This book wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for my good friend Garrett Reisman, who used to be an astronaut and is now the human spaceflight program manager at SpaceX. I’ve always been thrilled by space travel (back when I was thirteen, I wrote to NASA volunteering to be the first teenager in space) but having a friend who has actually done it is the next best thing to doing it yourself. Over the years, Garrett has given me an incredible window into the present and future of space travel, inviting me and my family to space shuttle launches, videoconferencing with me from the International Space Station (where he showed off his infamous “zero gravity juggling”), and, of course, letting me try the space toilet simulator at the Johnson Space Center. Those experiences inspired this book—as well as my son, Dashiell, who spent many days of his young life dressed as an astronaut. Even though Garrett is insanely busy these days, he was always available to answer any questions I had about what life would be like in space. (However, I should point out that my lead character’s views on moon colonization are fictional; they are not the opinions of Garrett or anyone else at NASA or SpaceX.)
I am also indebted to Leah Ilan for teaching me about sign language, Tim Delaney and Danny Eisenberg for doing a tremendous amount of research, Kristin Ostby for her excellent editing, and Jennifer Joel, my extraordinary agent, for first suggesting that space might be a great location for a middle grade series. Finally, huge thanks to my dear friend and fellow science fiend Scott Lew, who went to superhuman lengths to give me some really excellent notes on this book.