Space for Saffron, Rie Neal
Space for Saffron, Rie Neal
List: $14.99 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.49

Space for Saffron

Author: Rie Neal

Narrator: Ferdelle Capistrano

Unabridged: 3 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/28/2026


Synopsis

A budding scientist must figure out how to help save her family’s cafe and impress at her new school’s science fair in this charming young middle grade read, perfect for fans of the Meena Zee and Front Desk series.

Curious ten-year-old Saffron Speiser-Green loves science—unfortunately, her “experiments” tend to end in more messes than actual answers. (Just ask the broken alarm clock that’s still at the bottom of her backpack.) Saffron has a plan, though—a blue ribbon in her school’s Project Showcase will show the world she means business.

But when Saffron’s beloved volcano project ruins the walls at Mama’s job and gets her fired, Saffron will do anything to make things right—including helping Mama convince her other mom, Mimi, that they should move to the Silicon Valley to run Gran’s coffee shop. Mama’s dream job is worth giving up the blue ribbon. Right?

Luckily for Saffron, her new friends in the Silicon Valley are busy preparing for a STEM Expo, and Saffron is determined to find a project “smart” enough to show everyone she belongs there. But the coffee shop? No customers, no vision, and…tons of debt. And if it closes, Saffron’s family will have to move again. After a class trip to the STEAMology Museum in San Francisco, though, Saffron knows how to save the café—and what to do for her STEM Expo project. But she’s going to need a lot of help.

Can Saffron prove she’s more than a mess-maker and rescue the family business?

About Rie Neal

Rie Neal is a children’s book author who loves all things space. Growing up, she was often dragged on her grandfather’s unauthorized tours of NASA’s Ames Research Center, which she didn’t appreciate enough at the time. Eventually, though, she became a full-blown space fan and began to write space-related books for kids. She also has a doctor of audiology degree from the University of Iowa and is nationally certified as an audiologist through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Today, she lives in the Silicon Valley with her husband and kids, where they drag people on (authorized) tours of the NASA Ames visitor center. Learn more about her books at RieNeal.com or connect with her on Instagram (@RieNealWriter).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Florence on February 11, 2026

What a wonderful story of heart, determination, love, learning, and girl power! I’ve never had so much fun learning about STEM, and I was happy for the opportunity to educate myself by seeing Saffron’s experience as a hard-of-hearing kid. I love the community of friends Saffron found, who all had di......more

Goodreads review by Cathy on November 06, 2025

I enjoyed this book a lot as an adult reader, and I think it will be very engaging for middle-grades readers, especially those interested in STEM. I loved how Saffron's bone-anchored hearing aid was highlighted and featured throughout the book, including the author making a point to occasionally omi......more

Goodreads review by Tracie on March 24, 2026

Space-loving ten-year-old Saffron moves with her two moms from Iowa to Silicon Valley to help run her grandmother's coffee shop. While the move is just temporary (as Gran will return from a painting cruise in a few months), Silicon Valley seems like the perfect permanent home for someone like Saffro......more

Goodreads review by Kristin on February 12, 2026

A truly delightful book (even as as adult!). It is funny and touching and explores so many of the feelings and frustrations that kids face at this age (and really, that we all face, regardless of age!) and does it with such a genuine voice. From the very beginning, I love Saffron and simultaneously......more

Goodreads review by Diane on February 22, 2026

Saffron will rockets straight into readers' hearts! Rie Neal tells her story with such warmth and emotional insight. After a mistake costs one of her moms her job, Saffron heads to Silicon Valley with her family to temporarily manage her grandmother’s struggling coffee shop, determined to help and t......more