Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, by Ibi Zoboi, won a 2023 Coretta Scott King Author Honor. Zoboi charts the award-winning Black science fiction writer's course through life with photos, essays, and poems. There's no violence, but some anxiety about the Cold War and and nuclear destruction.
What's the Story?
From the beginning of STAR CHILD A BIOGRAPHICAL CONSTELLATION OF OCTAVIA ESTELLE BUTLER, Octavia finds the courage to not listen to the kids who tease her for being tall, quiet, and solidly built. From an early age, she vows to become a famous writer, writing stories about magical horses and eventually submitting her work to professional editors. Recognition came late for Butler, but she achieved most of the goals she set herself as a young child. Her "daydreaming" inspired a career that still resonates today.
Is It Any Good?
Literary biographies too often follow the and-then-this-happened structure, but this coming-of-age true-life tale finds its power in homework sheets, poems, first-novels, and diary entries. Octavia Estelle Butler was always an outsider, and author Ibi Zoboi writes of the minor slights and major underestimations that befell the future MacArthur "Genius" awardee. Butler speaks for herself, forging her path through Southern California as she teaches herself to be an important writer. Heartbreaking yet inspirational, Star Child is a riveting story of finding your own self by learning to be a storyteller.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Star Child presents Octavia Butler's biography as a series of poems and essays. What are some other ways to tell the story of someone's life?
Why did Butler's family and schoolmates underestimate her abilities? How might she be treated today, in contrast to the 1960s?
Does it take perseverance to succeed in any field? How can students find the ambition to succeed and thrive?
Book Details
- Author: Ibi Zoboi
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Great Girl Role Models, History, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: January 25, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 128
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Awards: Common Sense Selection, Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated: January 30, 2023
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