Eleven-year-old Ella is spending the summer at The House of Mud, her eccentric grandmother's adobe house in Albuquerque. Here, she is under the care of a grandmother (or GM as Ella calls her) she has never met while her mother undergoes a risky treatment for cancer. The two aren't exactly connecting. Her grandmother seems far more concerned and distracted with other things, especially her impressive library of books. But when a rare and precious book called Kepler's Dream of the Moon is stolen from her grandmother's library, her grandmother is absolutely devastated. Ella, together with her new friend Rosie, set out to find the book that is so special. Little do they know that in doing so, they are solving some important family mysteries and gaining knowledge that can help to make Ella's broken family whole again.

Kepler's Dream is a well-written book for middle graders with memorable and vivid characters. Although some of the subject matter is serious (such as Ella's mother with cancer and her grandmother's grief over her husband's accidental death), it is not depressing. Rather, it is just real enough to be touching and overall, it is a heartwarming book. The author links themes of loss, family, books, blame, forgiveness, and astronomy together, making this a good choice for a book discussion. This is a quiet book, driven by feelings and characters. Consequently, the pace is slow and probably not best for those kids who want a lot of action in their reading. A patient reader will truly appreciate the quiet beauty of Kepler's Dream .

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