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A Handful of Stars
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2015)This powerful middle-grade novel from the Newbery Honor author of RULES explores a friendship between a small-town girl and the daughter of migrant workers. When Lily's blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it's Salma Santiago who manages to catch him. Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season. After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes for Lily's grandfather, and Salma's friendship transforms Lily's summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they'll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging. Should an outsider like Salma really participate in the pageant-and possibly win?Set amongst the blueberry barrens and by the sea, this gorgeous novel by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord tackles themes of prejudice and friendship, loss and love.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2015
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6213 people want to read
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December 1, 2023
Simply stated lessons about friendships, both fleeting and forming, blend beautifully with little lessons about tiny blue bees and Wabanaki blueberry legends.
A mature little girl, Lily (because “Tigerlily” is a weed, not a name) spends her summers helping in her grandparents’ general store….which is to say the only store in a blueberry-harvesting Maine town busy with migrant workers, locals and tourists from America and Canada. Painting bee houses at her very own table, Lily earns money for an operation that may help her cherished Lucky see again.
“People want us to come and work, but they want us to be invisible.”
The beloved bond built on the unconditional love between girl and dog is artfully illustrated in this book. It is a vibrant thread throughout pulling Lily to Salma, the young migrant worker who shares the affinity for dogs and the sorrow of loss. The girls aren’t exactly alike. Lily’s bee houses are carefully stenciled where Salma’s are impulsive and colorful.
“That’s what I like about art. It lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else.”
Lily is engagingly open-minded and inclusive with a bit of a stubborn streak. Her growth, while not monumentally exponential, is enlightening and reassuring. Realizations are sluggish; but sweet and hopeful, like a slowly waking rose bud bursting open to brilliancy.
While this is clearly a compelling, captivating story for young readers, it should not be pigeon-holed as a “children’s” book. I honestly and truly believe that every single person deserves to experience the magic of an unapologetically honest, delightful friendship and the benefit of shifting perceptions.
“(Tigerlilies are weeds) only because somebody said so. Lilies are proud and sassy. They don’t know they’re weeds.”
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
A mature little girl, Lily (because “Tigerlily” is a weed, not a name) spends her summers helping in her grandparents’ general store….which is to say the only store in a blueberry-harvesting Maine town busy with migrant workers, locals and tourists from America and Canada. Painting bee houses at her very own table, Lily earns money for an operation that may help her cherished Lucky see again.
“People want us to come and work, but they want us to be invisible.”
The beloved bond built on the unconditional love between girl and dog is artfully illustrated in this book. It is a vibrant thread throughout pulling Lily to Salma, the young migrant worker who shares the affinity for dogs and the sorrow of loss. The girls aren’t exactly alike. Lily’s bee houses are carefully stenciled where Salma’s are impulsive and colorful.
“That’s what I like about art. It lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else.”
Lily is engagingly open-minded and inclusive with a bit of a stubborn streak. Her growth, while not monumentally exponential, is enlightening and reassuring. Realizations are sluggish; but sweet and hopeful, like a slowly waking rose bud bursting open to brilliancy.
While this is clearly a compelling, captivating story for young readers, it should not be pigeon-holed as a “children’s” book. I honestly and truly believe that every single person deserves to experience the magic of an unapologetically honest, delightful friendship and the benefit of shifting perceptions.
“(Tigerlilies are weeds) only because somebody said so. Lilies are proud and sassy. They don’t know they’re weeds.”
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
May 29, 2015
A HANDFUL OF REASONS
TO LOVE A HANDFUL OF STARS
#5-This middle grade novel has the best cover. I dare you not to peek inside—that dog, the lone blueberry on his nose, oh my!
#4-Once inside, you’ll find a fresh, intricately-woven story with themes of friendship, loss, living outside the box, being true to oneself, prejudice, poverty, independence, bravery. So much packed into this character-rich, well-plotted novel.
#3-MAINE! If you love Maine, you’ll be immersed in an original Down East story set amongst the blueberry barrens, with migrant workers, a Mémère and Pépère, tourtière pie, a general store that carries everything you need and don’t need, a summer festival, Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal, good dogs, and good hearts.
#2-A perfect read-aloud for a family, for a classroom, for a summer camp—savor the words; become friends with Lily, Salma, and Lucky; chat about what speaks to you, what surprises you, what the story tells you about the past, the present, and the future.
#1 Cynthia Lord www.cynthialord.com (author of the Newbery Honor Book Rules) is never teachy-preachy. She doesn’t hit you over the head; but rather, her story tiptoes from her writer’s heart into your reader’s heart, and you’ll find yourself nodding and smiling and knowing as she uncovers “truths” that resonate beyond Maine’s borders, beyond the pages of this book, and beyond the target age level for this novel. Bravo!
TO LOVE A HANDFUL OF STARS
#5-This middle grade novel has the best cover. I dare you not to peek inside—that dog, the lone blueberry on his nose, oh my!
#4-Once inside, you’ll find a fresh, intricately-woven story with themes of friendship, loss, living outside the box, being true to oneself, prejudice, poverty, independence, bravery. So much packed into this character-rich, well-plotted novel.
#3-MAINE! If you love Maine, you’ll be immersed in an original Down East story set amongst the blueberry barrens, with migrant workers, a Mémère and Pépère, tourtière pie, a general store that carries everything you need and don’t need, a summer festival, Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal, good dogs, and good hearts.
#2-A perfect read-aloud for a family, for a classroom, for a summer camp—savor the words; become friends with Lily, Salma, and Lucky; chat about what speaks to you, what surprises you, what the story tells you about the past, the present, and the future.
#1 Cynthia Lord www.cynthialord.com (author of the Newbery Honor Book Rules) is never teachy-preachy. She doesn’t hit you over the head; but rather, her story tiptoes from her writer’s heart into your reader’s heart, and you’ll find yourself nodding and smiling and knowing as she uncovers “truths” that resonate beyond Maine’s borders, beyond the pages of this book, and beyond the target age level for this novel. Bravo!
June 15, 2023
Dažniausiai vengiu knygų, kuriose veikėjas yra šuo. Nes jis arba tikrai mirs, arba bus skriaudžimas arba per jo liūdną gyvenimą bus pasakojamas moralas. Ačiū Biliūnui ir traumai, kurią gavau mokykloje skaitydama Brisiaus galą :D Bet tikrai - kai skaitau apie kenčiančius gyvūnus - upeliais ašaras lieju nors tu ką. Bet šios knygos anotacijoje pamčiau, kad greičiausiai kabliukas čia bus mestas kitur, mat viena iš veikėjų migrantų darbininkų dukra. OK, skaitysiu ir nebijosiu, nes greičiausiai ne šuo čia bus veiksmo centras.
Šuo Lakis čia tebuvo jungtis, suvedusi dvi mergaites. Lilės Lakis nutrūko nuo pavadžio ir pabėgo. kadangi jis aklas (ok, šiek tiek šuniukiško liūdesėlio neišvengsim), mergaitė išsigando, kad papuls po ratais, ar dar kokia bėda ištiks, tačiau mėlynių lauke besidarbuojanti Salma greit jį pagavo, pašnarinusi maisto paketėlius. Žodis po žodžio ir mergiatės susidraugavo, nors abi - labai skirtingų gyvenimų žmonės. Lilė, gyvena su seneliais ir dažo laukinių bičių namelius norėdama užsidirbti pinigų Lakio akių operacijai. Salma - migrantų šeimos narė, nuolat keliaujanti ten, kur yra darbo. tačiau salma turi svajonę - laimėti Mėlynių karalienės titulą, o kartu su juo - pinigų studijoms. Tik ar migrantų vaikas gali dalyvauti vietiniame konkurse?
Labai gražus pasakojimas apie tai, kaip reikia nebijot būt kitokiu, priimt kitokius ir pasiryžti pačiam išlipti iš kažkieno nustatytų normų. Tokia jauki, vaikiškai patraukli istorija apie tikrąją laisvę, draugystę ir atsidavimą. Man gal kiek trūko daugiau gilesnių poteksčių, daugiau jautrumo ar inside žvilgsnio į Salmos gyvenimą. Tikrai labai paprastai parašyta knyga, tad rekomenduočiau ją net ne jaunesnio amžiaus paaugliams, o vaikams. PLius, knyga labai tinka kaip vasaros skaitinys, mat čia irgi kalbama apie vasaros atostogas, per kurias galima ne tik ilsėtis, bet ir nuveikt ką nors smagiai naudingo.
Šuo Lakis čia tebuvo jungtis, suvedusi dvi mergaites. Lilės Lakis nutrūko nuo pavadžio ir pabėgo. kadangi jis aklas (ok, šiek tiek šuniukiško liūdesėlio neišvengsim), mergaitė išsigando, kad papuls po ratais, ar dar kokia bėda ištiks, tačiau mėlynių lauke besidarbuojanti Salma greit jį pagavo, pašnarinusi maisto paketėlius. Žodis po žodžio ir mergiatės susidraugavo, nors abi - labai skirtingų gyvenimų žmonės. Lilė, gyvena su seneliais ir dažo laukinių bičių namelius norėdama užsidirbti pinigų Lakio akių operacijai. Salma - migrantų šeimos narė, nuolat keliaujanti ten, kur yra darbo. tačiau salma turi svajonę - laimėti Mėlynių karalienės titulą, o kartu su juo - pinigų studijoms. Tik ar migrantų vaikas gali dalyvauti vietiniame konkurse?
Labai gražus pasakojimas apie tai, kaip reikia nebijot būt kitokiu, priimt kitokius ir pasiryžti pačiam išlipti iš kažkieno nustatytų normų. Tokia jauki, vaikiškai patraukli istorija apie tikrąją laisvę, draugystę ir atsidavimą. Man gal kiek trūko daugiau gilesnių poteksčių, daugiau jautrumo ar inside žvilgsnio į Salmos gyvenimą. Tikrai labai paprastai parašyta knyga, tad rekomenduočiau ją net ne jaunesnio amžiaus paaugliams, o vaikams. PLius, knyga labai tinka kaip vasaros skaitinys, mat čia irgi kalbama apie vasaros atostogas, per kurias galima ne tik ilsėtis, bet ir nuveikt ką nors smagiai naudingo.
October 21, 2015
This is a heartwarming story of friendship, family, and summer. I liked how it showed the changes that occur in friendships without having demonize a girl for liking feminine things and being into boys. I've been encountering too many of those lately. It is also a short book so a good one to give to readers who are still turned off my longer novels.
April 4, 2015
I don't think there's a Cynthia Lord book that I don't like. The layers to the story stick with the reader long after, like the memory of time well-spent with a good friend. A Handful of Stars is about friendship. First we have the friendship of a beloved animal companion, who has reached the age where he has special needs, but is still a beloved friend. Then there is the friendship that once had the friends two peas in a pod. But the pod has broadened, and the peas are less close, yet still connected, if only by wistfulness. And finally there's the courage to make new friends, try new things, and allow yourself to grow. This book is beautiful.
June 7, 2015
There are certain authors that attract my attention every time they have something new come out. I don't even ask what it's about, I just order it, because I have that much faith that the book is going to be good. Such was the case with Cynthia Lord's A Handful of Stars. After Rules, Touch Blue and Half a Chance, The Shelter Pet Squad and let's not forget Hot Rod Hamster, I knew I wasn't taking too great a risk, and I wasn't wrong.
I'll admit. I did question my decision when I first got the book and read what it was about. A girl, Lily trying to save Lucky, her dog's site meets a migrant worker girl named Salma, who wants to be in the local pageant. Ok, it's got to get better than that. And it did. It wasn't long before I was in love with each character, even the possibly ex-best friend, Hannah, the one you think is going to be the villain.
In the book, though, I learned a lot about blueberries, a lot about mason bees, which I had never heard of before, and a lot about the hardships faced by migrant workers, especially the children, when they move from state to state, following jobs and never able to stay in one place. Sensitive and sweet on all levels.
I'll admit. I did question my decision when I first got the book and read what it was about. A girl, Lily trying to save Lucky, her dog's site meets a migrant worker girl named Salma, who wants to be in the local pageant. Ok, it's got to get better than that. And it did. It wasn't long before I was in love with each character, even the possibly ex-best friend, Hannah, the one you think is going to be the villain.
In the book, though, I learned a lot about blueberries, a lot about mason bees, which I had never heard of before, and a lot about the hardships faced by migrant workers, especially the children, when they move from state to state, following jobs and never able to stay in one place. Sensitive and sweet on all levels.
January 25, 2022
This isn't a bad book, but it's too short and underdeveloped to be a good one, and the writing style is stilted (which is especially noticeable when this is read back to back with another, better book). I like the central idea of the story and I appreciate the representation very much but I feel like the story deserves more than the bare bones it's given here.
January 21, 2016
The bookseller I purchased this from said this was a wonderful middle grade book about big issues without being a "big issue" book. She couldn't be more correct. This cute and deceptively simple story features twelve year old Lily and her old dog Lucky, who live in Maine near a blueberry farm. One day Lucky gets away and crosses into the blueberry fields where a little girl Salma is working her plot. Salma catches Lucky by giving her a peanut butter sandwich. When Lily takes Salma's family a thank-you pie, the two strike up a lovely friendship.
Accepting change, evolving friendships, and the impact of art as a medium of expression are explored in this contemporary novel. The reader also glimpses loss through the lens of Salma, since her family never stays in one place. Lily's loss of her mom weighs heavily on her own day to day experiences. Together, the two teach each other about meaningful, lasting friendships. From a mutual love of painting to bonding over animals, this coming of age story set in Maine is sure to delight. And, of course, who can resist that cover?
Accepting change, evolving friendships, and the impact of art as a medium of expression are explored in this contemporary novel. The reader also glimpses loss through the lens of Salma, since her family never stays in one place. Lily's loss of her mom weighs heavily on her own day to day experiences. Together, the two teach each other about meaningful, lasting friendships. From a mutual love of painting to bonding over animals, this coming of age story set in Maine is sure to delight. And, of course, who can resist that cover?
August 8, 2015
Richie’s Picks: A HANDFUL OF STARS by Cynthia Lord, Scholastic Press, May 2015, 192p., ISBN: 978-0-545-70027-6
“Seems like I’m not here, it’s like I don’t mean nothing
Like glass, I’m clear almost like you can see straight through me”
-- Jennifer Hudson, “Invisible”
“‘Do you have to live here to enter?’ Salma asked.
Why’d she ask that? I tried to catch Salma’s eye, but she was looking at Hannah.
‘No, last year there was a girl from New Hampshire in the pageant,’ Hannah said. ‘It’s easy to enter. You just have to copy the form off the festival website and bring it to Mrs. LaRue at the Congregational Church. Then the night of the pageant, you wear a fancy dress, answer some questions onstage, and do a talent.’
‘Oh,’ Salma said. ‘I don’t have a fancy dress with me.’
Whew. That solves that. Salma was pretty enough to win a pageant. But the Downeast Blueberry Queen was usually blonde, like Hannah and Mama. And white. But I couldn’t say that. It would sound like we were prejudiced.
And maybe there was some of that? Or maybe the judges simply thought blondes were prettier. But either way, there was something shameful in saying that, and I didn’t want Salma to think I thought that way.
‘I’m getting a new dress for this year,’ Hannah said. ‘So I could loan you my dress from last year.’”
Twelve-year-old Lily is an orphan, living with her grandparents above their general store in Maine. Salma Santiago is the daughter of migrant workers, living in a camp near town while they’re employed for the blueberry picking season. Thanks to the antics of Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, who sniffs out and eats Salma’s lunch one day, Lily and Salma become friends. Lily’s particularly happy to have a new friend, since she’s lost much of the connection with her lifelong friend Hannah, who seems to be going boy-crazy.
When Salma learns from Hannah that the prize for becoming Downeast Blueberry Queen at the annual blueberry festival is a $5,000 savings bond for college, and that Hannah can lend her a dress for the pageant, she decides to enter the competition. Overcoming her initial hesitancy, Lily gets excited and hopeful for Salma. Meanwhile, the new friends also dream up a plan for raising money to get Lucky cataract surgery.
While things might not turn out for the girls exactly the way they envision, I like the way in which this coming-of-age story portrays young friends empathizing with and caring about one another. It also provides a portrait of hard-working migrant farm workers who, in many instances, can seem invisible to us.
YouTube makes a great companion for A HANDFUL OF STARS. I learned so much about blueberries and blueberry picking from reading the story. Then I watched a video of someone wielding a blueberry rake to harvest blueberries, and a video of a wild blueberry packing line in action.
We’ve been bringing home fresh blueberries from the weekly farmer’s market, and now I can appreciate better what’s gone into filling one of those plastic clamshell containers with fresh berries.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
“Seems like I’m not here, it’s like I don’t mean nothing
Like glass, I’m clear almost like you can see straight through me”
-- Jennifer Hudson, “Invisible”
“‘Do you have to live here to enter?’ Salma asked.
Why’d she ask that? I tried to catch Salma’s eye, but she was looking at Hannah.
‘No, last year there was a girl from New Hampshire in the pageant,’ Hannah said. ‘It’s easy to enter. You just have to copy the form off the festival website and bring it to Mrs. LaRue at the Congregational Church. Then the night of the pageant, you wear a fancy dress, answer some questions onstage, and do a talent.’
‘Oh,’ Salma said. ‘I don’t have a fancy dress with me.’
Whew. That solves that. Salma was pretty enough to win a pageant. But the Downeast Blueberry Queen was usually blonde, like Hannah and Mama. And white. But I couldn’t say that. It would sound like we were prejudiced.
And maybe there was some of that? Or maybe the judges simply thought blondes were prettier. But either way, there was something shameful in saying that, and I didn’t want Salma to think I thought that way.
‘I’m getting a new dress for this year,’ Hannah said. ‘So I could loan you my dress from last year.’”
Twelve-year-old Lily is an orphan, living with her grandparents above their general store in Maine. Salma Santiago is the daughter of migrant workers, living in a camp near town while they’re employed for the blueberry picking season. Thanks to the antics of Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, who sniffs out and eats Salma’s lunch one day, Lily and Salma become friends. Lily’s particularly happy to have a new friend, since she’s lost much of the connection with her lifelong friend Hannah, who seems to be going boy-crazy.
When Salma learns from Hannah that the prize for becoming Downeast Blueberry Queen at the annual blueberry festival is a $5,000 savings bond for college, and that Hannah can lend her a dress for the pageant, she decides to enter the competition. Overcoming her initial hesitancy, Lily gets excited and hopeful for Salma. Meanwhile, the new friends also dream up a plan for raising money to get Lucky cataract surgery.
While things might not turn out for the girls exactly the way they envision, I like the way in which this coming-of-age story portrays young friends empathizing with and caring about one another. It also provides a portrait of hard-working migrant farm workers who, in many instances, can seem invisible to us.
YouTube makes a great companion for A HANDFUL OF STARS. I learned so much about blueberries and blueberry picking from reading the story. Then I watched a video of someone wielding a blueberry rake to harvest blueberries, and a video of a wild blueberry packing line in action.
We’ve been bringing home fresh blueberries from the weekly farmer’s market, and now I can appreciate better what’s gone into filling one of those plastic clamshell containers with fresh berries.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
October 25, 2017
The last couple chapters are five-star worthy, but the rest of the book made it just a three star for me. Super disappointing because I actually cried at the end! I think this was just too short to have the impact that it had the potential to.
September 19, 2018
This is a lovely book about a young girl learning about friendship and life: through her blind dog and a new friend who is a migrant worker picking blueberries in the area where she lives. There is both sadness and sweetness in this middle-grade children's book, and a lot to learn for us all!
March 22, 2015
Change, friendship, dogs, Maine and blueberries. A wonderful story from beginning to (get your hanky ready) end. Schools in any community that hosts migrant farm workers should make this a must-read.
December 10, 2015
The star is unfair because I just couldn't be bothered to read this. It seemed thoroughly predictable, didactic, inauthentic, and not that well written.
Just not feeling it
Just not feeling it
March 24, 2021
“It’s scary to try something different when you don’t know how it’ll work out, but that’s when the best things can happen. The things that surprise you and change you. Those things can make you different.”
This book was very cute, and recommend. it was a cute book about friendship, and DOGS (blind). kind of boring in some parts
“And it takes an artist, someone who can look past the ordinariness, to remind us how special they really are.” Being able to create beauty from your imagination is extraordinary, you’re able to create something special out of anything. Like the author said being an artist means you could make ““Bees.... pink. Trees can be purple”
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now, probably for like 3 years so i’m glad i’ve finally been able to read it. :) i’m trying to clean out my want to read book shelf but it’s gonna TAKE A WHILE. kinda in a reading slump so this book has helped.
This book was very cute, and recommend. it was a cute book about friendship, and DOGS (blind). kind of boring in some parts
“And it takes an artist, someone who can look past the ordinariness, to remind us how special they really are.” Being able to create beauty from your imagination is extraordinary, you’re able to create something special out of anything. Like the author said being an artist means you could make ““Bees.... pink. Trees can be purple”
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now, probably for like 3 years so i’m glad i’ve finally been able to read it. :) i’m trying to clean out my want to read book shelf but it’s gonna TAKE A WHILE. kinda in a reading slump so this book has helped.
February 16, 2018
This story shows how compassion, determination, and friendship can make a difference in one's life. The ending is somewhat predictable, but still heartwarming.
I liked that the author did not shy away from sensitive discussions a about difficult subjects: the living conditions of migrant workers, the rights of children to receive consistent education, no matter where they live, the tendency of society to see beauty in those who look more like us, and caring for elderly animals.
Overall, it was a well-written story and was touching, but not overly saccharine. I really enjoyed listening to Maria Cabezas narrate the story on audio CD.
interesting quotes (page numbers from paperback edition with ISBN13 978-0545700283):
"But learning not to bump into things seemed like a poor trade for seeing. And hearing squirrels but not chasing them and watching them run away just felt like losing. Only having half of something after you've had it all is a special kind of sadness." (p. 39)
"At the beginning of summer it always feels like there's so much time ahead: whole empty calendar pages of sunshine, warm sea breezes, midnight thunderstorms, and running barefoot in the grass. Enough afternoons to do every single thing you wanted to do and even some days left over to do nothing at all.
But somehow summer fills up and flies by." (p. 96)
"Sometimes understanding comes in little drops and other times it rushes in like the tide, rolling everything over as it comes." (p. 120)
"Times change. And it's good they do. But it only happens if someone is brave enough to be first." (p. 129)
"I was feeling a bit scared, and I realized something. To do brave things you don't have to be hugely brave, you only have be a little bit braver than you are scared. (pp. 149-150)
"Maybe when we see things all the time, we stop really looking at them. And it takes an artist, someone who can look past the ordinariness, to remind us how special they really are." (p. 152)
"All she had to do was tell the truth. This would be easy.
I should've known, though.
Real truth is never easy" (p. 153)
"'I like art because there are no wrong answers,' Salma said. 'It's all about how you see the world. So you can be completely yourself'" (p. 156)
"But that's the one thing about being blind. What you look like doesn't matter to Lucky. He sees you with his heart" (p. 161)
"Giving up and letting go are too very different things, Lily. Giving up is admitting you're beat and walking away. Letting go means you're setting something free. You're releasing something that's been keeping you stuck. That takes faith and more than a little courage" (p. 170)
I liked that the author did not shy away from sensitive discussions a about difficult subjects: the living conditions of migrant workers, the rights of children to receive consistent education, no matter where they live, the tendency of society to see beauty in those who look more like us, and caring for elderly animals.
Overall, it was a well-written story and was touching, but not overly saccharine. I really enjoyed listening to Maria Cabezas narrate the story on audio CD.
interesting quotes (page numbers from paperback edition with ISBN13 978-0545700283):
"But learning not to bump into things seemed like a poor trade for seeing. And hearing squirrels but not chasing them and watching them run away just felt like losing. Only having half of something after you've had it all is a special kind of sadness." (p. 39)
"At the beginning of summer it always feels like there's so much time ahead: whole empty calendar pages of sunshine, warm sea breezes, midnight thunderstorms, and running barefoot in the grass. Enough afternoons to do every single thing you wanted to do and even some days left over to do nothing at all.
But somehow summer fills up and flies by." (p. 96)
"Sometimes understanding comes in little drops and other times it rushes in like the tide, rolling everything over as it comes." (p. 120)
"Times change. And it's good they do. But it only happens if someone is brave enough to be first." (p. 129)
"I was feeling a bit scared, and I realized something. To do brave things you don't have to be hugely brave, you only have be a little bit braver than you are scared. (pp. 149-150)
"Maybe when we see things all the time, we stop really looking at them. And it takes an artist, someone who can look past the ordinariness, to remind us how special they really are." (p. 152)
"All she had to do was tell the truth. This would be easy.
I should've known, though.
Real truth is never easy" (p. 153)
"'I like art because there are no wrong answers,' Salma said. 'It's all about how you see the world. So you can be completely yourself'" (p. 156)
"But that's the one thing about being blind. What you look like doesn't matter to Lucky. He sees you with his heart" (p. 161)
"Giving up and letting go are too very different things, Lily. Giving up is admitting you're beat and walking away. Letting go means you're setting something free. You're releasing something that's been keeping you stuck. That takes faith and more than a little courage" (p. 170)
June 24, 2015
This cute middle-grade book is a quick read. Although it's short, it manages to pack quite a bit of story and character development into its pages.
Please, dear author, I want some more...
My favourite thing about this little book was that it taught me about places and things I didn't know much about. The story is set in coastal Maine, near the wild blueberry barrens. I learned a little about wild blueberry harvesting, migrant farm labour, and all the things you can do with wild blueberries. The parts about mason bees were interesting, too; I'd never heard of these little blue bees, so having them figure prominently in the landscape of the story was kind of cool.
I thought Lily, Salma, and Hannah (all twelve years old) were pretty realistic. In some middle-grade novels, characters in this age group are portrayed as either kind of stupid or unbelievably precocious. I was relieved to find that that wasn't the case here. Sure, they might not be as knowledgeable or as emotionally mature as adults, but they're learning as they go. The author shows respect for this age group when she writes them as complex human beings.
It's all a matter of taste...
The only thing I didn't really like about this book was the whole issue of Lily's mother. I didn't think there needed to be the secrecy surrounding the issue of what happened to her; it reminded me of other books that I've read that used the same sort of plot device, and I always felt kind of cheated when I found out the actual truth. And, in this case, there wasn't really any reason for it.
Let's get technical...
The writing is pretty solid here. Aside from a few typos in the last three or so chapters, there's not much to complain about. The book is easy to read and flows nicely.
The verdict...
This turned out to be another one of my pleasant library surprises. I'd never heard of it, and I wasn't sure it was my kind of book, but I enjoyed it anyway. It might seem a little young for older readers, but it's a great story for middle graders; I wish it had been around when I was twelve!
Quotable moment:
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
Please, dear author, I want some more...
My favourite thing about this little book was that it taught me about places and things I didn't know much about. The story is set in coastal Maine, near the wild blueberry barrens. I learned a little about wild blueberry harvesting, migrant farm labour, and all the things you can do with wild blueberries. The parts about mason bees were interesting, too; I'd never heard of these little blue bees, so having them figure prominently in the landscape of the story was kind of cool.
I thought Lily, Salma, and Hannah (all twelve years old) were pretty realistic. In some middle-grade novels, characters in this age group are portrayed as either kind of stupid or unbelievably precocious. I was relieved to find that that wasn't the case here. Sure, they might not be as knowledgeable or as emotionally mature as adults, but they're learning as they go. The author shows respect for this age group when she writes them as complex human beings.
It's all a matter of taste...
The only thing I didn't really like about this book was the whole issue of Lily's mother. I didn't think there needed to be the secrecy surrounding the issue of what happened to her; it reminded me of other books that I've read that used the same sort of plot device, and I always felt kind of cheated when I found out the actual truth. And, in this case, there wasn't really any reason for it.
Let's get technical...
The writing is pretty solid here. Aside from a few typos in the last three or so chapters, there's not much to complain about. The book is easy to read and flows nicely.
The verdict...
This turned out to be another one of my pleasant library surprises. I'd never heard of it, and I wasn't sure it was my kind of book, but I enjoyed it anyway. It might seem a little young for older readers, but it's a great story for middle graders; I wish it had been around when I was twelve!
Quotable moment:
"I think art can take ordinary things and show them to you like it's the first time you've ever seen them," she continued. "And you realize that even ordinary things aren't really ordinary at all."
Maybe that's true, I thought. Maybe when we see things all the time, we stop really looking at them. And it takes an artist, someone who can look past the ordinariness, to remind us how special they really are.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
January 8, 2024
Great book that I am going to add to my ‘dogs-favorite-books’ shelf. I am pushing this book as a ‘dog book’, as the dog doesn’t have a big role, but is the reason for things to happen in the book. The main character Lily has a blind, old, black, Labrador retriever who she is trying to raise enough money to get surgery for the dogs’ cataracts.
The story is set in blueberry country in Maine, and I love blueberries. In the course of the book, we learn a LOT about blueberries, which comes out in fun little bits.
Lily meets Salma, a young girl whose parents are migratory workers coming to help harvest blueberries. Their friendship and Salma’s competing in the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant are heartwarming. I like how things are not necessarily taken in ways you would expect.
Lily paints bee houses using stencils to sell to raise money to fix her dogs cataracts. Selma likes to paint without one. I like quotes on art and liked this bit:
“Why don’t you try doing a bee house without the stencil?” Selma asked. “It might look better than you think.”
“It might look worse, too.”
She shrugged. “But at least it would be yours. That’s what I like about art. It lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else.”
When her friend Salma was painting blueberries on bee houses, Lily pointed out that they were missing stars. She goes on to explain more about stars in this paragraph:
‘Through the plastic wrap on top of the box, I showed Selma all the little five-pointed stars on top of each berry. A whole box full of little blue-black stars. “Pepere said that the early Wabanakis called blueberries ‘star berries.’ They believed the Great Spirit sent them down from the sky once when there was no other food to eat.”
After that, they start referring to each other as star friends, and say things like “Star friends always help each other!”
I especially like to look for good quotes related to dogs, and liked this one said by Lily’s grandfather referred to as Pepere:
“That’s something we could learn from dogs, isn’t it? They don’t keep looking backward at what they’ve lost asking ‘why me?’ they just move on and find a new way to be happy again.”
So, great book for youth or anyone. Just wish I had a granddaughter to read it to.
PS: No Kleenex needed at the end of the book except for happy tears.
The story is set in blueberry country in Maine, and I love blueberries. In the course of the book, we learn a LOT about blueberries, which comes out in fun little bits.
Lily meets Salma, a young girl whose parents are migratory workers coming to help harvest blueberries. Their friendship and Salma’s competing in the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant are heartwarming. I like how things are not necessarily taken in ways you would expect.
Lily paints bee houses using stencils to sell to raise money to fix her dogs cataracts. Selma likes to paint without one. I like quotes on art and liked this bit:
“Why don’t you try doing a bee house without the stencil?” Selma asked. “It might look better than you think.”
“It might look worse, too.”
She shrugged. “But at least it would be yours. That’s what I like about art. It lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else.”
When her friend Salma was painting blueberries on bee houses, Lily pointed out that they were missing stars. She goes on to explain more about stars in this paragraph:
‘Through the plastic wrap on top of the box, I showed Selma all the little five-pointed stars on top of each berry. A whole box full of little blue-black stars. “Pepere said that the early Wabanakis called blueberries ‘star berries.’ They believed the Great Spirit sent them down from the sky once when there was no other food to eat.”
After that, they start referring to each other as star friends, and say things like “Star friends always help each other!”
I especially like to look for good quotes related to dogs, and liked this one said by Lily’s grandfather referred to as Pepere:
“That’s something we could learn from dogs, isn’t it? They don’t keep looking backward at what they’ve lost asking ‘why me?’ they just move on and find a new way to be happy again.”
So, great book for youth or anyone. Just wish I had a granddaughter to read it to.
PS: No Kleenex needed at the end of the book except for happy tears.
June 27, 2015
Once again, a Cynthia Lord middle grade novel brings me to tears. A heart-warming story of friendship, differences, the power of imagination and courage. I love how Cindy combines a setting in her home state (which she knows well) with a community I know she had to research to get all the details just right. Among the blueberry rakers are migrant workers from all over the US (and Canada) and having the protagonist's new friend be a bilingual hispanic girl who is a raker, introduces readers to a community they probably know less about, and in a gentle way, some of the pre and misconceptions people may have about the migrant workers. I loved learning more about the blueberry harvest and Blueberry Queen pageant and the bees. And who wouldn't cheer for a story with the best sort of outcome for a blind dog?
Cindy lord has a way of capturing the best of tweens while not shying away from some less appealing moments of these years, when jealousy creeps in and friendships drift apart as focus changes. The conflict and concerns, kindness and resistance are all authentic and the characters are all very relatable for kids.
I already love Maine, but would love to visit the blueberry barrens in Downeast Maine and taste a blueberry enchilada.
A little NB from me to say that wherever you live and/or choose to set your story, there is always room to paint in a little of the rich cultural diversity in almost every community now.
This is a beautiful read I would recommend to 3rd to 5th graders!
Cindy lord has a way of capturing the best of tweens while not shying away from some less appealing moments of these years, when jealousy creeps in and friendships drift apart as focus changes. The conflict and concerns, kindness and resistance are all authentic and the characters are all very relatable for kids.
I already love Maine, but would love to visit the blueberry barrens in Downeast Maine and taste a blueberry enchilada.
A little NB from me to say that wherever you live and/or choose to set your story, there is always room to paint in a little of the rich cultural diversity in almost every community now.
This is a beautiful read I would recommend to 3rd to 5th graders!
August 14, 2015
Cynthia Lord is brilliant. How does she keep writing these beautiful, touching stories?! So much wisdom in this one about home, family, art, loss, love, moving forward, diversity, courage, letting go, friendship, identity - on and on. Some of my favorite pearls of wisdom:
"I think art can take ordinary things and show them to you like it's the first time you've ever seen them," she (Salma)continued. "And you realize that even ordinary things aren't really ordinary at all."
"That's something we can learn from dogs, isn't it? They don't keep looking backward at what they've lost or asking 'why me?' They just move on and find a new way to be happy again." (Pepere)
"Giving up and letting go are too very different things, Lily. Giving up is admitting you're beat and walking away. Letting go means you're setting something free. You're releasing something that's been keeping you stuck. That takes faith and more than a little courage." (Pepere)
"I think art can take ordinary things and show them to you like it's the first time you've ever seen them," she (Salma)continued. "And you realize that even ordinary things aren't really ordinary at all."
"That's something we can learn from dogs, isn't it? They don't keep looking backward at what they've lost or asking 'why me?' They just move on and find a new way to be happy again." (Pepere)
"Giving up and letting go are too very different things, Lily. Giving up is admitting you're beat and walking away. Letting go means you're setting something free. You're releasing something that's been keeping you stuck. That takes faith and more than a little courage." (Pepere)
November 6, 2018
How could I not pick up a book with a cover that has a black lab balancing a blueberry on its nose? Well, I couldn't. Especially since it's the latest book by Cynthia Lord. For me, she's definitely one of those authors whose latest book I will always look forward to and want to read as soon as it comes out. I loved the first three books of hers that I read, Rules, Touch Blue, and Half a Chance, so I knew I would love this one also. I wasn't disappointed with this sweet story of love and friendship. Definitely a feel good book that warmed my heart and made me smile. Beautiful characters and a lovely story.
Read
November 27, 2015This is another book that I read (via audio) where I didn't pay enough attention and ask enough questions. A twitter friend Sujei, pointed out a few things that made me think. Salma (a friend of the main character) speaks Spanish and her family are migrant workers. She says she lives in Florida part of the year, but we never know the country her family came from. Why? She is super helpful to Lily but as Sujei pointed out, she works well as a prop for Lily but isn't a fully developed character.
When I casually listened to the story, I had a few qualms here and there, but ignored them and or didn't question too deeply. I wonder when I will get to that place when I read more carefully and don't just gloss over them. I appreciate those people who speak out about the problematic aspects of children's literature because I miss things more than I care to.
When I casually listened to the story, I had a few qualms here and there, but ignored them and or didn't question too deeply. I wonder when I will get to that place when I read more carefully and don't just gloss over them. I appreciate those people who speak out about the problematic aspects of children's literature because I miss things more than I care to.
March 20, 2016
What could be better than a story involving summer, dogs, a friendship and blueberries?! A Handful of Stars is a heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship and a summer to remember. I love Salma's character and wish I could learn a little more about her life and family! Perhaps a sequel, Cynthia Lord?
January 10, 2015
So many wonderful messages for our students in this book. I love the relatable characters that Lord shares in her stories. I can think of many of my readers who would love this story of friendship and bits of bravery. Another excellent book from Rules author, Cynthia Lord.
June 14, 2015
Love the relationship that is built between two girls, and the focus on how to embrace the differences in each other.
September 21, 2018
A handful of stars is perfect for anyone I read it in 4th grade and loved it I would recommend this for anyone who loves dogs and likes to explore books.
September 27, 2018
❤️❤️❤️ my favorite kind of book...fairly quiet story about friendship with a little glimpse into those growing up under different circumstances than I how grew up.
January 23, 2022
Sweet story about friendship, loss, the courage to try new things, migrant workers, Main blueberries, and of course, dogs.
March 24, 2024
This book tells me don’t doubt your differences in who you are. In this book, Salma didn’t think she should be in the blueberry pageant because she is a migrant worker. And to Salma a migrant worker is wanted to be invisible by people. Tigerlily learned that even though Lucky(her dog) is blind , he can still enjoy life without seeing. Lucky got a friend to help him and to have someone to play with. This book is a good book for many life lessons to others in life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2020
Towards the end I really enjoyed it at the beginning, not so much but definitely a want to read for animal lovers and not that I didn’t enjoy reading it, it was just not well written.
February 21, 2023
3.55 stars rounded up
As Lily chases her dog Lucky through the wild Maine blueberry fields it seems as if nothing will stop Lucky from running all the way to Canada. Then, a girl about Lily's age jumps out of a truck full of migrant workers and manages to stop Lucky by feeding him her lunch. This is how Lily, a French-Canadian-American girl from a small town in Maine meets Salma Santiago, a migrant worker from Florida. Salma is a real dog lover and when she learns Lucky is in need of cataract surgery and Lily is busy paining mason bee houses to raise money for the surgery, Salma steps in to help. Lily worries that Salma's artistic vision will not appeal to people but Salma's revolutionary vision soon has the bee houses selling like blueberry pie. Lily's old best friend Hannah has been working on her family's lobster boat all summer but has a break coming up for the Maine Blueberry Festival. Last year Hannah won the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant winner and Lily's late Mama was a three-time winner. When Salma decides to enter in order to win a college savings bond, Lily worries about her friend but true friends support one another and Lily is determined to help Salma. Little does she realize, Salma will help Lily too.
Another middle grades novel, another dead parent. This subject may cause some distress in sensitive readers. However, this is about the least dramatic of middle grades novels I've read in a long time. The central conflict involves Lucky, the elderly dog, being blind and the other major event is Salma, a migrant worker, entering a local pageant. I found this book delightful and refreshing because it lacked mean girl drama, mean local people drama and featured an adorable elderly dog. I wouldn't recommend this to teens because it is a little juvenile but adults looking for a nice story might enjoy it on their own. I learned a lot about the blueberry industry and mason bees which I had never heard of in spite of having been to Maine and living in New England my most of my life.
Lily's past is a big part of her present and all Mama left behind was Lucky, her new puppy. Lucky caused some tension with Mama and her own mother and Mama left the house one night, got into the car to drive away and hit a moose. Lily is very attached to Lucky as he is all she has left of her Mama. Lucky is so sweet! He's blind but gets around fine as long as they don't move things around too much. He looks after Lily as much as she looks after him. They're best friends. Lucky is lucky to have Lily in his corner. She's fighting hard to provide him with cataract surgery so he can see again. She knows it's difficult, expensive and may not work but she has to at least TRY! I relate to Lily so much. I know that special bond and how hard it is to watch your beloved companion age and feel helpless. I admire Lily for trying so hard. She's successful at raising some money but at the rate she's going, Lucky will be dead before she has enough money for the surgery.
Lily lives with her grandparents, Mémère and Pépère who are the French-Canadian versions of Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt. Lily's grandmother sees the world in black and white. She likes order, neatness and doing the same thing every day. She seldom expresses affection or true kindness in a grandmotherly way. Pépère is loving, generous and kind. He encourages Lily and spoils her. They team up against Mémère to get their own way. It's a good thing or Lucky would have been homeless as a pup for some puppy transgression Mémère couldn't understand or forgive. That event changed Lily's life as her Mama drove off in anger and hit a moose. Lily was too young to remember Mama and she clings to Lucky as the last thing she has left of her mother. The bond between dog and human is so sweet and loving, I find it hard to believe As Lily chases her dog Lucky through the wild Maine blueberry fields it seems as if nothing will stop Lucky from running all the way to Canada. Then, a girl about Lily's age jumps out of a truck full of migrant workers and manages to stop Lucky by feeding him her lunch. This is how Lily, a French-Canadian-American girl from a small town in Maine meets Salma Santiago, a migrant worker from Florida. Salma is a real dog lover and when she learns Lucky is in need of cataract surgery and Lily is busy paining mason bee houses to raise money for the surgery, Salma steps in to help. Lily worries that Salma's artistic vision will not appeal to people but Salma's revolutionary vision soon has the bee houses selling like blueberry pie. Lily's old best friend Hannah has been working on her family's lobster boat all summer but has a break coming up for the Maine Blueberry Festival. Last year Hannah won the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant winner and Lily's late Mama was a three-time winner. When Salma decides to enter in order to win a college savings bond, Lily worries about her friend but true friends support one another and Lily is determined to help Salma. Little does she realize, Salma will help Lily.
Another middle grades novel, another dead parent. This subject may cause some distress in sensitive readers. However, this is about the least dramatic of middle grades novels I've read in a long time. The central conflict involves Lucky, the elderly dog, being blind and the other major event is Salma, a migrant worker, entering a local pageant. I found this book delightful and refreshing because it lacked mean girl drama, mean local people drama and featured an adorable elderly dog. Lily has to confront her own biases and jealousy and she suspects that others may not see Salma in the same way she does but there's nothing overtly racist spelled out on the page. There's just one comment for Salma about how people want them to come work but be invisible.
I wouldn't recommend this to teens because it is a little juvenile but adults looking for a nice story might enjoy it on their own. I learned a lot about the blueberry industry and mason bees which I had never heard of in spite of having been to Maine and living in New England my most of my life.
Lily's past is a big part of her present and all Mama left behind was Lucky, her new puppy. Lucky caused some tension with Mama and her own mother and Mama left the house one night, got into the car to drive away and hit a moose. Lily is very attached to Lucky as he is all she has left of her Mama. Lucky is so sweet! He's blind but gets around fine as long as they don't move things around too much. He looks after Lily as much as she looks after him. They're best friends. Lucky is lucky to have Lily in his corner. She's fighting hard to provide him with cataract surgery so he can see again. She knows it's difficult, expensive and may not work but she has to at least TRY! I relate to Lily so much. I know that special bond and how hard it is to watch your beloved companion age and feel helpless. I admire Lily for trying so hard. She's successful at raising some money but at the rate she's going, Lucky will be dead before she has enough money for the surgery.
Lily lives with her grandparents, Mémère and Pépère who are the French-Canadian versions of Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt. Lily's grandmother sees the world in black and white. She likes order, neatness and doing the same thing every day. She seldom expresses affection or true kindness in a grandmotherly way. Pépère is loving, generous and kind. He encourages Lily and spoils her. They team up against Mémère to get their own way. It's a good thing or Lucky would have been homeless as a pup for some puppy transgression Mémère couldn't understand or forgive. That event changed Lily's life as her Mama drove off in anger and hit a moose. Lily clings to Lucky as the last thing she has left of her mother. Their bond is so special and sweet. Tissue alert! No it's not one of THOSE books but rather a heartwarming one. I fail to see how Lily's grandmother blames Lucky and can't love him for her daughter's sake and granddaughter's sake.
Lily is a lot like her grandmother. She's anxious and finds it hard to step outside her comfort zone. When her old friend Hannah starts acting boy crazy, Lily distances herself from Hannah. Salma is the complete opposite of Lily. She's a breath of fresh air. Salma is artistic, bright, lively and likes pushing boundaries. I'm more like Lily but I loved watching their friendship grow. I loved how Salma encourages Lily and pushes Lily to think outside the box. Salma's love for Lucky is also very sweet and special. Salma misses her own dog who ran off while the family was away. She dreams of a happy reunion and many other things like staying in one place. Lily introduces Salma to the basic blueberry and Salma sees a sky full of stars. I like her way of looking at things. It's beautiful and enchanting. She's inspired by the Wabanaki legend of "star berries" falling from the sky. She likes stars because they're always the same no matter where she is.
Hannah is not a mean girl. She just has a crush on a boy and no one to talk to about it. She works hard all summer and her pageant win last summer has put pressure on her to step things up and win again. She seems conflicted about whether she actually wants to win. Salma enters the pageant with no fear, no shame and with gusto. Hannah actually helps. A kind former BFF! Lily is a little suspect of Hannah's motives but I believe Hannah is a nice girl who genuinely wants to help because when you love someone, like your childhood BFF, you want them to be happy and that mean embracing their new friends too. Unrealistic for 12? Probably. Maybe?
The adult characters are not mean either. Kind Dr. Katz, the local veterinarian, is both honest with Lily about Lucky's chances for surgery but also caring. She understands Lily's concerns and always gives Lucky's eyes a look over whenever they walk past her house. Not only is Dr. Katz the vet, she was also good friends with Lily's mom and she provides Lily with memories and photos of Mama's youth. Dr. Katz provides Lily with more than Lily realizes but I suspect the adult knows what she's doing. She's aware that Lily doesn't remember her mom, she's well aware Lucky will probably die sooner than later and leave Lily without that link to her mother. The photos are another link and physical reminder of Mama.
Salma's mom is also very kind and motherly to Lily. Lily recognizes and appreciates Mrs. Santiago doing a "mom thing" with her. Both Santiago parents and the migrant workers support Salma's dream and come out in support. They may not be able to provide Salma with a stable home or a college fund but they give her a lot more in love. Even Mrs. LaRue who is helping to run the pageant is friendly and at least outwardly nice. Lily's Mama is long gone but her presence is felt. I get the impression she may have had ADD and made some poor choices in life but got Lily out of it. She was willing to do what was best for Lily even if it meant giving up on her dream of leaving her small town. While Danielle is remembered for being the three-time Downeast Blueberry Queen but Lily learns her mother was the first French Canadian winner at a time when French Canadians were looked down on. Her mother's accomplishments make Lily proud and inspire her to champion Salma even if others won't see Salma in the same way Lily does. Someone has to be first!
There are some really beautiful and worthwhile messages here:
"Different can be good. It makes you pay attention."
"Star friends always help each other."
"People want us to come and work, but they want us to be invisible."
"Art lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else."
"Mama says people can feel it when you think of them."
Tiger Lilys are weeds only because someone said so.
"Lilys are proud and sassy. They don't know they're weeds."
"Times change. And its good that they do. But it only happens if someone is brave enough to be first."
"To do brave things, you don't have to be hugely brave. You only have to be a little bit braver than you are scared."
"[A]rt can take ordinary things and show them to you like its the first time you've ever seen them. And you realize that even ordinary things aren't ordinary at all."
“It’s scary to try something different when you don’t know how it’ll work out, but that’s when the best things can happen.”
There are no wrong answers in art. You can be completely yourself.
When you love someone, you want what they want.
Giving up and letting go are two different things. Letting go means you're setting something free.
Lucky sees with his heart
Dogs always forgive you when they know you're sorry.
My biggest complaint about the book is there's no recipe! Lily and Salma's blueberry enchiladas sound amazing! Luckily, the author posted the recipe for blueberry enchiladas online. I'm eager to try them. Unlike Salma's mom, I will not be making my own tortillas.
There are some really beautiful and worthwhile messages here:
A weed is just a plant growing where somebody doesn't think it should be.
Dogs don't have regret; they move forward in a new way toward happiness.
Giving up and letting go are different.
Lucky sees with his heart
Art is a way of seeing the world, of elevating the ordinary.
There are no mistakes in art.
“It’s scary to try something
different when you don’t know how it’ll
work out, but that’s when the best things
can happen.”
My biggest complaint about the book is there's no recipe! Lily and Salma's blueberry enchiladas sound amazing! Luckily, the author posted the recipe for blueberry enchiladas online. I'm eager to try them. Unlike Salma's mom, I will not be making my own tortillas.
As Lily chases her dog Lucky through the wild Maine blueberry fields it seems as if nothing will stop Lucky from running all the way to Canada. Then, a girl about Lily's age jumps out of a truck full of migrant workers and manages to stop Lucky by feeding him her lunch. This is how Lily, a French-Canadian-American girl from a small town in Maine meets Salma Santiago, a migrant worker from Florida. Salma is a real dog lover and when she learns Lucky is in need of cataract surgery and Lily is busy paining mason bee houses to raise money for the surgery, Salma steps in to help. Lily worries that Salma's artistic vision will not appeal to people but Salma's revolutionary vision soon has the bee houses selling like blueberry pie. Lily's old best friend Hannah has been working on her family's lobster boat all summer but has a break coming up for the Maine Blueberry Festival. Last year Hannah won the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant winner and Lily's late Mama was a three-time winner. When Salma decides to enter in order to win a college savings bond, Lily worries about her friend but true friends support one another and Lily is determined to help Salma. Little does she realize, Salma will help Lily too.
Another middle grades novel, another dead parent. This subject may cause some distress in sensitive readers. However, this is about the least dramatic of middle grades novels I've read in a long time. The central conflict involves Lucky, the elderly dog, being blind and the other major event is Salma, a migrant worker, entering a local pageant. I found this book delightful and refreshing because it lacked mean girl drama, mean local people drama and featured an adorable elderly dog. I wouldn't recommend this to teens because it is a little juvenile but adults looking for a nice story might enjoy it on their own. I learned a lot about the blueberry industry and mason bees which I had never heard of in spite of having been to Maine and living in New England my most of my life.
Lily's past is a big part of her present and all Mama left behind was Lucky, her new puppy. Lucky caused some tension with Mama and her own mother and Mama left the house one night, got into the car to drive away and hit a moose. Lily is very attached to Lucky as he is all she has left of her Mama. Lucky is so sweet! He's blind but gets around fine as long as they don't move things around too much. He looks after Lily as much as she looks after him. They're best friends. Lucky is lucky to have Lily in his corner. She's fighting hard to provide him with cataract surgery so he can see again. She knows it's difficult, expensive and may not work but she has to at least TRY! I relate to Lily so much. I know that special bond and how hard it is to watch your beloved companion age and feel helpless. I admire Lily for trying so hard. She's successful at raising some money but at the rate she's going, Lucky will be dead before she has enough money for the surgery.
Lily lives with her grandparents, Mémère and Pépère who are the French-Canadian versions of Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt. Lily's grandmother sees the world in black and white. She likes order, neatness and doing the same thing every day. She seldom expresses affection or true kindness in a grandmotherly way. Pépère is loving, generous and kind. He encourages Lily and spoils her. They team up against Mémère to get their own way. It's a good thing or Lucky would have been homeless as a pup for some puppy transgression Mémère couldn't understand or forgive. That event changed Lily's life as her Mama drove off in anger and hit a moose. Lily was too young to remember Mama and she clings to Lucky as the last thing she has left of her mother. The bond between dog and human is so sweet and loving, I find it hard to believe As Lily chases her dog Lucky through the wild Maine blueberry fields it seems as if nothing will stop Lucky from running all the way to Canada. Then, a girl about Lily's age jumps out of a truck full of migrant workers and manages to stop Lucky by feeding him her lunch. This is how Lily, a French-Canadian-American girl from a small town in Maine meets Salma Santiago, a migrant worker from Florida. Salma is a real dog lover and when she learns Lucky is in need of cataract surgery and Lily is busy paining mason bee houses to raise money for the surgery, Salma steps in to help. Lily worries that Salma's artistic vision will not appeal to people but Salma's revolutionary vision soon has the bee houses selling like blueberry pie. Lily's old best friend Hannah has been working on her family's lobster boat all summer but has a break coming up for the Maine Blueberry Festival. Last year Hannah won the Downeast Blueberry Queen pageant winner and Lily's late Mama was a three-time winner. When Salma decides to enter in order to win a college savings bond, Lily worries about her friend but true friends support one another and Lily is determined to help Salma. Little does she realize, Salma will help Lily.
Another middle grades novel, another dead parent. This subject may cause some distress in sensitive readers. However, this is about the least dramatic of middle grades novels I've read in a long time. The central conflict involves Lucky, the elderly dog, being blind and the other major event is Salma, a migrant worker, entering a local pageant. I found this book delightful and refreshing because it lacked mean girl drama, mean local people drama and featured an adorable elderly dog. Lily has to confront her own biases and jealousy and she suspects that others may not see Salma in the same way she does but there's nothing overtly racist spelled out on the page. There's just one comment for Salma about how people want them to come work but be invisible.
I wouldn't recommend this to teens because it is a little juvenile but adults looking for a nice story might enjoy it on their own. I learned a lot about the blueberry industry and mason bees which I had never heard of in spite of having been to Maine and living in New England my most of my life.
Lily's past is a big part of her present and all Mama left behind was Lucky, her new puppy. Lucky caused some tension with Mama and her own mother and Mama left the house one night, got into the car to drive away and hit a moose. Lily is very attached to Lucky as he is all she has left of her Mama. Lucky is so sweet! He's blind but gets around fine as long as they don't move things around too much. He looks after Lily as much as she looks after him. They're best friends. Lucky is lucky to have Lily in his corner. She's fighting hard to provide him with cataract surgery so he can see again. She knows it's difficult, expensive and may not work but she has to at least TRY! I relate to Lily so much. I know that special bond and how hard it is to watch your beloved companion age and feel helpless. I admire Lily for trying so hard. She's successful at raising some money but at the rate she's going, Lucky will be dead before she has enough money for the surgery.
Lily lives with her grandparents, Mémère and Pépère who are the French-Canadian versions of Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt. Lily's grandmother sees the world in black and white. She likes order, neatness and doing the same thing every day. She seldom expresses affection or true kindness in a grandmotherly way. Pépère is loving, generous and kind. He encourages Lily and spoils her. They team up against Mémère to get their own way. It's a good thing or Lucky would have been homeless as a pup for some puppy transgression Mémère couldn't understand or forgive. That event changed Lily's life as her Mama drove off in anger and hit a moose. Lily clings to Lucky as the last thing she has left of her mother. Their bond is so special and sweet. Tissue alert! No it's not one of THOSE books but rather a heartwarming one. I fail to see how Lily's grandmother blames Lucky and can't love him for her daughter's sake and granddaughter's sake.
Lily is a lot like her grandmother. She's anxious and finds it hard to step outside her comfort zone. When her old friend Hannah starts acting boy crazy, Lily distances herself from Hannah. Salma is the complete opposite of Lily. She's a breath of fresh air. Salma is artistic, bright, lively and likes pushing boundaries. I'm more like Lily but I loved watching their friendship grow. I loved how Salma encourages Lily and pushes Lily to think outside the box. Salma's love for Lucky is also very sweet and special. Salma misses her own dog who ran off while the family was away. She dreams of a happy reunion and many other things like staying in one place. Lily introduces Salma to the basic blueberry and Salma sees a sky full of stars. I like her way of looking at things. It's beautiful and enchanting. She's inspired by the Wabanaki legend of "star berries" falling from the sky. She likes stars because they're always the same no matter where she is.
Hannah is not a mean girl. She just has a crush on a boy and no one to talk to about it. She works hard all summer and her pageant win last summer has put pressure on her to step things up and win again. She seems conflicted about whether she actually wants to win. Salma enters the pageant with no fear, no shame and with gusto. Hannah actually helps. A kind former BFF! Lily is a little suspect of Hannah's motives but I believe Hannah is a nice girl who genuinely wants to help because when you love someone, like your childhood BFF, you want them to be happy and that mean embracing their new friends too. Unrealistic for 12? Probably. Maybe?
The adult characters are not mean either. Kind Dr. Katz, the local veterinarian, is both honest with Lily about Lucky's chances for surgery but also caring. She understands Lily's concerns and always gives Lucky's eyes a look over whenever they walk past her house. Not only is Dr. Katz the vet, she was also good friends with Lily's mom and she provides Lily with memories and photos of Mama's youth. Dr. Katz provides Lily with more than Lily realizes but I suspect the adult knows what she's doing. She's aware that Lily doesn't remember her mom, she's well aware Lucky will probably die sooner than later and leave Lily without that link to her mother. The photos are another link and physical reminder of Mama.
Salma's mom is also very kind and motherly to Lily. Lily recognizes and appreciates Mrs. Santiago doing a "mom thing" with her. Both Santiago parents and the migrant workers support Salma's dream and come out in support. They may not be able to provide Salma with a stable home or a college fund but they give her a lot more in love. Even Mrs. LaRue who is helping to run the pageant is friendly and at least outwardly nice. Lily's Mama is long gone but her presence is felt. I get the impression she may have had ADD and made some poor choices in life but got Lily out of it. She was willing to do what was best for Lily even if it meant giving up on her dream of leaving her small town. While Danielle is remembered for being the three-time Downeast Blueberry Queen but Lily learns her mother was the first French Canadian winner at a time when French Canadians were looked down on. Her mother's accomplishments make Lily proud and inspire her to champion Salma even if others won't see Salma in the same way Lily does. Someone has to be first!
There are some really beautiful and worthwhile messages here:
"Different can be good. It makes you pay attention."
"Star friends always help each other."
"People want us to come and work, but they want us to be invisible."
"Art lets me become more like myself, not more like everyone else."
"Mama says people can feel it when you think of them."
Tiger Lilys are weeds only because someone said so.
"Lilys are proud and sassy. They don't know they're weeds."
"Times change. And its good that they do. But it only happens if someone is brave enough to be first."
"To do brave things, you don't have to be hugely brave. You only have to be a little bit braver than you are scared."
"[A]rt can take ordinary things and show them to you like its the first time you've ever seen them. And you realize that even ordinary things aren't ordinary at all."
“It’s scary to try something different when you don’t know how it’ll work out, but that’s when the best things can happen.”
There are no wrong answers in art. You can be completely yourself.
When you love someone, you want what they want.
Giving up and letting go are two different things. Letting go means you're setting something free.
Lucky sees with his heart
Dogs always forgive you when they know you're sorry.
My biggest complaint about the book is there's no recipe! Lily and Salma's blueberry enchiladas sound amazing! Luckily, the author posted the recipe for blueberry enchiladas online. I'm eager to try them. Unlike Salma's mom, I will not be making my own tortillas.
There are some really beautiful and worthwhile messages here:
A weed is just a plant growing where somebody doesn't think it should be.
Dogs don't have regret; they move forward in a new way toward happiness.
Giving up and letting go are different.
Lucky sees with his heart
Art is a way of seeing the world, of elevating the ordinary.
There are no mistakes in art.
“It’s scary to try something
different when you don’t know how it’ll
work out, but that’s when the best things
can happen.”
My biggest complaint about the book is there's no recipe! Lily and Salma's blueberry enchiladas sound amazing! Luckily, the author posted the recipe for blueberry enchiladas online. I'm eager to try them. Unlike Salma's mom, I will not be making my own tortillas.
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