This story is told from the perspective of 12 year old Jack whose farmer parents make the conscious decision to become foster parents to 8th grader Joseph. You learn that Joseph has a troubled past that includes an abusive father, time in a boys home, juvenile detention and a relationship making him a father. In this small Maine town, with a boy having this sort of background, some people have him pegged as a good-for-nothing. But there are a few that see the potential in Joseph and foster his talents, earning his mutual respect. There are the few who don’t ask questions and just plainly show love to a boy who hasn’t really had any throughout his life. One of these is Jack. He chooses to befriend Jack and since the story is told from his perspective, the reader is engaged as anyone would be if they were in the same situation. “Orbiting Jupiter,” was so impactful on the staff and loved ones who read it, that we agreed it should become a required reading in middle or high school. This is an accessible book for all levels of readers that touches on so many themes - foster care system, troubled youth, teen pregnancy, acceptance, love, abuse, perceptions - that several writing lessons could be derived from the text.