2007
WISE Score
A 1950s historical drama where a neighborhood mystery and the polio epidemic collide under the stars.
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This is a solid piece of historical fiction that trades the typical nostalgia of the 1950s for the paralyzing fear of the polio epidemic. It isn't a flashy page-turner, but it has genuine emotional weight.
If your kid liked Every Soul a Star or is interested in medical history, this is a great pick. It’s a thoughtful look at a time when a simple summer breeze could feel like a threat, and it handles the reality of physical disability with grace and grit.
Best for kids aged 10-14. It's a 'quiet' book that rewards patience and an interest in history or science, rather than a fast-paced action fan.
Strong focus on family dynamics and the moral weight of keeping secrets, set against a backdrop of a community-wide medical crisis.
The star-gazing and astronomy themes add a layer of wonder to an otherwise grounded historical setting.
As a middle-grade novel, it's very safe, though the descriptions of polio and iron lungs might be claustrophobic or intense for some kids.
Provides a vivid, empathetic look at the 1950s polio epidemic, encouraging ethical thinking about lies, loyalty, and physical disability.
Kathryn Lasky is a powerhouse, but most kids today know her for the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. Chasing Orion is a completely different beast. It’s set in 1952, a year when polio was the invisible monster under every bed. The story centers on Georgie and her older brother, but the real gravity comes from their neighbor, a beautiful teen girl confined to an iron lung.
It’s a great pick for a kid who has outgrown simple 'problem novels' and wants something with more atmosphere. The book does a fantastic job of balancing the wonder of the night sky with the grounded, sometimes terrifying reality of mid-century medicine. It’s not 'boring' historical fiction, but it is deliberate. If your kid is used to the breakneck speed of modern YA, this might feel like it’s moving in slow motion, but the payoff is a much deeper emotional resonance.
Lasky captures the specific paranoia of the era—the way parents would stop their kids from going to the pool or the movies out of sheer terror. For a generation that lived through a modern pandemic, these themes of isolation and the 'invisible threat' will likely land with more impact than they did when the book was first released in 2007.
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