Synopses & Reviews
When
the Ku Klux Klan’s unwelcome reappearance rattles Stella’s segregated
southern town, bravery battles prejudice in this Depression-era tour de
force from Sharon Draper, the New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind.
Stella lives in the segregated South — in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to
be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can’t.
Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it
sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn’t bothered them for years.
But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less
wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something
they’re never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of
change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As
Stella’s community — her world — is upended, she decides to fight fire with
fire. And she learns that ashes don’t necessarily signify an end.
Review
"When a young girl gains confidence from her failures and strength from what her community dreads most, life delivers magic and hope. A tale of the Jim Crow South that's not sugar-coated but effective, with a trustworthy narrator who opens her heart and readers' eyes." Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Review
"This compelling story brims with courage, compassion, creativity, and resilience." Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Review
"Storytelling at its finest." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Review
"Her sense of honesty and justice make her a child with whom all readers can identify." Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW
About the Author
Sharon
M. Draper is a New York Times bestselling author and recipient of the
Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting
contribution to writing for teens. She has received the Coretta Scott
King Award for both Copper Sun and Forged by Fire. Her Out of My Mind
has won multiple awards and has been a New York Times bestseller for
well over a year. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high
school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of
the Year. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.