A story about a girl whose love for science allows her to uncover the secrets of the universe!
A children’s story that demonstrates new possibilities for narratives in science fiction
Jeon Soo-kyung’s novel, Stairway to Space, has been selected as the winner of the 60th Korea Book Awards, hosted by Hankook Ilbo, in the category for children’s books. This year the Korea Book Awards (established in 1960) was awarded to one outstanding work published during 2019 in each of five categories: academic writing, educational writing, translation, editing, and children’s books.
Stairway to Space is about a girl named Jisu who loses her parents in an accident and as a result becomes too afraid to ride elevators. Learning of the theory of parallel universes, which hypothesizes the existence of universes outside our own, Jisu falls in love with science. At the same time, she has a chance encounter with the old woman next door (who happens to also be a physicist), and the two become best friends. But then one day, the old woman next door disappears, only leaving behind a secret message. Not wanting to lose another person in her life, Jisu teams up with her friends and begins searching for her missing neighbor.
Demonstrating a new narrative style that mixes elements of science fiction and the mystery genre, Stairway to Space tells a gripping story about a young girl whose love for science and desire for friendship sends her on a journey to discover the secrets of the universe. Not only does the book have truly imaginative story telling that quite literally reaches for the stars, it also has an exciting plot that follows the protagonist as she uses various scientific theories to make rational inferences, find solutions, and solve a mystery. This makes for an immersive, exciting, and enjoyable reading experience.