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misspippireads's review
4.0
Full audiobook review available at http://adolescentaudioadventures.blogspot.com/2016/04/review-stella-by-starlight.html
bickie's review against another edition
4.0
1932 rural North Carolina: KKK is actively intimidating a small but tightly knit Black neighborhood near the woods in Bumblebee, a suburb of Spindale with a saw mill. Stella is an 11-year-old Black girl who works hard at getting better at writing, usually by sneaking out to write in her journal at night. The examples in this book of the choices of people in the Black community, the white people sympathetic to the Black people, and the "mean white people" who sympathize or belong to the KKK all seem especially relevant now (early 2017). Don't fight hate with hate; remember what's important; make choices you are proud of. Best for ages 10-13.
gillilovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
terpgirl42's review against another edition
3.0
With a strong ending, it could have been a 4 or 5 star book.
rainythebrainy's review against another edition
Not my vibe. Not really YA but more for middle school kids…
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. The story was alright and I wanted to see more justice done to the White men. I don't know how I found this book. The author does a good job making you feel like you're in the South. Or maybe it's a combination of author and narrator.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This. Was. Amazing. Even now, writing this review, I'm getting chills. Stella is a fantastic historical fiction book, describing the nuances of living in a southern segregated town while being Black. I'm honestly struggling to find words for it. It's realistic, for one, and it's hopeful. It doesn't shy away from the horrors of discovering the town medic is the Grand Dragon, nor does it shy away from how helpful a community can be when families are in distress. Nor does it shy away from the hatred some white folks have for black folks, nor does it away shy away from the fact that there were white folks who cared deeply for their fellow community members.
There were times when this book nearly brought me to tears, and there were times where I held this book in abject horror. Stella is a beautiful book that shows how a community can be built, torn down, and restored. It shows that sometimes hard work doesn't pay off in a stellar way, but pays off in smaller, more subtle ways. Overall, an absolutely phenomenal book.
Review cross-listed here!
There were times when this book nearly brought me to tears, and there were times where I held this book in abject horror. Stella is a beautiful book that shows how a community can be built, torn down, and restored. It shows that sometimes hard work doesn't pay off in a stellar way, but pays off in smaller, more subtle ways. Overall, an absolutely phenomenal book.
Review cross-listed here!
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad I read this during election season because I am even more deeply moved to vote for our country's first female president. Solid historical fiction, layers of meaning about writing, family, and staying true to yourself. Short chapters and Stella's own writing are selling points. This is a 2017 Caudill nominee.
jenniferreads2's review against another edition
2.0
This book unfortunately was just plain boring. The writing was decent enough and the characters had potential but the storyline was boring and didn’t elicit any emotion. I’ve read quite a bit of historical fiction including children’s that deals with a difficult time in history and the ones I’ve liked best draw on emotions. This story just fell flat and bored me. I honestly couldn’t remember who many of the characters were because there were so many one dimensional ones they all just ran together. Can’t recommend this book to anyone especially children they’d be far too bored to finish it.