STELLA BY STARLIGHT
Book
Sharon M. Draper presents "storytelling at its finest" ( School Library Journal , starred review) in this New York Times bestselling Depression-era novel about a young girl who must learn to be brave in the face of violent prejudice when the Ku Klux Klan reappears in her segregated southern town.
Stella lives in the segregated South--in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can't. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn't bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they're never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella's community--her world--is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don't necessarily signify an end.
Stella lives in the segregated South--in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can't. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn't bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they're never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella's community--her world--is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don't necessarily signify an end.
ISBN:
9781442494985
Branch Call Number:
KIDS DRA


Comment
Add a CommentWise beyond her years Stella struggles to get by with her family during the Great Depression when progress seems to be coming, but not for everyone. Stella's inquisitive nature, resilient spirit, and compassionate attitude help her family thrive against trials and tribulation.
One night 11 year old Stella and her little brother Jojo wake up to see nine robed figures dressed all in white with hoods over their heads across the pond from their house burning a wooden cross. What are they up to? How will the black families deal with the situation? The author was inspired to write this book after coming across the diary of her grandmother, who although she had been forced to stop going to school in fifth grade, wrote every night by the light of the moon. It gives readers a taste of what it was like growing up in the segregated south. — Mary S., Eden Prairie Library
This book is very touching. At first glance it isn't very appealing, but once you start reading, it captures your heart.
11 year old Stella, (the protagonist), is dealing with her everyday life when a neighbor's house gets burned down by a racist group. Then her life takes on new twists and turns as she has to face her and her community's race as her life changes.
I love this book! I could not put it down! I think that Sharon .M Draper has weaved a heartwarming and touching story that will capture the hearts of readers.
I think Stella by Starlight is an astonishing book. It's very touching and inspirational but, I subjectively did not appreciate the ending because to me, it seemed hastened and not very appealing but, I adored how it was about a community of black people, who came together to show people that the color of your skin doesn't make you any more complex; How they did not give up after all that had happened. This book is suitable for 11-year olds to adulthood. I think Stella by Starlight is a wondrous book and you should read it!
Awesome Book At First I Thought The Book Would Be Boring But I Enjoyed It Very Much!
Another compelling story by Sharon Draper, this one based on her family's history. The characters in this really make the events of living in segregation hit home - a great choice to share for Black History month.
Set in a fictional NC town in the 1930's this book starts off with Stella and her brother witnessing a burning cross in their backyard, and becoming aware of the Klan becoming active in their community in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. While community and family are definitely the focus of this novel, as is Stella's struggle to improve as a writer, the treatment of historical events is also really well-drawn, and handled appropriately for the intended (middle-grade) audience. Nicely done.
Plus, the author is just awesome.