THE EXTRAORDINARY ORBIT OF ALEX RAMIREZ

Dominican American middle schooler Alex Ramirez is in SC, or the self-contained program, where he feels talked down to and treated like a much younger child. He has big ambitions of joining NASA, but his teachers don’t encourage him to follow his dreams. Alex was placed in SC in fourth grade after losing control several times the previous year. But now that he takes medicine to help him focus, Alex wonders how long he’ll be forced to stagnate, working on assignments far below his abilities and suffering the consequences of his behavior from years ago. The ways that others—teachers and even his own mother—try to limit Alex will tug on readers’ heartstrings and have them cheering for him as he learns to advocate for himself. Even the simplest step toward taking a mainstream science class proves challenging for Alex when he’s targeted by his old bully and his caregivers’ doubts threaten to drain his confidence. But, inspired by the vast possibilities inherent in space exploration, he fights to find the courage to believe in his own limitless potential as well as to gain support from others. Paulino lays out her accessibly written verse in varied ways on the page, effectively adding visual interest.

Jun 3, 2025 - 05:46

Dominican American middle schooler Alex Ramirez is in SC, or the self-contained program, where he feels talked down to and treated like a much younger child. He has big ambitions of joining NASA, but his teachers don’t encourage him to follow his dreams. Alex was placed in SC in fourth grade after losing control several times the previous year. But now that he takes medicine to help him focus, Alex wonders how long he’ll be forced to stagnate, working on assignments far below his abilities and suffering the consequences of his behavior from years ago. The ways that others—teachers and even his own mother—try to limit Alex will tug on readers’ heartstrings and have them cheering for him as he learns to advocate for himself. Even the simplest step toward taking a mainstream science class proves challenging for Alex when he’s targeted by his old bully and his caregivers’ doubts threaten to drain his confidence. But, inspired by the vast possibilities inherent in space exploration, he fights to find the courage to believe in his own limitless potential as well as to gain support from others. Paulino lays out her accessibly written verse in varied ways on the page, effectively adding visual interest.