Insta Review: A Handful of Stars, by Cynthia Lord

Insta Review gives you a new book recommendation in under a minute. Go ahead, time it!

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I read this along with my fourth graders in their RLA reading groups. I enjoyed Cynthia Lord's depiction of the small-town girl befriending the daughter of local migrant workers thanks to the soft, relatable characters and the central plot of her beloved elderly dog. Even more than the writing, I enjoyed hearing my students question and explore the text; considering how they would react to meeting someone different like Salma, how hurtful it can be to be considered an outsider, why it is so difficult to navigate friendships as mind and bodies grow and change. The book itself is a sweet and easy read, but the real showstopper for A Handful of Stars is the conversations it can inspire. Read this along with your student or child and be amazed at the big questions that good books can inspire in little minds. #bookreview #amreading #book #librarian #teacher #childrensliterature #fourthgrade #readinggroup #empathy #weneeddiversebooks #choosekindness

A post shared by Ms. Fitz (she/her) (@fitzbetweentheshelves) on Nov 1, 2016 at 9:48am PDT