The Secret Astronomers

Praise for The Secret Astronomers:

“Some books map bold new territory in form, at the expense of story. Some trod well-worn paths to tell an excellent story. It’s the rare book that sails into uncharted waters of form to also tell a brilliant story, and this is one. This is a compelling, stirring, rural Appalachian coming-of-age tale worthy to stand with the finest.”—Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of In the Wild Light

“A wholly original novel that celebrates connection in unlikely places.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This epistolary tale is a complete joy not only to read but also to behold. Walker, the director of illustration at the Parsons School of Design, masterfully pulls off the notion of an old textbook full of notes left between two students, full of lively artwork and photographs. Readers will whiz through this clandestine correspondence and perhaps be spurred to start their own.”—BookPage (starred review)

“Has a sense of stillness in the reading experience that is rare in YA.”—Booklist

“Elaborate full-color collages and artwork, as well as handwritten text scrawled on sticky notes and scratch-paper that covers the primer, make this a visually distinctive book you might have to see to fully appreciate.”—The Washington Post

“In this intriguing epistolary novel, Walker (Baby Feminists) employs multimedia formatting to chronicle the anonymous, pen pal–adjacent friendship between two high school seniors in 2016 rural Green Bank, W.Va… . [A] conceptually innovative solo debut.”—Publishers Weekly

“A tale told through notes, with gorgeous drawings and town secrets, that keeps readers wanting more… Readers will be entranced by the lush and creative hand-drawn illustrations and collages, as well as the mystery elements … A heartwarming tale about connection, grief, and challenging assumptions.” —School Library Journal

“This illustrated novel is stylistically compelling… [the girls’] distinct voices, witty banter, and deep emotions … make this an effective and moving character study.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A triumph of storytelling and design”—LitHub

Jessica Walker is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, filmmaker, and educator. She is an assistant professor of fine arts at Parsons.

Walker has exhibited films, books, and 2D media in solo and group shows in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Australia. Her work is housed in the permanent collections at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Research Library, Yale University Haas Family Arts Library, and the University of Washington Art Library.

She is also the illustrator of the Baby Feminists series.

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