readingwithwrin
Written on Sep 14, 2017
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.
- ISBN10 1442494980
- ISBN13 9781442494985
- Publish Date 29 March 2016 (first published 6 January 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Simon & Schuster
- Imprint Atheneum Books for Young Readers
- Edition Reprint
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 352
- Language English
Reviews
Kelly
Written on Jan 14, 2015
Stella By Starlight was phenomenal, poignant and inspirational. Told through the eyes of twelve year old Stella in 1932, after witnessing the Ku Klux Klan burning a sacrificial crucifix in the middle of the night. Stella lives in a world of segregation, where one day she dreams of a world where everyone is equal, regardless of colour. Slavery may have ended, but the community of Bumblebee will never be free. Living in fear of being the next victims of the Klan, Stella's own father is determined to make a stand, if not for himself, but for his children to find strength in his own actions. He enrolls to vote.
'For once in my life, I must be a man,' Papa replied. 'I'd like to think I am standing up, along with Mr. Spencer and Pastor Patton, standing up for all of us. If I don't stand up, I feel like I'm crouching low. And I ain't gonna feel low no more.'Throughout the storyline, Stella begins to share her inner thoughts in the form of short stories. She's a strong willed girl living in a time of prejudice and injustice, but shares the underlying message of hope. I loved her fiercely, wavering between wanting to protect her against the cruel history of segregation and championing her to spread her wings. As the saying goes, It takes a village to raise a child, no truer word has been spoken about the Bumblebee community. They band together through the threats of the Klan, a devastating house fire and a child beating. It's confronting, uncomfortable and incredibly emotional. But a story that needs to be told.
But beneath the brutality, lies a beautiful story about family, hope and the spirit of a community that won't be broken.
Nearly the entire negro population of Bumblebee stood in the street, quietly waiting while the three men voted.This isn't just another middle grade novel, it's an experience.