Clues to the Universe

Ro is one of two protagonists in the story. She is 12 years old and entering middle school several months after her father’s sudden death. Ro is inquisitive, scientific, and appreciates order and organization. She struggles to make new friends because she is somewhat introverted and doesn’t feel like other people her age. Ro is on a quest to Finding Meaning in the Face of Loss, as she feels lost since her father died, and she looks for ways to honor his memory. Ro often remembers the things her father taught her, like how there is no sound in space and the experiences they had together, like watching the Columbia launch on television. She is grateful that she “got Dad’s science genes” (49) because curiosity and questions provide Ro with a sense of purpose. Ro and her father were in the middle of building a rocket, but it now sits unfinished in her closet, along with a box of his belongings. With the help of a new and unexpected friend, Benji, Ro puts her heart into building the rocket with the hope that she can one day launch her father’s treasures into space, just like the Voyager probes.