Blast Off cover

Blast Off

by Linda C. Cain

This book should never have gone out of print. The illustrations alone are mesmerizing and awe inspiring. I'm not a fan of depictions of children making fun of others' dreams, even in service of the main character overcoming this obstacle. However, the main character in this book handles teasing, due to limited societal expectations based on gender and race, with unflappable grace. She dreams of becoming an astronaut. And her levelheaded self confidence suggests that she'd make a good one. The teasing is a minor plot point and the rest of the book whisks you along on a glorious ride of imagination, possibility, and adventure.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?