Up Where the Stars Are

Join Andrew on a magical stargazing adventure that celebrates imagination, courage, and the unique strengths within every child.

Up Where the Stars Are earned an Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Award from the American Library Association.

Andrew Moore doesn’t walk, run, or talk like other children, but that has never stopped him from dreaming big. He loves to smile and laugh—and go on the most wonderful outings! During a night of stargazing, his imagination carries him into the stars, where he meets the princess Andromeda. When a fearsome sea monster captures her, Andrew joins Pegasus, the legendary flying horse, on a daring rescue through the constellations. Andrew isn’t as fast as Pisces, as powerful as Aries, or as brave as Perseus—but he discovers that he doesn’t need to be the strongest, fastest, or bravest hero to make a difference.

Up Where the Stars Are is an uplifting picture book by award-winning author Ryan Jacobson and award-winning illustrator Michelle Hazelwood Hyde that celebrates courage, kindness, and the power of seeing the world through a child’s imagination.

Book Highlights:

• Winner of an ALA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Award
• Spotlight on nine constellations with easy-to-follow stargazing instructions
• A celebration of inclusion, imagination, and self-confidence
• Main character inspired by a boy with Angelman syndrome
• Created with the assistance and support of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation

Ryan Jacobson is an award-winning author. He has written more than 60 books, from silly titles to spooky ones. He prides himself on writing high-interest books for children and adults alike, so he can talk picture books in kindergarten, ghost stories in high school, and other fun stuff in between. Some of his favorite and most popular works include the Constellations Activity Book, Super Animal Powers, and What Eats That? Ryan was inspired by his nephew A.J. to write Up Where the Stars Are.

Ryan is also the co-owner and publisher of Lake 7 Creative, LLC. His company creates activity books and sports books, and it specializes in developing interactive Choose Your Path books for young readers.

When he isn’t working on books, Ryan likes to build LEGO sets, play board games, and try new restaurants. He lives in eastern Minnesota with his wife and two sons.

Michelle Hazelwood Hyde is a freelance children’s book illustrator from Philadelphia. She graduated from Ringling College of Art & Design and began her career working for The New York Times Company in Florence, Alabama.

She has illustrated nine books for the National Center for Youth Issues, four books with It’s a Southern Thing, and two books with Schiffer Kids—including A Poem Is a Firefly, which received a Purple Dragonfly Picture Book Award.

When Michelle is not sketching or illustrating, she enjoys reading, running, and playing basketball with her family. She lives in Homewood, Alabama, with her husband, two children, and two very fuzzy dogs.