Luna Grace: Girl from Outer Space – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Visitor, responsibility, differences, similarities, acceptance.
Children’s book title: Luna Grace: Girl from Outer Space.
Children’s author: Julie Sykes.
Children’s illustrator: Emily Jones.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Piccadilly Press.
ISBN: 9781835870297.
Recommended for children aged: 5-9.
First published: Paperback August 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: a fun classroom read to begin a discussion on the things which make us all different but also the same.
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Our review:
Luna Grace’s parents are nature scientists and the first couple from their planet to travel the galaxy studying wildlife. Luna is very nervous about her new home, but with her moon cat, Twizzle, who talks with her tail, she feels a little braver. They have been told they must fit in and not stand out. That is easy enough on their home planet of Starbright, but at her new school, Luna is the only one whose hair changes colour with her mood, who can make things float just by thinking about it, or who eats breakfast cereal that talks.
Most of her class is friendly, and she is soon enjoying a trip to the park, but Twizzle has vanished, her guidebook keeps getting things wrong, and if she stands out too much, they may have to go home, which would be awful. Can she get her hair to change back to brown and quietly watch what everyone else does, or is it already too late?
Our verdict:
Luna Grace: Girl from Outer Space is a fun and cheerful read about a little girl who travels across space with her parents, baby brother, moon cat and a talking plant. Her parents are celebrities at home, and Luna has to cope with the knowledge that if she cannot fit in on Earth and people notice she is different, her parents and everyone on Starbright will be very disappointed in her.
Her first day at school shows how hard it will be to blend in, and she needs the reassurance of her parents and her cat to feel brave enough to try. The fact that her hair changes colour is a big problem, but she is delighted to find that her classmates are very accepting of it, and most of them just think she is cool.
The challenges of fitting in, learning what is acceptable and what is not, are handled in a way that will resonate with the younger readers this book is aimed at. There are no confrontations or serious incidents. Instead, the author concentrates on the positive and fun side of adapting to new situations and customs. This is the beginning of a series and is an excellent way of introducing young readers to the idea of returning to a familiar character again and again.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Luna’s mum changes the look of their house. Draw a picture showing how you would decorate the outside of your house or flat. What would your neighbours say?
- Moving to a new school is quite scary. Of course, there is no one from a different planet in your class (that you know of), but there might be someone from a different country, or that person could be you. How would you help a new student relax and feel part of the class quickly?
- Luna had a guidebook, but it was not very good. Some animals were named incorrectly, and her apple was blue. Make up names for some popular animals and then see if your classmates can guess what they are.
- Luna’s hair is amazing, but it means everyone always knows how she is feeling. How would you explain it if your hair changed colour all the time?
- Would you rather have magic hair or the ability to make things float? Explain your answer.
- Write an article for a Starbright newspaper interviewing Luna about her first day at an Earth school. What questions would you ask?
Many thanks to Piccadilly Press for the review copy.
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