The Same Stuff As Stars

by Katherine Paterson

Overview

Angel Morgan needs help. Daddy is in jail, and Mama has abandoned her and her little brother, leaving them with their great-grandmother. Grandma is aged and poor, and doesn’t make any attempt to care for the children—that’s left up to Angel, even though she is not yet twelve. The only bright spot in Angel’s existence is the Star Man, a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches her all about the stars and planets and constellations. “We’re made out of the same stuff as the stars,” he tells her.

Eventually, Grandma warms to the children and the three begin to cobble together a makeshift family. Then events in Angel’s life take yet another downturn, and she must once again find a way to persevere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544540309
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	527,620
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.62(h) x 0.61(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Katherine Paterson’s international fame rests not only on her widely acclaimed novels but also on her efforts to promote literacy in the United States and abroad. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal (Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved) and the National Book Award (The Great Gilly Hopkins and The Master Puppeteer), she has received many accolades for her body of work, including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, given by her home state of Vermont. She was also named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. She served as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in 2010-2011.Ms. Paterson is vice president of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance (www.thencbla.org), which is a not-for-profit education and advocacy organization. The NCBLA’s innovative projects actively promote literacy, literature, libraries, and the arts.  She is both an Alida Cutts Lifetime Member of the United States Board on Books for Young People (www.usbby.org) and a lifetime member of the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org).She and her husband, John, live in Montpelier, Vermont. They have four children and seven grandchildren. For more information, visit www.terabithia.com.

Table of Contents

1	Wishing on a Star	1
2	The Saturday Visit	14
3	"The Bear Went Over the Mountain"	22
4	The Other Side of the Mountain	37
5	Hansel and Grizzle	46
6	Santy Claus	55
7	Star Man	65
8	Treasure Hunt	74
9	A Is for Astronomy	86
10	The Swan	98
11	Miss Liza of the Library	111
12	Know the Stars	125
13	To School We Go	138
14	Draco the Dragon	151
15	Polaris	158
16	Consider the Heavens	166
17	Galileo Galilei	179
18	Falling Stars	194
19	Stardust to Stardust	207
20	Take Something Like a Star	221
21	Shining Stars	231

Editorial Reviews

"A gently written tale of family caught in the most corrosive of situations,…readers will recognize and root for Angel." Kirkus Reviews, Starred

5Q/5P "Paterson's deft characterization, her insight into the human soul, and her glorious prose make this book one to rejoice over." VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

"Paterson’s beautiful words root the wonder of astronomy in gritty details of daily survival. This focused story evokes timeless tales." Booklist, ALA

"Thanks to the fine talent of Paterson, children’s literature has another memorable heroine." KLIATT

"Those who love her work will celebrate; those who aren’t familiar with it will have discovered a new star." Riverbank Review

"Paterson’s salt-of-the-earth style is in fine form here, making Angel’s dilemma credible, and Angel herself a compelling and believable figure." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"...Magical book...takes place in the most unmagical...circumstances...complex story...about what it takes to be a good person." NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW New York Review of Books

"Angel is an ultimately triumphant character." The HORN BOOK GUIDE, Pointer Review Horn Book Guide, Pointer —

From the Publisher

In the complex story that unfolds, Paterson asks her readers to think about what it means, exactly, for one person to be responsible for another, and what it takes to be a good person. She throws light on how abuse, mistrust, selfishness and abandonment can be passed down from generation to generation; and how promises that aren't kept can break hearts and poison the soul. The spark of light in Angel's life comes from a mysterious neighbor, who shows her the heavens in his telescope and evokes a fascination with astronomy that takes Angel where she needs to be. — Lois Metzger

The New York Times

Eleven-year-old Angel Morgan has had to grow up too soon. Her father's in prison, her mother shirks responsibility and her little brother needs someone to take care of him. When their mother abandons the two children at the home of their great-grandmother, Angel feels hurt and scared. Yet her new life in rural Vermont has consolations, including the town's perceptive, friendly librarian. Outstanding characterization, realistic dialogue and effective imagery distinguish this heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful novel.

Kathleen Odean

An 11-year-old girl looks out for her younger brother after their mother leaves them with their paternal great-grandmother. "The heroine's blossoming friendship with a mysterious `star man,' combined with her intelligence and abiding trust in the direst of situations, will persuade readers that she will rise above her circumstances," according to PW's Best Books citation. Ages 8-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A gently written tale of family caught in the most corrosive of situations, this is a story of guilt and reconciliation. Indeed there is plenty of guilt to go around. Eleven-year-old Angel and little brother Bernie have "parents that acted like spoiled babies and a great-grandmother who needed a mother as much as they did." Dad is in jail and the children are at the mercy of their mother’s irresponsible, mercurial moods. She abandons them with their prickly great-grandmother, who lives a hardscrabble life in a ramshackle Vermont farmhouse. Then she returns to "kidnap" Bernie, breaking Grandma’s and Angel’s hearts. After the mother’s drunken boyfriend has an accident in which she is almost killed and Bernie is injured, the family seems headed for reunion. Some characters may have been seen before: from the feisty grandmother with the soft center who herself has failed several generations of children, to her Vietnam-veteran son whose life has been ruined by drugs, but who is one important adult in Angel’s life. Central metaphors are best stated by the wise, elderly librarian (the only truly unselfish adult in the book) to whom Angel turns in each crisis. Miss Liza, the only physically misshapen character in a world of crippled adults, quotes the Bible to remind Angel that God is always mindful of man, that He "hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor." Angel is indeed angelic. She is the selfless caretaker, the responsible "adult" in a world where she’s always left behind and always disappointed by the very adults who ought to love and care for her. If she’s almost too good to be true—constantly buckling seat belts, lecturing on the five foodgroups, and fussing over proper outerwear in the cold—readers will recognize her and root for her because the odds are so badly stacked against her. (Fiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews