On a Sunbeam
Publisher
First Second
Publication Year
2018
ISBN
9781250178145
Pages
533 pages
Genre
science fiction
Format
graphic novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
In two interwoven timelines, a ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together; and two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love, only to learn the pain of loss.
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
GN210L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Kinship care; Gay/Lesbian; Gender nonconformity; aunt raising niece; lesbian; lesbian teenager; same-sex marriage; non-binary
Main Character
female teenager
Race/Ethnicities
Black / Latinx / White
Family Formation
two mothers; two aunts
LGBTQ+
lesbian female; non-binary person
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Graphic Novel
Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards, 2019, Finalist, Young Adult Fiction
Booklist Book Review Stars, 2018
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book, 2018 Young Adult
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2019 Fiction
Keywords
space; boarding school; found family; romance; spaceship; isolation; bullying; sports
Diversity Impact
indirect
STARS Citation
Walden, Tillie, "On a Sunbeam" (2018). Diverse Families. 1962.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1962