Orbiting Jupiter, Gary D. Schmidt. Joseph, a messed up kid, is taken from his father and brought to his foster family, the Strouds, and their son, Jack. They are told he tried to kill his teacher and that he had a child when he was 13 years old. Having to learn how to milk a cow, Joseph, and Rosie, one of the cows, become attached. Not getting off on the right foot for their first bus ride to school together, Joseph and Jack choose to walk the miles to school in below freezing temperatures and continue to do so. Along the way, they throw snowballs at the church bell and begin to build a trust. Despite his poor reputation, some of the teachers realize how bright Joseph is and encourage him.

Sharing a room with Joseph, Jack often watches him staring into space, screaming out the name Maddie, and looking for his favorite planet, Jupiter. Slowly, with the patience of the Strouds, the story comes out about his past. Going on a job site with his abusive father, he meets Maddie and a close friendship begins. They fall in love, despite attempts by the nanny to shoo him away. Maddie goes to school far away and he walks seven miles to see her on holidays. When the nanny catches them under a blanket, he never sees Maddie again, but learns she has a baby that she named Jupiter. Maddie dies and he is forced to sign his rights away by his manipulative father who shows up occasionally only to cause grief.

Schmidt, the author of Okay for Now, winner of many awards, continues to write powerful stories with depth and sincerity. A slim book with precise words that will have the reader aching inside for the hurt that some must endure.