The Path of the Orphaned Star

When Nico and Miranda become next door neighbors, they seem to have nothing in common. Yet when they’re together, they begin to sense mysterious signals from the sky – signals that seem to be summoning them to do something. While fending off the neighborhood bully and rescuing a kitten from a lightning strike, they feel these signals become stronger and stronger. Then a strange, graceful aircraft lands in front of their lemonade stand to invite them to the Deep Accelerated Science Club, a summer program for middle school students to pursue scientific projects. There they team up with a dreamy artist, a scared mathematician, a troubled genius, a wealthy valedictorian, an affable chemist and their rescued cat to solve the mystery. They decode the signals, find a way to communicate with a star, and make an unexpected detour to receive a puzzling message from a black hole. As the star is dying, they set in motion a brilliant plan to save it – until one of them discovers a fatal flaw and is faced with an agonizing choice. “The Path of the Orphaned Star” is a story of discovery – of inner strengths, of friendship, of the choices people make, and of our place in the wider universe.