Wild Ride: My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut

Liz Lantigua reviews a book for middle-school students by a woman who overcame childhood cancer and later participated in a space mission.

Wild Ride: My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut 

By Haley Arceneaux with Sandra Bark 
Publisher: Convergent Books an imprint of Penguin Random House 

Just like the papal bull proclaimed this Jubilee year, Hope does not disappoint, the children's book Wild Ride: My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut by Haley Arceneaux (Young Readers Edition) is a testimony of hope and resilience. It also does not disappoint.  

At the age of ten, Hayley Arceneaux went to St. Jude hospital to be treated for pediatric bone cancer in her leg. She not only survived but she made it her life mission to help other children go through cancer with love and hope.  

When you read this book, I hope that you get the feeling that anything is possible. That if you are sick, you can get well again. That if you are scared, you can find your inner bravery and your own strength. (from the Introduction)

Arceneaux's life was not easy. After cancer at such a young age, she struggled with a prosthetic body part and learned to walk again. She went through the loss of her father to cancer, yet there is so much optimism and perseverance in her writing that you don’t feel overwhelmed by reading her life story. You just keep cheering for her. She’s the perfect example of how a bad, can be turned into a good. Instead of destroying her emotionally, it taught her to fight harder. Nothing was easy but she was so determined.   

Arceneaux became a physician's assistant and eventually got a job at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital helping other children through cancer. Then at the age of 29, she was asked to participate in a space mission and raise money for St. Jude Hospital. The book goes into detail of the grueling preparations inside simulators and even outdoors, climbing Mount Rainier in Washington State to prepare for the flight.  

Not Too Focused on Cancer 

I usually don’t recommend books for pre-teens about illnesses. They can get worried or sad. Unless of course, they are going through some illness and benefit from the topic. This book is different. Cancer is not the focus of this book but her determination to thrive and excel in her life. Arceneaux mentions she went to St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Baton Rouge and although she doesn’t write about the role her faith played during these challenging times, you just know that only faith can sustain one during difficult times.  

On September 15, 2021, Arceneaux went on the first all-civilian orbital space mission, Inspiration-4, becoming the youngest American to orbit the earth. Even from outer space she was able to speak and give children with cancer hope. This book for middle-school students will be an enjoyable adventure to read and leave them feeling that life can be a wild ride, you just have to buckle up, trust, smile, and have a blast!  

Order Wild Ride from Good News Book Fair or Amazon.com.

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Copyright 2025 Liz Lantigua
Images: Canva