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A Handful of Stars
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
7 posts | 11 read | 6 to read
This powerful middle-grade novel from the Newbery Honor author of RULES explores a friendship between a small-town girl and the daughter of migrant workers. When Lily's blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it's Salma Santiago who manages to catch him. Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season. After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes for Lily's grandfather, and Salma's friendship transforms Lily's summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they'll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging. Should an outsider like Salma really participate in the pageant-and possibly win? Set amongst the blueberry barrens and by the sea, this is a gorgeous new novel by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord that tackles themes of prejudice and friendship, loss and love. Praise for A Handful of Stars: *"Salma's artistic creativity and gumption awaken Lily to the power of imagination, the importance of embracing change and knowing when to let go of the past, and the rewards of venturing beyond one's comfort zone." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review *"The treatment of Salma's migrant life is matter-of-fact but direct, and Lily plausibly deals with possibilities of local racism and swells with indignation on behalf of her new friend... It's the straightforward and unaffected prose (highly suitable for a readaloud as well as reading alone) that really allows Lily's story to shine... it's hard to resist joining her on her journey toward greater maturity." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review Praise for Half A Chance: *"[Lord] has combined vivid, cinematic description with deft characterization and handles several important issues with sensitivity, nuance, and great skill... A deeply enjoyable read." -- School Library Journal, starred review *"With winning results, Lord brings the same sensitivity to the subject of dementia that she brought to autism in her Newbery Honor book, Rules." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviews Praise for Rules: Newbery Honor Book Schneider Family Book Award
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vonnie862
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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This was a cute middle school grade book. A young girl makes growth when becoming friends with a farm worker child.
#ahandfulofstars

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Skeeterisme
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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Cute

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Eggs
Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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This powerful middle-grade novel from the Newbery Honor author of Rules explores a friendship between Lily, a small-town girl (With her blind dog Lucky),and Selma, the daughter of migrant workers. Sweet, unique story.

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mrp27
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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#hollyjollyreading #star

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'm always a sucker for a good dog story and this definitely fits the bill. This book also explores the friendship between the mc Lily and Salma, a migrant worker in the blueberry barrens in the state of Maine.

OriginalCyn620 Aww! 🐶⭐️ 5y
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monalyisha
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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Super-sweet book about the friendship between a native Mainer & a young, migrant worker with plenty of dog-love to go around! It addresses the way a community can ignore & ostracize anything & anyone “Other,” while providing hope about the next generation.

I haven‘t read many of the MCBA (Massachusetts Children‘s Book Award) nominees yet, but this is my pick so far. 🙌🏻

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Chelsibno
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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This short #childrensbook was a sweet and endearing read. All Lily wants is to raise enough money to get her blind dog an operation, but when she befriends Salma, who is working with her family as migrant workers, she begins to realize truths about friendship and growing up. The characters in this novel are well-written and dynamic. This character-driven story will help young readers to better understand how others live and important life lessons.

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Abby2
A Handful of Stars | Cynthia Lord
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This was a really delightful read. Lots for kids to think about and a very real voice.