Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting conclusion to teen's saga in 1955 Mississippi.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As A SKY FULL OF STARS opens, it's 1955 in Stillwater, Mississippi, and 13-year-old Rose Lee Carter (Midnight Without a Moon) is wondering why she loved her home so much -- racists, abusive relatives, poverty, and all -- that she turned down her aunt's offer to take her in up North. Following the murder of Emmett Till and the acquittal of his killers, black people in the community fear for their lives as racist murderers become bolder, or find themselves faced with losing their jobs or homes if they have anything to do with civil rights. Against this backdrop, her rough-around-the-edges cousin, Shorty, advocates violence, while her BFF, Hallelujah, the preacher's son, holds with peaceful protest. Meanwhile, spoiled (and now pregnant) cousin Queen continues her spiteful ways, Rose's brutal grandmother loves rich white ladies and hates her own grandkids, and things are tough. But some adults -- Hallelujah's dad, a teacher, and others -- are kind, supportive, and there to show Rose a possible future very unlike her past.
Is It Any Good?
This exciting conclusion to the story of growing up amid the dangers, injustices, and surprising joys of 1955 Mississippi focuses on irresistible 13-year-old Rose Lee Carter. From the outside world to her own family, Rose has a lot of obstacles and challenges -- but she and her loved ones show courage, cleverness, and determination in looking out for one another. As she deals with history unfolding and daily mundane events, Rose's spirit shines throughout:
"If Ma Pearl wanted to work someone, she should have taken Queen out of school. She wouldn't be allowed to finish anyway once folks noticed that she was in the family way. Of course, even though Ma Pearl claimed a seventh grade education was more than I needed, she herself knew that finishing high school was the better option for any Negro who had the opportunity. This is why she was trying her best to keep her favorite grandchild -- Queen -- in school, and her least favorite grandchild -- me -- out."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges and dangers of the civil rights era as portrayed in A Sky Full of Stars. How do you think things have changed since that time? And how have they stayed the same?
Did you know about people like Frederick Douglass and Nat Turner, or places like Mound Bayou, before you read A Sky Full of Stars? Does reading about them here make you want to learn more?
Do you know kids whose parents favor some of their children over others? How does it make them feel, whether they're the favored ones or the not-so-favored ones? How do they cope?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : January 2, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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