Cover designed by Dion MBD
The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez
Seventh-grade Alex’s favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos of rocket launches with his Papi and spending hours on the NASA website reading about astronauts and planets. He even dreams of going to space one day himself, and knows he’ll have to study hard in order to get there.
But Alex is in his grade’s SC (self-contained) classroom, which means doing the same dull worksheets every day and reading books his sister read back in the third grade. Worst of all, being in SC means nobody thinks he’s ready to join Ms. Rosef’s mainstream science class—the class Alex knows will be the first step on his path to NASA.
When his teacher says “not yet” for the millionth time, Alex decides it’s time to make a change. Now he’s ready to try everything he can to get the people in his life—his teachers, his parents, and the kids at school—to understand that he, Alex Ramirez, is capable of the extraordinary.
Praise for The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez
“This story is about a boy who is certain of his own magic in the midst of the doubtful adults around him. A kid who knows not even the sky, but the stars are the limit. Which makes Paulino’s debut…extraordinary.” —Jason Reynolds, author of National Book Award finalist Look Both Ways and Newbery Honor Book Long Way Down
“Jasminne Paulino’s debut novel in verse is a triumph that beautifully celebrates the extraordinary in neurodivergence. You don’t just root for seventh grader Alex and the dreams he sets for himself, you aspire to them. You hope to love and see the world the way he does. This book has magic, and in Alex’s story, we levitate to the stars with him.” —Pablo Cartaya, author of the Pura Belpré Honor Book The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and the Schneider Family Honor Book Each Tiny Spark
“This is a book kids need about shattering the limits others put on you. Saying out loud what you think, feel, and need. Standing up for and believing in yourself—and others. And just like the first astronauts on the moon, taking that one small step that changes everything.” —Lisa Fipps, author of Printz Honor Book Starfish
“How perfect that the word extraordinary is in this book’s title! The pacing is extraordinary. The poetry is extraordinary. The plot is extraordinary. An E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y book in every way!” —John Schu, teacher-librarian and New York Times bestselling author of Louder Than Hunger
“Funny, warm, and written in magnetic verse that just flows off the page, The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez was unputdownable. Alex’s determination had me rooting for him from start to finish, and the teacher in me leapt for joy to see all the characters get to experience the ending they deserved. Jasminne Paulino is now an auto-buy author for me.” —Andrea Beatriz Arango, author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home
“Jasminne Paulino is a master of language and languages. She is a poet of English, of Spanish, of anxiety, and above all of humanity. She has clearly walked a mile in every pair of shoes there is. Let her take you, untethered, into Alex’s orbit and you will see triumph.” —Chris Lynch, author of National Book Award Finalist Inexcusable and Walkin’ the Dog
“A story of finding your strength and believing in yourself. Young readers will dream big with Alex and shoot for the stars.” —Adrianna Cuevas, author of Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and Edgar Award winner The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto
“A fast-paced, heartwarming novel in verse that captures the essence of what it means to think and be ‘different.’ Using vibrant imagery and lyrical language in both English and Spanish, Paulino lets us into Alex’s vibrant and dynamic mind in a way I’ve rarely seen done on the page before. From the first page to the last, I was captivated by Alex’s journey and was rooting for him and his dreams all along the way. This book is an excellent read for any young person who has ever struggled to find the words and the strength to speak and stand up for themselves.” —Jasminne Mendez, author of Pura Belpré Honor Book Aniana del Mar Jumps In
“A powerful novel in verse about setting your own orbit, Paulino’s moving debut shows with extraordinary talent the galaxies that live inside every young person. The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez combines pitch-perfect poetry, a moving cast of characters, and the biggest heart, and belongs in the hands and hearts of every middle grade reader.” —Kate Fussner, author of The Song of Us and 13 Ways to Say Goodbye