The Secret Astronomers

Two anonymous girls correspond via a diary kept in the oldest textbook at Green Bank High School's library. What begins as a surprising exchange soon unfolds into a sweeping story of unlikely friendship and long-buried secrets. Copernicus, adrift after her mother’s sudden death, leaves behind her cosmopolitan life in San Francisco, while Kepler, a diligent small-town student with big plans for college, seeks meaning beyond her modest means. United by a shared mystery that has haunted Green Bank for decades, they discover new ways to connect across divides that separate them. Meticulously illustrated across pages of an actual ancient astrophysics textbook, The Secret Astronomers blends friendship, family, crop circles, secret crushes, giant telescopes, and life in Appalachia into a vivid epistolary novel perfect for readers who love fresh takes on character-driven stories.

Jessica Walker makes her debut with hand-drawn artwork that anchors the narrative, bringing to life the worlds of Copernicus and Kepler as they search for answers and forge an unlikely bond. The book, published in 2025, explores themes of resilience, curiosity, and community through a tale of curiosity and connection in a rural setting.

Kenmerken

• Epistolair verhaal over twee penvriendinnen
• Set in rural West-Virginia middelbare school
• Copernicus en Kepler wisselen dagboeken uit
• Oude astrofysica-tekst als kader
• Meticuleus handgetekende illustraties
• Thema’s: geheimen, vriendschap, het leven in Appalachia

Gebruik

1. Volg de correspondentie tussen Copernicus en Kepler via de avonturen in de oude tekst.