Hydroponic Hijinks

In this third book in the Astrid the Astronaut chapter book series, Astrid is torn between her best friend and arch-rival!

The Shooting Stars and Petite Picasso groups are working together on a combined STEM and art project—which means BFFs Astrid and Hallie finally get to team up! But Astrid’s excitement doesn’t last long when they are grouped with her arch-nemesis: Pearl. And what’s worse, Hallie actually agrees with some of the ideas Pearl has for the project. Isn’t she supposed to be on Astrid’s side?

Can Astrid, Hallie, and Pearl learn how to work together and create a project that’s out of this world?

Rie Neal is a children’s book author who loves all things space. Growing up, she was often dragged on her grandfather’s unauthorized tours of NASA’s Ames Research Center, which she didn’t appreciate enough at the time. Eventually, though, she became a full-blown space fan, and began to write space-related books for kids. She also has a doctor of audiology degree from the University of Iowa and is nationally certified as an audiologist through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Today, she lives in the Silicon Valley with her husband and kids, where they drag people on (authorized) tours of the NASA Ames visitor center. Learn more about her books at RieNeal.com or connect with her on Instagram (@RieNealWriter).

Talitha Shipman is a picture book illustrator from Indiana. Her favorite subjects to paint are wild kids and wild animals. Nature inspires Talitha’s painting, and she hopes her work encourages curiosity and creativity in children of all ages. Her books include the Sydney Taylor Honor recipient Everybody Says Shalom by Leslie Kimmelman, American Farm Bureau Recommended Read Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstutz, and 2019 IPPY Silver Medalist First Snow by Nancy Viau. Her debut author-illustrator picture book was Finding Beauty. Talitha lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with her husband and their five-year-old wild child, Coral.