Planet Earth Is Blue

Content Warning: This section discusses the Challenger explosion.

Before writing Planet Earth Is Blue, Panteleakos had strong feelings about the need for readers to see authentic, non-stereotypical protagonists with autism in middle grade literature, and this was one of her main goals in creating Nova’s character:

Panteleakos drew on great depths of experience with autism to write Nova’s character; diagnosed with autism and OCD herself as an adult, she also worked for years teaching creative writing and communication to autistic kids with limited speech and volunteered with autistic children in various programs and through foster respite care (“Autistic #OwnVoices Fiction: Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos.” Little Thoughts, 7 Apr. 2020).

During college, Panteleakos learned of a young boy with many traits associated with autism who had only a speech delay. Another teacher told her, “He was evaluated for autism, but they said he’s too loving” (“Nicole Panteleakos: Loving, Imaginative, + Autistic: Writing Nova.” A Novel Mind, 3 Sept. 2019). The idea that people with autism are “NOT loving” disturbed Panteleakos. Later, she met another boy who was diagnosed with autism and observed him engaging in pretend play. When she complimented him on his imagination, a so-called expert told her, “He doesn’t have the ability to imagine things […] He’s just copying what he’s seen other kids do” (“