Dr. Alan Lightman, Professor of the Practice of the Humanities in the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing, has devoted much of his writing career to exploring our interconnectedness with the natural world. In his first children’s book, Ada and the Galaxies, Dr. Lightman dives in once again, chronicling a young city girl’s adventures as she observes the wonders of the universe around her.

“Children have an instinctive curiosity about the natural world, but that fascination is often stifled by our regimented and fast paced lifestyle and our manufactured environment of concrete and steel,” Dr. Lightman said. “I hope that Ada and the Galaxies, and other books like it, will help rekindle the fresh awe of gazing up at the starry night sky or holding a spiraling seashell in your hand or listening to the haunting call of a loon.”

In starred pre-publication reviews, Kirkus Reviews wrote that “young readers will delight in seeing our universe’s interconnectedness, and, later, when Ada’s family dashes outside to spin in starlight, they will recognize the inextricable bonds among loved ones.”

Ada and the Galaxies, illustrated by Olga Pastuchiv, is the first title from MIT Kids Press—a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a university press, the MIT Press, and a children’s publisher, Candlewick Press. The new imprint and its sister imprint, MITeen Press, will focus on publishing ambitious fiction and nonfiction books on STEAM topics.

Congratulations, Dr. Lightman.