The space we're in - Katya Balen

We are her world and her universe and her space and her stars and her sky and her galaxy and her cosmos tooFrank is ten. He likes cottage pie and football and cracking codes. Max is five. He eats only Quavers and some colours are too bright for him and if he has to wear a new T-shirt he melts down down down.Sometimes Frank wishes Mum could still do huge paintings of stars and asteroids like she used to, but since Max was born she just doesn't have time.When tragedy hits Frank and Max's lives like a comet, can Frank piece together a universe in which he and Max aren't light years apart?This jaw-dropping, heartbreaking and hopeful novel from debut author Katya Balen will remind you we are all made of stardust. For fans of thought-provoking, moving middle grade from Wonder to Skellig

Katya Balen read English at university and then completed an MPhil researching the impact of stories on autistic children's behaviour. She has worked in a variety of special needs schools as a teaching assistant, and more recently co-founded Mainspring Arts - a not-for-profit that provides mentoring and creative opportunities for neurodivergent adults.

This sensitive, heartbreaking story boasts a wonderful narrative voice and secret codes that add another layer of intrigue
Guardian

The struggles of those with autism and those who love them in a book with an achingly huggable main character
Kirkus Reviews

A brave and beautiful book with a big heart.
I loved it.
Jenny Downham

This is a moving, absorbing novel about a pair of brothers - one is autistic, one is not, and I came to love both of them
Joanne Limburg, author of The Autistic Alice

What Balen captures in Frank's voice is the authentic experience of being ten and facing up to all the difficulties that brings. His story, and that of his family, will live long in the hearts and minds of its readers
A.F. Harrold

A truly extraordinary book ... It packs a pretty powerful punch but is a beautifully written and ultimately uplifting story with stunning artwork. Warning: you will need tissues
Angels and Urchins

Laura Carlin's monochrome illustrations combine artistic skill with a childlike element that complements the text
Books for Keeps

Stunningly beautiful, I cried and smiled my way through this book in turns […] Katya Balen has captured the sense of wanting to be grown up, but still being a child perfectly.
North Somerset Teacher's Book Awards Blog