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lanica's review against another edition
3.0
TEACHER REVIEW:
This is a harsh book in a lot of ways. There is a dark underside to the entire thing which made me uncomfortable reading it. As a middle-class, well-educated, cis-female I am not the target audience here. It was not 'real' to me like it would be for many of my students.
I'm telling you right now - find an inner-city black youth's review. Read it and use it - not mine.
But, as a teacher I may still have some useful incites on the book anyway. Windows and mirrors...that's what we talk about in library circles. Is any given book a window for readers to see how other people live...or, is it a mirror - reflecting what we already know, showing people like us and validating our experiences. I love books like this that are windows for me. I will never be a teen-age black boy living in gang territory, worried about gang violence - and yet I feel that I knew more about that life than I did before I read it. I go out of my way to find windows...or doors - those amazing books that actually invite us to join another world.
This book is interesting, and helps me to see life from inside someone else's head. But, the story is a little hard to read. There are three main threads which overlap, but don't weave together very well. I like that the author touched on mental disabilities, GLBTQ+ issues and bullying, but I didn't connect with these characters in any meaningful way.
The relationships were the real strength of this book. I loved the characters interactions with each other. There were ups and downs in every relationship. There were times when the characters were not comfortable with each other, and couldn't tell themselves why. The books was 'real' to me when the characters were just being people in their own stories. I loved the people and their relationships.
I want to read this as a book club book. Again, as a white woman I may not be the best moderator for this discussion, but I am who I am and that's my only choice. I believe this would be a great learning experience for me, my kids, my students and my staff. I highly recommend this book for its honesty and truths - and only moderately recommend it for its story...which has some pretty big holes in it.
Grades: 5th and up. (Drugs, guns, violence...nothing extreme, but it's in there.)
This is a harsh book in a lot of ways. There is a dark underside to the entire thing which made me uncomfortable reading it. As a middle-class, well-educated, cis-female I am not the target audience here. It was not 'real' to me like it would be for many of my students.
I'm telling you right now - find an inner-city black youth's review. Read it and use it - not mine.
But, as a teacher I may still have some useful incites on the book anyway. Windows and mirrors...that's what we talk about in library circles. Is any given book a window for readers to see how other people live...or, is it a mirror - reflecting what we already know, showing people like us and validating our experiences. I love books like this that are windows for me. I will never be a teen-age black boy living in gang territory, worried about gang violence - and yet I feel that I knew more about that life than I did before I read it. I go out of my way to find windows...or doors - those amazing books that actually invite us to join another world.
This book is interesting, and helps me to see life from inside someone else's head. But, the story is a little hard to read. There are three main threads which overlap, but don't weave together very well. I like that the author touched on mental disabilities, GLBTQ+ issues and bullying, but I didn't connect with these characters in any meaningful way.
The relationships were the real strength of this book. I loved the characters interactions with each other. There were ups and downs in every relationship. There were times when the characters were not comfortable with each other, and couldn't tell themselves why. The books was 'real' to me when the characters were just being people in their own stories. I loved the people and their relationships.
I want to read this as a book club book. Again, as a white woman I may not be the best moderator for this discussion, but I am who I am and that's my only choice. I believe this would be a great learning experience for me, my kids, my students and my staff. I highly recommend this book for its honesty and truths - and only moderately recommend it for its story...which has some pretty big holes in it.
Grades: 5th and up. (Drugs, guns, violence...nothing extreme, but it's in there.)
melrosebreed's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/4 stars. I liked this and the themes it explored.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is a wonderful novel for ages 10 and up set in modern day Harlem. Twelve year old 'Lolly' (nickname) is mourning the loss of his older brother to gang violence. Lolly lives in the projects, negotiates the streets and dreams of being a designer or architect. His current medium is Legos. Building a Lego city, at home and then at school when a perceptive principal allows the use of a storeroom, becomes Lolly's therapy for dealing with loss and life. Lolly's issues will resonate with any child - but especially with children whose lives are under-represented in children's literature. I hope this becomes well-known and well-loved. I read the ARC to be published in September.
vitaluna's review against another edition
5.0
(4.5 stars, I think, though it's very close to the full 5 stars (beneath our feet))
This book was so special - I really hope David Barclay Moore will publish more books!
Written in African-American Vernacular English, this book transports you to the world of a young boy in Harlem who has to find his way in life.
Friendship, family, creativity, grief and hope are all big themes in this novel.
A gripping read which will get you hooked and make you want to read more once it's over
This book was so special - I really hope David Barclay Moore will publish more books!
Written in African-American Vernacular English, this book transports you to the world of a young boy in Harlem who has to find his way in life.
Friendship, family, creativity, grief and hope are all big themes in this novel.
A gripping read which will get you hooked and make you want to read more once it's over
chickchick22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Good book but I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
12-year-old Lolly is dealing with the realities of no longer being a kid in Harlem in the wake of his older brother's death in a gang-related shooting.
anxiouslybooked's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book! I loved following Lolly’s journey and watching him grow as a character! I would highly recommend! Great middle grade novel!
ddsaldanha's review against another edition
5.0
"Crianças como nós - eu, Vega e Rose - estavam nas próprias ilhas, vivendo em um rio feroz. Nós tínhamos que nos cuidar."
Estamos muito acostumados a ler histórias de perspectivas negras contadas por adultos ou adolescentes quase coming of age, e elas são sempre poderosas. Mas e quando se é uma criança negra?
O mundo de Lolly é confuso e aos pedaços - não só pelas suas perdas mas porque eles está sempre tendo pedaços de coisas: pedaços de paz, pedaços de raiva, pedaços de tempo, pedaços de violência -, e é uma delícia e ao mesmo tempo dilacerante aprender com ele. Como é crescer negro, no Harlem, e precisar fazer escolhas ainda muito cedo que podem moldar sua vida? E quando a vida te força a fazer essas escolhas?
Esse livro é muito poderoso, e eu agradeço mais uma vez à Plataforma 21 e ao Bruno por terem me presenteado com essa história incrível.
Façam boas escolhas.
Estamos muito acostumados a ler histórias de perspectivas negras contadas por adultos ou adolescentes quase coming of age, e elas são sempre poderosas. Mas e quando se é uma criança negra?
O mundo de Lolly é confuso e aos pedaços - não só pelas suas perdas mas porque eles está sempre tendo pedaços de coisas: pedaços de paz, pedaços de raiva, pedaços de tempo, pedaços de violência -, e é uma delícia e ao mesmo tempo dilacerante aprender com ele. Como é crescer negro, no Harlem, e precisar fazer escolhas ainda muito cedo que podem moldar sua vida? E quando a vida te força a fazer essas escolhas?
Esse livro é muito poderoso, e eu agradeço mais uma vez à Plataforma 21 e ao Bruno por terem me presenteado com essa história incrível.
Façam boas escolhas.
tessakris's review against another edition
4.0
It was an interesting read, I got it to diversify my classroom library and it definitely is a good contributor for that. It has a protagonist who is different from what I usually read. However, some things seemed a little adult for my 6th graders in terms of vocabulary and jokes.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
4.0
TW: general discussions of gang violence, slight homophobia, exactly one instance of the n-word used in a friendly way not derogatory, ableism
I can barely put into words how much I adored The Stars Beneath Our Feet. Any book that showcases how messy and discordant grief is holds a special place in my heart. I was 22 years old before I was shaken by such profound loss; it haunts me to this day. I don't know how children get through it and I am grateful for the authors that choose to write works that could be helpful on their journey through healing.
The inclusion of his lesbian mother and her girlfriend was an unexpected delight. I liked how realistic it was in terms of Lolly's response. By the time the book starts they had been dating for some time already, but I appreciated that it took into account that Lolly still had a few odd thoughts about it. He didn't disapprove or anything like that, but it is a big jump from previously assumed to be heterosexual parents get divorced to my mother now has a serious girlfriend. It would take some adjusting. I liked that there was space for Lolly to adjust. I like that it explored a different kind of family dynamic.
That said, there is some disparaging language used regarding one of Lolly's mothers' friends namely by Lolly's father as he has some homophobia underlying his appearances. He refers to him as 'limp-wrist' a few times and while Lolly is not for that he does not outright express contempt for it either. I chalk that up to Lolly being a kid and unsure of how to navigate this particular conflict with his father. I also viewed it as obvious that you were no supposed to view his father as a moral human being to emulate. Still worth mentioning since the terminology can still be triggering or hurtful to some.
I love Black boys being into things that people assume they wouldn't be or couldn't be. Lolly's best friend is a fantastic violin player. Lolly uses legos to live out his architecture dreams. I wish Black people as a whole were not so pigeonholed. Books are one of the few places where they are allowed to exist outside of the limited framework dictated by white supremacy. There's nothing wrong with being into basketball or sneakers, but there is something wrong when its the expectation that you'll like it before you've even met them.
If you have read Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds then you already have an idea of what the central conflict is for Lolly. In a way it's a central conflict for many young men, particularly Black young men: do I ascribe to the masculinity of my forefathers even as it actively seeks to destroy me? It's difficult position to be in. The benefits are heady when you're a 12 year old kid who can't understand the future consequences of living such a narrow life. Numbness has a certain appeal when it hurts to feel.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a great book. I would recommend it with the caveat that it is steeped in Blackness in a way that I feel can be alienating to outside readers. That is not to say that only Black people could or should read this or are the only ones who will understand it. I just think that some of the beats of the story might be a bit lost in translation and come off in a way that is seemingly harmful when it is meant to be informative about a certain variety of life. Not to excuse what another person may still find hurtful or label anyone who doesn't enjoy the book as invalid - I'm only seeking to clarify why there might be a disconnect.
I can barely put into words how much I adored The Stars Beneath Our Feet. Any book that showcases how messy and discordant grief is holds a special place in my heart. I was 22 years old before I was shaken by such profound loss; it haunts me to this day. I don't know how children get through it and I am grateful for the authors that choose to write works that could be helpful on their journey through healing.
The inclusion of his lesbian mother and her girlfriend was an unexpected delight. I liked how realistic it was in terms of Lolly's response. By the time the book starts they had been dating for some time already, but I appreciated that it took into account that Lolly still had a few odd thoughts about it. He didn't disapprove or anything like that, but it is a big jump from previously assumed to be heterosexual parents get divorced to my mother now has a serious girlfriend. It would take some adjusting. I liked that there was space for Lolly to adjust. I like that it explored a different kind of family dynamic.
That said, there is some disparaging language used regarding one of Lolly's mothers' friends namely by Lolly's father as he has some homophobia underlying his appearances. He refers to him as 'limp-wrist' a few times and while Lolly is not for that he does not outright express contempt for it either. I chalk that up to Lolly being a kid and unsure of how to navigate this particular conflict with his father. I also viewed it as obvious that you were no supposed to view his father as a moral human being to emulate. Still worth mentioning since the terminology can still be triggering or hurtful to some.
I love Black boys being into things that people assume they wouldn't be or couldn't be. Lolly's best friend is a fantastic violin player. Lolly uses legos to live out his architecture dreams. I wish Black people as a whole were not so pigeonholed. Books are one of the few places where they are allowed to exist outside of the limited framework dictated by white supremacy. There's nothing wrong with being into basketball or sneakers, but there is something wrong when its the expectation that you'll like it before you've even met them.
If you have read Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds then you already have an idea of what the central conflict is for Lolly. In a way it's a central conflict for many young men, particularly Black young men: do I ascribe to the masculinity of my forefathers even as it actively seeks to destroy me? It's difficult position to be in. The benefits are heady when you're a 12 year old kid who can't understand the future consequences of living such a narrow life. Numbness has a certain appeal when it hurts to feel.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a great book. I would recommend it with the caveat that it is steeped in Blackness in a way that I feel can be alienating to outside readers. That is not to say that only Black people could or should read this or are the only ones who will understand it. I just think that some of the beats of the story might be a bit lost in translation and come off in a way that is seemingly harmful when it is meant to be informative about a certain variety of life. Not to excuse what another person may still find hurtful or label anyone who doesn't enjoy the book as invalid - I'm only seeking to clarify why there might be a disconnect.