Before we git to the rat killin, I just have to say:
I love motherhood. It is amazing. It's super difficult, but totally worth it.
John Paul agrees. He is two months and 6 days old today! Happy feast of St. Cecilia!
Anyways, I've not much time to dilly-dally, so let's go!
Stella by Starlight
Sharon Draper
320 Pages, Reading Time: about 6 hours (motherhood never allows you to sit down for 6 hours at a time)
Inside cover reads: 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. 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 that they're never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, change not welcome by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella's community- her world- is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire, and learns that ashes don't necessarily signify an end.
Initial Reaction: So I picked up this little gem because of the intriguing cover art and the consonance of the title, not to mention that "Stella" means "star" so there's a play on words there. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, given the mediocre waste of time that I previously endured by this author (even though it's WNA). This is a cute but intense story about growing up African American in the South. I love that Stella loves to write. The story focuses mainly on her writing in a notebook (love notebooks!), but she eventually ends up with a typewriter.
You know that I'm a sucker for hooks. Draper has a great one. It's a fragment, even. That's the best kind. This was a quick, easy, and charming read.
Promote Virtue? Yes. Mercy, forgiveness, charity. While this book does focus on tragic events promulgated by bigots in the south during the 30s, it also focuses on a true aspect of community. Anyone can be helpful, charitable, and kind, if they choose to be, regardless of their skin color.
Transcendentals? Draper's writing (this time around) is poignant and beautiful. The theme of Truth is prevalent throughout the novel. The characters are working hard to promote the greater good.
Overcome human condition? Sadly, there is no redemption for some of the characters (the white doctor who refuses to treat black patients), while others strive to overcome personal prejudices in the face of ridiculously difficult bigotry.
Attitude toward Catholicism? N/A, but the whole work seeps with Christianity.
Paganry? Nope
Swearing? Nada
Violence? Stella tells a story about how Dr. Packard smacked her really hard for stepping on his shoe on accident. There are mild descriptions of domestic abuse in the Packard family.
Appropriate age? I'd say 9+
Writing Style: Draper really wowed me with this one compared to Tears of a Tiger. Her description is wonderful. I love how she begins the novel en media res. Her chapter titles are interesting, and she gets the dialog just right. I would almost put Stella on the same level as The Little House Series. Draper writes in such a way that you are transported into the story with the characters, walking along side Stella, watching it all unfold. I love how she uses Stella to play around with words (she likes alliteration and consonance) and themes. Her vocabulary is outstanding. Also, I love the imagery of stars/starlight peppered throughout the book.
Notable Quoteables:
"Nine robed figures dressed all in white. Heads covered with softly pointed hoods" (1). First two sentences of the book. Excellent hook. If you know your history, you already know what is going on.
"The blaze in the fireplace had died down to embers, only whispers and ashen shadows remaining of the roaring fire of a few hours ago" (61).
"The night sky was an inky blue-black blanket strewn with thousands of crystal-bright stars (61). WOW.
"Finally Stella opened the notebook to a fresh page. Taking an idea from her father's newspaper that morning, she wrote just one word on that page-- TRUTH. The whole rest of the page was an ocean of white" (64).
"I try to write it down sometimes, but I'm not very good at it. It's like my brains are dumplings in somebody else's soup" (98). Outstanding!
"(I like using all those b's. gotta get better atcapitols capitals)" (253).
"I wonder if Paulette (Packard) is gonna grow up to be mean like her father," Stella mused. "Or if people like Max Smitherman and Johnny Ray Johnson are gonna have children who hate us 'cause their daddies do." "You think too much," her mother replied wryly. "And you can't blame the child for the father's sins" (258).
"I like the way books smell. I gues that is strange. The pages feel good as Itern turn them" (263-64).
"The doctor's eyes were such an odd color green--cold like fish scales" (283).
"Truth. I think that is the last basic element" (305). She's describing the four elements (fire, air, wind, water), and adds truth at the end. I love that.
Great words: there are several, but I didn't record them. The one that caught my attention the most, though, was cattywampus!
Final Summation:
Promote Virtue? Yes. Mercy, forgiveness, charity. While this book does focus on tragic events promulgated by bigots in the south during the 30s, it also focuses on a true aspect of community. Anyone can be helpful, charitable, and kind, if they choose to be, regardless of their skin color.
Transcendentals? Draper's writing (this time around) is poignant and beautiful. The theme of Truth is prevalent throughout the novel. The characters are working hard to promote the greater good.
Overcome human condition? Sadly, there is no redemption for some of the characters (the white doctor who refuses to treat black patients), while others strive to overcome personal prejudices in the face of ridiculously difficult bigotry.
Attitude toward Catholicism? N/A, but the whole work seeps with Christianity.
Paganry? Nope
Swearing? Nada
Violence? Stella tells a story about how Dr. Packard smacked her really hard for stepping on his shoe on accident. There are mild descriptions of domestic abuse in the Packard family.
Appropriate age? I'd say 9+
Writing Style: Draper really wowed me with this one compared to Tears of a Tiger. Her description is wonderful. I love how she begins the novel en media res. Her chapter titles are interesting, and she gets the dialog just right. I would almost put Stella on the same level as The Little House Series. Draper writes in such a way that you are transported into the story with the characters, walking along side Stella, watching it all unfold. I love how she uses Stella to play around with words (she likes alliteration and consonance) and themes. Her vocabulary is outstanding. Also, I love the imagery of stars/starlight peppered throughout the book.
Notable Quoteables:
"Nine robed figures dressed all in white. Heads covered with softly pointed hoods" (1). First two sentences of the book. Excellent hook. If you know your history, you already know what is going on.
"The blaze in the fireplace had died down to embers, only whispers and ashen shadows remaining of the roaring fire of a few hours ago" (61).
"The night sky was an inky blue-black blanket strewn with thousands of crystal-bright stars (61). WOW.
"Finally Stella opened the notebook to a fresh page. Taking an idea from her father's newspaper that morning, she wrote just one word on that page-- TRUTH. The whole rest of the page was an ocean of white" (64).
"I try to write it down sometimes, but I'm not very good at it. It's like my brains are dumplings in somebody else's soup" (98). Outstanding!
"(I like using all those b's. gotta get better at
"I wonder if Paulette (Packard) is gonna grow up to be mean like her father," Stella mused. "Or if people like Max Smitherman and Johnny Ray Johnson are gonna have children who hate us 'cause their daddies do." "You think too much," her mother replied wryly. "And you can't blame the child for the father's sins" (258).
"I like the way books smell. I gues that is strange. The pages feel good as I
"The doctor's eyes were such an odd color green--cold like fish scales" (283).
"Truth. I think that is the last basic element" (305). She's describing the four elements (fire, air, wind, water), and adds truth at the end. I love that.
Great words: there are several, but I didn't record them. The one that caught my attention the most, though, was cattywampus!
Final Summation:
Draper does an excellent job depicting racial struggles in the south during the 1930s, all without promoting white privilege or white shaming. It is very clear to the reader that there are good people and bad people out there, and their skin color doesn't really have anything to do with that. This book was written at a time when people are attempting to edit and re-write history by tearing down statues and banning flags. That's never a good idea. We have to know where we came from in order to know where we're going. Also, in the 30s, "Under God" was not in the pledge of allegiance. That was added in 1954. So don't think Draper did that for any other reason than historical accuracy. This would be a great addition to any 3rd-6th grade classroom, and an excellent read for black history month. Therefore, it is undeniably
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