SECRET GARDEN and that it was S.T.E.A.M., I was immediately intrigued. We don't see sci-fi or dystopian as much in middle-grade, and MOONGARDEN is a successful blend of both.
Toxic plants have rendered Earth uninhabitable. Humans are now spread out across the moon and various planets. Fueled by Creer magic, talents such as Number Whispering (math), Mending (Medicine), Electors (Engineering), Chemics (Chemistry), etc. are revered—used to stabilize today's society and help it thrive. Myra Hodger is the daughter of two of society's most brilliant Number Whisperers and everyone believes her to be brilliantly gifted herself — she even attends the prestigious Scientific Lunar Academy of Magic, or S.L.A.M. However, the numbers have never spoken to Myra. She has no Creer. She skips classes that apply practical magic in order to avoid discovery, but will soon be kicked out of S.LA.M. if she can't get her act together. When Myra discovers a hidden garden full of dangerous-looking plants, her life instantly changes and she finds herself changing, growing, evolving, and become more her, even as she is thrust into the middle of a coverup with consequences more dangerous than she could have ever envisioned...
MOONGARDEN seamlessly blends the best elements of THE SECRET GARDEN in with an original story that is both familiar and new. Long-time fans of the beloved classic won't be disappointed, but reading it isn't necessary in order to enjoy the tale. I love that Myra's last name, Hodger, is a nod to Frances Hodgson Burnett. Instead of a friendly robin, we have Bin-ro (Yes, an anagram for Robin!), a friendly robot with archaic technology that has been caring for the garden. The garden has also been maintained by Bernie (Based on Ben Weatherstaff's character), a Rep who was a Master Gardener in his original life and still maintains those memories. In this world, Reps, or Repetitions, are basically Clones of a person who lived generations ago. They are considered to be less than human and ignored by society. Myra has no reason to feel differently about them until she meets Bernie and realizes he's a person with real feelings and memories of his own, which leads to a powerful sub-story. Myra is also eventually joined in the garden by Canter Weathers, the Director's son. (Yep, Colin and Archibald Craven, though both are significantly different characters, despite still having the same tragic backstory). His mother died when he was younger and he finds himself closest to her when he is in her old classroom, but he never discovered the secret garden hidden within it until stumbling upon Myra late one night when they are both out after curfew. Myra and Canter decide to help the garden thrive and prove to the galaxy that not all plants are toxic and may in fact be what can save humanity when it is discovered that food cloning machines are breaking down and being covered up, but dangerous people don't want the secret to get out and will stop at nothing to silence them and destroy the garden once and for all...
MOONGARDEN is the first in a trilogy and sets up the series nicely. The first book takes its inspiration and runs with it while creating something new and just as exciting. By novel's end, readers will be invested and want to see how Myra and Canter step up, embrace the things they've learned, and hopefully spark a revolution that will shake up society and make it even better. I look forward to seeing what these brilliant teens do next as they evolve into the saviors we know they're destined to become. Their story is exciting and fresh, and we need more sci-fi and dystopian such as MOONGARDEN in middle-grade! (We also need a lot more S.T.E.A.M. worlds and characters, especially where S.T.E.A.M. is a major focus and not a secondary plot, so I hope this heavy dose continues as the series moves forward!),
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EXCERPT
Excerpt from
MOONGARDEN
by Michelle A. BarryPlotting the Stars 1: Moongarden
By Michelle A. Barry
Excerpt for Rockstar Book Tours
CHAPTER ONE
Second Month, 2448
I peer through the door at the lone empty seat in the classroom—my empty seat. When most kids cut class, they get as far away as possible, and I will, too. But first I like to check and see if they notice I’m missing. Or listen to what the other kids say when I’m not there.
A chime pings through invisible speakers embedded in the walls. I crouch just out of sight. Our teacher, a Number Whisperer like my parents, glances around the class. Light from one of the overhead panels glints off the pin clasped to her chest, mirroring the flash in her eyes as they settle on the one empty workstation in the rows and rows of seats.
“Has anyone seen Myra Hodger today?” Ms. Goble’s dark braid whips off her shoulder as she scans the room, looking for the flicker of a hand.
There isn’t one. I knew there wouldn’t be.
“She’s probably off inventing some new algorithm to teleport us all back to the Old World,” some round-faced, curly-haired boy calls. Other kids snicker, and I roll my eyes.
“We don’t need to teleport back, genius,” I whisper. We have ships that could take us from the Lunar Colony to the Old World. That’s not the problem. It’s the fact that we can’t breathe the air there anymore.
Ms. Goble waits for another moment, then makes an entry on the school-issued pendant hanging around her neck. Walking to the front of the class, she twists her braid into a tight bun beneath her ear and settles into the lesson. The laughter dies away. The class watches in a mixture of awe and envy as she swipes her hand through the air, leaving a trail of complicated-looking formulas glowing in its wake.
I quickly decipher the theory outlined in the misty, floating numbers. Contouring decimal equations. Easy stuff for most of the class, an assortment of twelve-year-old wannabe Number Whisperers. They’re called that because hundreds of years ago, before we knew about the fusion of magic and science, people used to say the numbers whispered to a chosen few, telling them their secrets.
Convinced no more questions about my absence are looming, I back away from the door and set off down the hall with my head held high and my steps brisk but not rushed. Rule Number One of cutting class is to always act like you know exactly where you’re going.
I don’t. I never do.
Excerpt from Plotting the Stars 1: Moongarden
Text copyright © 2022 by Michelle A. Barry.
Reproduced by permission from Pixel+Ink.
All rights reserved.
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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S
Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details
Romance: --
Language: --
Violence: --
Other: G ( A classmate's mother is dead, which is mentioned multiple times. A beloved Rep (Sort of a clone) is "retired" (a soft way of saying killed). MC's parent's ignore her and her home isn't as loving. MC often skips class. MC is sometimes bullied for being gifted. MC often sneaks out after curfew to go to the garden. Younger readers may find he concept of Earth being uninhabitable due to toxic plants scary. )
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: MOONGARDEN
Author: Michelle A. Barry
"MOONGARDEN blooms with heart and adventure. A stellar update of THE SECRET GARDEN, woven with a little science fiction, a lot of magic, a vibrant heroine, and a plucky robot sidekick to rival R2-D2." —Victoria Aveyard, New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen
THE SECRET GARDEN meets THE CITY OF EMBER. Failed climate change policy, an intergalactic conspiracy, and the magical, unlikely heroine who could unearth it all. An explosive STEAM-inspired series starter perfect for young change makers.
Centuries ago, Earth’s plants turned deadly, and humanity took to space to cultivate new homes. Myra Hodger is in her first year at an elite school on the Moon, and she’s crumbling under the pressure. She doesn’t fit in and, worse, the tattoos that signal her Number Whisperer magic aren’t developing. In her heart, she knows she doesn’t have a Creer, and soon everyone else will, too.
Wandering the halls while cutting class, she discovers a secret lab hidden behind one of the unused classrooms and, beyond that, a secret garden overflowing with plants. Dangerous toxic plants.
As she learns more about the garden, Myra begins to wonder if she does have a Creer after all—one that died out when the Earth did. One that could help solve the food shortages the government doesn’t want anyone to know about.
Re-envisioning THE SECRET GARDEN for a new generation, MOONGARDEN weaves together STEAM themes and intense social pressures in a stunning series starter, and introduces a dynamic heroine who might just grow a revolution.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle A. Barry grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was later cajoled over the border into Connecticut by her future husband. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer and editor, and marketing professional. She currently lives in Connecticut with her charming husband and their two delightful children. MOONGARDEN is her first novel.
~*~****Giveaway*****
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