Stella by Starlight is a captivating tale of adventure and danger in the midst of the segregated South. The book follows Stella, the main character, who lives in the town of Bumblebee, North Carolina. Stella learns quickly that growing up in segregation isn’t easy, especially for African-Americans like her. She can’t go into certain stores, and while some people are welcoming to her, others threaten her and treat her as if she is less than human. When Stella thinks things are getting better, she and her younger brother start to wander outside at night. On one of their nightly adventures, they see something they shouldn’t ever see… the Ku Klux Klan, holding a ritual at the nearby pond. And that’s only the beginning – Stella thinks she recognizes a nearby landowner’s horse, and starts to wonder if the Klansmen are their own neighbors. Then the homes and businesses of other African-American neighbors start to mysteriously burn, and tensions between them and the White townspeople start to escalate. Can Stella figure out who is behind the “random” fires, before her family is the next target? Stella meets new friends – and new enemies – in this thrilling tale. She learns that people aren’t always as they seem, and that sometimes people she thought she could trust don’t have her best interests in mind. Draper does a good job intertwining themes of racial injustice and segregation with friendship and trust. Throughout the novel, Stella learns to improve her writing skills, and is eventually given a typewriter by a neighbor. Throughout the story, Draper sprinkles in some of Stella’s writing, giving the reader a new perspective of the book.
Stella by Starlight is written by Sharon Draper, a 3-time New York Times bestselling author. She is known for her books Out of My Mind and Blended. She is also a two-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, which recognizes African American writers and illustrators of books for kids and young adults. Although the story is historical fiction, Draper wrote Stella by Starlight to tell the story of her father and grandmother, who both lived in the segregated South, and the book is dedicated to the two of them.
Stella by Starlight is praised for being a novel telling the story of racial segregation in the South. Critics also appreciate the story being told in a way that younger readers can understand without overly sugar-coating the very real events that took place. I would recommend Stella by Starlight to anyone interested in a historical fiction novel, or a book about racial inequality or justice. If you enjoy Stella by Starlight, be sure to check out Sharon Draper’s other books, including Out of My Mind, Out of My Heart, and Blended.
