The Problem with Gravity by Michelle Mohrweis

From the author of The Trouble with Robots comes another heartfelt story told in dual perspective

Autistic seventh-grader Maggie Weir loves spacecraft, but aerospace engineering isn’t the only thing that gives her butterflies: she’s got a secret crush on an eighth grader—the amazing, baton-twirling Tatum Jones. And they’ve just teamed up for an engineering contest! It might be the perfect chance for Maggie to tell Tatum how she feels, except…


Tatum is focused on outshining her genius twin brother, and Maggie’s forgetfulness isn’t making a great impression. Still, there’s something about the quirky girl with a messy backpack that sets Tatum’s heart aflutter. But before they can finish designing a low-gravity cabinet, Maggie learns that her dad wants to move to Houston.


Now, Maggie must choose: Does she follow her dad and her dreams of NASA? Or does she stay with her mom to be near Tatum? If the stars are meant to align between these two, they’ll both have to fully realize their feelings for each other before Maggie leaves forever.


This charming companion novel features delightful cameos from The Trouble with Robots and compassionately explores themes of divorce, neglect, and sibling rivalry alongside an age-appropriate first crush story. A great pick for celebrating STEAM, LGBTQ+, and autistic audiences!

Michelle Mohrweis is a STEM Educator and space enthusiast. When not writing, they can be found launching paper rockets down the middle of their street. They live with their husband and two dogs in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking and hogging all the best spots beside the heaters when it gets too cold. Visit them on the web at MichelleMohrweis.com.

Author Residence: Colorado

Author Hometown: Arizona