Connect the Stars

by Marisa de los Santos, David Teague

Overview

From Saving Lucas Biggs authors Marisa de los Santos and David Teague comes a heartwarming middle grade adventure about two misfits discovering the importance of just being themselves.

When thirteen-year-olds Aaron and Audrey meet at a wilderness camp in the desert, they think their quirks are enough to prevent them from ever having friends. But as they trek through the challenging and unforgiving landscape, they learn that they each have what it takes to make the other whole.

Luminous and clever, Connect the Stars takes on some hefty topics of the day—bullying, understanding where you fit in, and learning to live with physical and mental challenges—all in a joyous adventure kids will love!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062274656
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/22/2015
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	629,960
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning poet with a PhD in literature and creative writing. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her family.

David Teague is the author of the picture book Franklin’s Big Dreams. With his wife, Marisa de los Santos, he is the coauthor of Saving Lucas Biggs and Connect the Stars. Married for over twenty years, Marisa and David live with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finn and Huxley, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Hometown:

Wilmington, Delaware

Date of Birth:

August 12, 1966

Place of Birth:

Baltimore, Maryland

Education:

Un. of Virginia, BA in Eng; Sarah Lawrence College, MFA in Poetry; Un. of Houston, Ph.D. in Eng. and Creative Writing

Website:

http://www.marisadelossantos.com

Editorial Reviews

2015-05-18
A middle school boy and girl, each with a character trait that impedes relationships—Audrey always knows when someone is lying, and Aaron has an indelible memory but no emotional intelligence—develop an unlikely friendship in a wilderness camp. After various difficulties in their separate schools, Audrey's and Aaron's parents enroll them in a desert wilderness camp for 13- and 14-year-olds, where they hike a 200-mile route known as the Journey to Confidence. The other members of the group include the very sad Kate, Louis, who is hypersensitive to stimulation, and Daphne, who is furious at everyone, especially her mother. In fits and starts, the two peculiar protagonists develop an improbable yet believable trust, which in turn gives them a kind of synergistic problem-solving agency. The premise—a pair of oddballs help each other approach normal—is beyond tried and true, yet the authors deliver it with enough permutations to keep it fresh. Specifically, the mix of other troubled kids adds complexity, and the harsh desert landscape conveys wonder and majesty. There are some credibility problems; Audrey's gift is hard to buy, as is the group leader's judgment, and although the authors wring a goodly amount of pathos out of Aaron's character, his hyperfactual Asperger-like personality mix is very familiar. Quibbles aside, a satisfying read that strikes a good balance between emotional highs and page-turning adventure. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for SAVING LUCAS BIGGS: “This book is hard to put down! Vivid and memorable, SAVING LUCAS BIGGS casts a captivating spell that will keep you turning pages. A heartfelt yarn of family, friendship, and homespun time–travel magic.

Ingrid Law

Praise for SAVING LUCAS BIGGS: “De los Santos and Teague craft a gentle, quiet sci-fi story where the focus is…love, nonviolence, and social justice. Give this one to readers who like stories about family, doing the right thing, and standing up to those who don’t.

Booklist

Praise for SAVING LUCAS BIGGS: “The authors’ graceful use of language and fearless exploration of a more spiritual dimension simultaneously comfort and challenge readers, encouraging deep thoughts. This novel makes a good companion for armchair time travelers and budding philosophers alike.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

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