A fast paced, engaging science fiction adventure. When Beth and a small group of other children suddenly find themselves in charge of Orion, a giant space ship, after a mysterious incident, floating in space is the least of their worries. Mercury’s the fastest. Closest to the Sun, it reaches speeds of 200,000km an hour, as it completes it orbit in just 88 days. The 14th magnitude companion (B) is a cool star, about 70% the size of our Sun and around 40% as luminous.

I read this whole book in one day and I don't regret a thing. I'm thinking this might just be my new favorite book. My favourite character was Lauryn as not only is she a bit of a chatterbox, she's also a tech wizz and sorts out many of the problems on the ship. I liked the twist of characters and the fact that Beth finally finds her confidence and becomes a leader. Mag. 3.5 Meissa (Lambda (λ) Orionis) is found in a neglected group of stars known as Collinder 69 or the Lambda Orionis Association. Meissa makes a triangle with mag. 4.4 Pi 1 (π¹) Orionis and mag 4.1 Pi 2 (π 2) Orionis. Meissa and the cluster it resides in are thought to be 1,100 lightyears away and certainly worth looking at with larger binoculars.

This must-read YA novel sees a group of teenagers left in charge of a space ship without adult help I did think that towards the end this started to get very 'deep' and heavy handed with it's messages about the environment and kindness in the world - however, I can forgive this a little given that I am not the target audience - although I do think it could have at least tried to have been a little more subtle in it's delivery.

ACCUSATION NATION (+0.5) - Rivals are separate from enemies mainly because they fall on the same side of the overall conflict, while enemies are on opposing sides. So to have one accuse the other of being not a rival, but an enemy? Bold moves indeed. The City is the only home that Ellie has ever known. She's always been told that there is nothing to see beyond the shores of her small, salty island. This was my first sci-fi middle grade and it was fantastic. I had so much fun reading it. Chisholm can for sure write atmosphere, you never know if it will end well or not. How do you take these ideas and give them space to breathe and give yourself a plan of how to work them out?

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There’s something tremendously evocative about glimpsing the bright stars of Orion over a wintery landscape – or towards the end of the autumn months just as the nights start to get longer and colder. Try to use the foreground – trees, buildings, etc – to lead the viewer’s eye toward Orion. Sometimes clouds can be used as a framing device too, and thin cloud can even ‘bloat’ and enhance the colours of bright stars. Set exposure length, aperture and ISO

There are few constellations that grab the attention quite like that icon of the winter heavens, Orion. The glittering bright stars, the instantly recognisable ‘belt’ and the many glowing nebulae scattered within the Hunter’s boundaries all make Orion a wonder to behold on a frosty, dark night.This book is AMAZING! The story is set in the far future where you can travel to the other side of the galaxy in less than a second but only when you are asleep - if you aren’t asleep, you die! The story is told from the perspective of Beth who has to step in and lead Orion’s journey through deep space. She is helped by Ship, Orion’s artificial intelligence but is it lying to Beth? Will the crew all stay loyal to Beth? You also meet the Videshi who are aliens no-one has ever seen before. Or have they? Will the Scrapers destroy the Videshi? There is lots of suspense which makes you want to read the next chapter, and the next, and the next AND hopefully a sequel! Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Most of the story centers around her and 5 other characters, which means that the others have to be strong supporting characters too. Thankfully, they are. Each is distinctive in their talents and personalities, and as a whole the group have some great scenes. If there was a word for chemistry but for negative interactions that's how I would describe it. Like, it's immensely entertaining to watch the group argue, which sounds bad but it's an integral part of the plot and I promise it's fun 😭