The Star of Moon Village Author Jennifer Ann Richter on STEM, Space Travel, Friendship & Fame | Reading in the Middle Podcast

From Reading in The Middle by Annisha Jeffries

May 26, 2026 · 35 min · Season 3 · Episode 19

About this episode

Annisha Jeffries interviews Jennifer Ann Richter about her middle-grade novel, exploring themes of STEM, space travel, and friendship.

What would happen if middle school students got the chance to travel to the Moon? In this episode of Reading in the Middle , Annisha Jeffries welcomes Jennifer Ann Richter back to talk about her exciting new middle-grade novel, The Star of Moon Village. Set in 2079, the story follows twelve-year-old Priscilla Cobb, an aspiring Black scientist selected for the first student research voyage to Moon Village. Priscilla hopes to honor her late mother’s legacy and finally experience the legendary lunar labs she has dreamed about her entire life. But once she arrives, the mission becomes increasingly focused on celebrity culture, media spectacle, and entertainment — especially with the arrival of pop star Starletta. Jennifer and Annisha discuss STEM representation in middle-grade fiction, realistic lunar science, rivalry and friendship, the future of Moon exploration, and how NASA’s current Artemis missions inspired excitement around returning humans to the Moon. This episode is perfect for readers who love space adventures, emotionally grounded middle-grade novels, STEM stories, and books that inspire curiosity and wonder. Show Notes In this episode, we discuss: Writing Priscilla Cobb…

People in this episode

Host: Annisha Jeffries

Guest: Jennifer Ann Richter

Topics covered

celebrity culture
STEM representation
space travel
middle-grade fiction
friendship
lunar science

Keywords

middle school
Moon Village
Priscilla Cobb
STEM stories
lunar labs
NASA
Artemis missions
celebrity culture
friendship
rivalry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, Artemis Program

Books & works: The Star of Moon Village