Stargazing by Jen Wang - ESSENTIAL

Stargazing by Jen Wang, 214 pages, GRAPHIC NOVEL, Scholastic, 2019, $13.

Content G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Christine and Moon are unlikely friends.  Even though both girls are in the same Chinese-American suburb, they are vastly different.  Christine has more traditional Chinese-American parents who have high expectations for her. Moon only has her mother and they are struggling to make ends meet.  Moon’s exuberance and brash personality draw Christine to her, although Moon also has a reputation for beating people up.  Moon claims she can see celestial beings in the stars.  Those visions stem from something dangerous though and Christine has to work through what it means to be a friend to Moon when her life is at risk. 

Addressing themes of friendship, diversity and resilience, this book is a fun ride.  

Ages are never specified, so students from either upper elementary or middle school would enjoy this book.  Moon and Christine and their friends are believable and once you start, you’ll just have to finish. 

Michelle in the Middle