Life on the Moon

The extraordinary tale of a curious boy sent to live on the moon, the wondrous discoveries he makes, and the courage it takes to speak a truth no one wants to believe.

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

The first rule of life on the moon is: There is no life on the moon.
The second rule is: Don't ask questions.

12-year-old Leo gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the very first Moon colony. He’s excited to be part of the top-secret mission, but things quickly go off the rails. Right after his family lands on the Moon, Leo’s dad is called off on an urgent mission from which he never returns. The authorities claim the mission never existed, and Leo’s dad is accused of desertion.

Leo goes looking for his dad and discovers far more than he bargained for. Everyone in the colony insists there’s NO life on the Moon. But Leo’s explorations reveal a landscape brimming with extraordinary creatures—with baffling behaviors and beliefs. 

Leo’s big question is: why keep Moon life a secret? Who stands to gain? And how can he find a way to save his new Moon friends before the lie becomes a reality?

Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr are the award-winning husband/wife, author/illustrator team behind Life on the Moon, the Cookie Chronicles, The Real McCoys, and Everywhere, Wonder. Until recently, they also ran two small presses: Bobbledy Books and Idiots' Books. These days, they spend most of their time making books and raising four kids in the hayloft of an old barn in Chestertown, Maryland. They spend the rest of their time speaking, teaching, and leading workshops on collaboration and creative entrepreneurship—and the rest of the rest of their time running a commercial salmon-fishing operation on the Alaskan tundra.