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The Stars Beneath Our Feet

David Barclay Moore (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 2,541 ratings · 511 reviews

A boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death in this outstanding debut novel that celebrates community and creativity.

It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published September 19th 2017 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

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3.91 ·

Rating details

· 2,541 ratings · 511 reviews

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Oct 22, 2017 Lola rated it did not like it

Shelves: middle-grade, did-not-finish

I don’t see what everyone else sees in this book.

Perhaps that is because I have read so many, many, many books featuring characters dealing with the loss of a loved one? I want to say that is probably the case, but the truth is I constantly read these books and I tend to enjoy them as a general rule.

So what happened? The writing is lovely. It drew me in from the start. I was curious about the story and I certainly could not complain about the cool cover. But it took time for me to understand why ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Nic Stone rated it it was amazing

A beautiful glimpse into the life of a grieving young boy on the cusp of a number of decisions that will determine the direction of his life, my favorite thing about this amazing book was the way it perfectly highlighted the contradictory nature of black-male adolescence: Lolly is very much a kid who dreams of greatness and loves creating things with Legos, but because of his circumstances, he's forced to think about very adult things.

Highly recommend!

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Feb 24, 2018 CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian rated it really liked it

Really great, kinda wish I hadn't done the audiobook cause I know I missed some things. But holy crap a kid dealing with a lot of grown-up things. Also: really great to see representation of queer people of colour in a middle grade book (the main character's mom is a lesbian).

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Mar 25, 2018 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, middle-grade, contemporary

Wonderful, heartfelt look at how a young boy in Harlem deals with grief and growing up. An interesting look at creativity and art as well, and perfect for those who aren't quite ready for The Hate U Give, as this is solidly middle grade.

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Jun 30, 2017 Autumn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: african-american, autism-spectrum, boys, death, debut, diverse-reading, families, friendship, individuality, middle-grade

So on point with the dialogue and perspectives of tweens growing up in urban America -- still kids, like any twelve or thirteen year old, but sometimes dealing with some very grown-up stuff as best they can.

Super smart about the extra pressures placed on young men and women of color to grow up fast.

I love this book for taking place in an afterschool program, for honoring play and creativity, and for the hilarious sweetness of the characters' perspectives.

Oh, and did I mention it's LGBTQIA frie ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Nat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq-diverse, racially-culturally-diverse, realistic-fiction, very-best-reads, young-adult

I feel like it takes a lot to be surprised by a realistic fiction novel anymore... and The Stars Beneath Our Feet definitely did (surprise me, that is), but slowly; as slowly and methodically as a twelve-year-old constructing a city out of Legos. I finished it yesterday and needed to think before reviewing about what was most valuable to me about it. Here's what I've settled on: the plot was both creative and believable, the main character was a twelve year old I could both root for and recogniz ...more

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Oct 30, 2018 MaryBeth's Bookshelf rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a middle grade story about death, gang violence, family, and learning who you are. I enjoyed reading this with my student. It was the perfect book to help a young, reluctant reader connect with.

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Jul 22, 2017 Shenwei rated it it was amazing

an important and lovely story about friendship, creativity and developing healthy coping skills

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Nov 12, 2017 Katrina rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 0-kindle, library, children, african-american, lgbt

2.5 stars. This book is kind of all over the place. We have: a dead brother, a gay mom, an absentee father, a girl with autism, legos, architecture, and gangs. Did I mention the girl detectives and the coyote?(!) (Fortunately those turn out to be a very small side plot, but I was really wondering where we were going for awhile!) And somehow even with all of that stuffed in, nothing really happens. There's not much of a plot, it just kind of meanders around. There's way too much dialogue that see ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Jaeden Goh rated it it was amazing

When I started reading this book I just thought that even though this boy Lolly is living in a harsh environment of losing the brother and having his parents get divorced. Still having a creative and positive mindset. I thought that he use lego to maintain his sanity.

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Jul 09, 2017 Wesaun rated it it was ok

Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of changes that have occurred in the final version.

I am not a well-read reader when it comes to middle grade novels and so this book did not suit me so well due to the level at which it was at. But this was a book that I wish had been put in my hands when I was in that middle-grade books stage, just to see black kids not for any other reason. This book and its characters came alive with its cast of marginalized characters. I loved reading a book with children that Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of changes that have occurred in the final version.

I am not a well-read reader when it comes to middle grade novels and so this book did not suit me so well due to the level at which it was at. But this was a book that I wish had been put in my hands when I was in that middle-grade books stage, just to see black kids not for any other reason. This book and its characters came alive with its cast of marginalized characters. I loved reading a book with children that were so...real and delightful. I loved the descriptions of Lolly's world and the adventures that he went on. I loved seeing his evolution throughout the story and seeing him grapple with the darkness within himself. That was something that I want to spend time thinking about and that I personally haven't really seen in the books that I have read. I have seen characters deal with dark circumstances and insecurities, like anyone else. But dealing with the darkness coming from within that sprouted from those circumstances, I don't know if what I am saying will make any sense or sound any different but it was different. Moore made it so...fresh even when parts could come off as trite. I loved how for most of the novel though some parts were shorter than others, most of it wasn't filler. The varied vernacular was...stimulating from time to time. I loved Rosamund, especially. She was beautiful and complex, though I am unsure of the accurate representation of autism, sometimes it made me uneasy, and am not sure how correctly it was done. Someone else would have to weigh in that was actually autistic.

Now for the things I didn't love. Some circumstances in the last few chapters seemed unnecessary and gave off an annoying, filler vibe. There was a cast of queer characters within this novel. If I'm giving Moore the benefit of the doubt, I would say it was to normalize or to include a realistic variety of characters considering the setting is where one might expect a variety of people. However, the way these characters are portrayed is unsettling. Moore chose to include caricatures. I wish I knew why. These characters were not respected or treated with decency in this novel. They were constantly picked at, poked, and degraded. I'm not saying that that isn't real life. I'm just saying the way that was portrayed made me uneasy. He (referring to Moore) seemed to be trying to regard these characters with respect but failed miserably.

Jonathan got constantly mentioned but almost no development or anything really attached to him besides being called "limp wrist" on repeated occasions. The reader will never learn much of who he really is, just see other characters make fun of him in what maybe is supposed to be affectionate but really just comes off as the characters being disgusted with him for nothing besides his identity. There was no breakdown of discrimination in this novel, at least when it came to Jonathan. There was no setup of characters saying these things and then someone speaking out against it. It just was silently carried along and that validated it in a way that could be considered hurtful but maybe some would just shrug at. I don't really think it is a healthy thing for kids to be exposed to and could just perpetuate the cruelty of making fun of boys that come off in a way that is different than the others which always leads to bigger problems as we should all be well aware of by now.

Aston Stewart was all right, in that the character seemed confident, but he was wronged in this novel every step of the way, by the other adults he interacted in this novel and subconsciously by Lolly? I found it very confusing especially considering Lolly's mother, which you will find out in the first pages of the novel, should technically be more accepting of Aston. I found the reactions when Aston was introduced appalling.

Butteray Jones was made fun of which made me uneasy for kids like him reading this novel. I feel like any attempt to try to support him afterwards in this novel was half-baked and not well done in a way that would combat the already negative message and its impact. I don't think any of the malice in this book was intended,because no one could be this bad, but it is there and I found it nauseating and it was perplexing. I felt like there was some back and forth underlying message that ended up being unclear static. It didn't fit to me since the book was going so well to stop every once in a while to include characters and basically knock them down.

This book will end up, unfortunately, sending a message to children that are like the characters that were made fun of that there is something wrong with them. That they might be sort of accepted but remind them that who they are could never be, at least not completely and might encourage other children to make fun of them which, as I said before, always leads to more problems that keep on the hateful society that we are burning in now.

And since the book is so lovely in other aspects, I found it a combination of deeply disparaging and confusing. If queer characters are just going to be made fun of, why even include them? It just clouds the positive message that you were trying to send with fat raindrops of negativity that might be found imperceptible to some but what about those who pick up on that message? What then for them? I hope that Moore improves his handling of characters not like himself (if that happens to be so and if not then I apologise for my assumptions that are based off of the book). No one can be perfect, of course, but this book would have been way better with a little help from sensitivity readers who would have caught these details. This book was, in the end, bittersweet. It was full of the potential to be beautiful and to bloom and bloom it started, and then suddenly stopped midway and wilted. I will recommend it but only for those who wouldn't be triggered or as deeply disappointed by this sort of message being put out during this time or those that do not notice or are not good at paying attention to details and reoccurring underlying messages.

...more

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Jan 24, 2018 Amy rated it it was ok

Shelves: middle-school, realistic-fiction

So, I feel like this will be an unpopular opinion, but I just was not that impressed with this book. What I hoped was going to be a clear Middle Grade alternative to the other rock star texts Dear Martin and The Hate U Give , but it was nowhere near those books, IMO. While the subject matter was similar (a young black boy in Harlem is dealing with the death of his older brother and trying to figure out what to do with his life-art vs gangs), the writing and character development was lacking. The ...more

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Mar 16, 2018 Mary Thomas rated it it was amazing

Update: after re-reading I think this book claims a spot in my top 5 middle grade books of all time. I LOVE this story ❤

5 Stars for this amazing audiobook! I loved the characters so, so much. This will appeal to fans of Ghost and is a book I can picture students REALLY enjoying. I love the journey that Lolly takes to grieve his brother and the overarching themes of discovery, revenge, friendship, and how we heal. ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 Christopher Hicks rated it liked it

It was an ok story. It was predictable and dragged in places. A few storylines felt unresolved but it had a positive ending.

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Nov 20, 2017 Alex (not a dude) Baugh rated it really liked it

Shelves: brothers, coming-of-age, diversity, new-york-city, loss-and-grieving, mg-ya, west-indian-american, crews

It’s Christmas Eve, and Wallace “Lolly” Rachpaul,12, is walking along 125th Street in Harlem, trying to get home as quickly as he can. Lolly has a new pair of sneakers from his mostly absent dad and he’s not about to let the two older boys following him snatch them off his feet. But when Lolly quickly turns the corner of 125th Street and 8th Avenue, the two boys abruptly stop, because Lolly lives in a world of imaginary protected borders, each border guarded by its own crew, and crews know bette It’s Christmas Eve, and Wallace “Lolly” Rachpaul,12, is walking along 125th Street in Harlem, trying to get home as quickly as he can. Lolly has a new pair of sneakers from his mostly absent dad and he’s not about to let the two older boys following him snatch them off his feet. But when Lolly quickly turns the corner of 125th Street and 8th Avenue, the two boys abruptly stop, because Lolly lives in a world of imaginary protected borders, each border guarded by its own crew, and crews know better than to cross those lines.

Lolly, who is West Indian, lives in the St. Nicholas House, a public housing project on West 127th Street, with his mom and his mom’s girlfriend Yvonne, a security guard in a large toy store. His older brother, Jermaine had gotten involved with a drug dealing crew and was shot and killed outside a Bronx nightclub just a few months back and, while Lolly is still trying to come to terms with his loss, he is also trying to resist the pressure to join a crew.

One thing that Lolly does like is Legos, and he has painstaking put together all kinds of kits, following the instructions to the letter. But late Christmas Eve, he takes them all apart, suddenly wanting to built something else, something of his own. Later, when Yvonne comes home on Christmas morning, she has two garbage bags full of Legos for Lolly, and just in time. Pretty soon, Lolly has built a castle so big his mom is complaining about how much space it is taking up, so he is allowed to build in an empty storeroom in the after school program he goes to, run by Mr. Ali, an understanding, but underfunded social worker.

Soon, Lolly is joined by Big Alice, a special needs student suffering her own family loss, and who never speaks to anyone, but stays by herself reading. In the Lego room, she helps herself to Lolly’s Legos (Yvonne brings him more and more bags full) and begins building her own buildings, which resemble their neighborhood perfectly. At first, Lolly resents Big Alice, but soon the two are taking trips into midtown Manhattan, exploring the different buildings found in a architecture book Lolly was given for Christmas. Eventually, the two begin to build Harmonee, an enormous alien world, together.

All the while, Lolly, and his Dominican best friend, Vega are being harassed by the same two boys who followed Lolly on Christmas Eve. Part of a crew that wants Lolly and Vega to join them, they soon resort to violence as a means of persuasion. And it almost works…but then things in Lolly’s life take another totally unexpected turn.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a debut novel for David Barclay Moore. It is an all-to-realistic coming of age contemporary novel, and Lolly is a wonderfully flawed character full of contradictions (like choosing Legos over video games). As Lolly tries to reassemble his life through the metaphor of Lego building blocks, life on the city streets is also becoming more and more complicated. Luckily, Moore has surrounded him with people who are caring and supportive - his gay mom, Yvonne, who is trying to help him through the grieving process by giving him Legos, the only thing she can do, Mr. Ali, who has recognized that Lolly needs to work through the trauma of losing his brother so violently, even his dad comes through, though not as much as Lolly would like. And their story threads together with those of Lolly, Big Alice, and Vega make this such a full-bodied novel.

Harlem is also as much a character in this novel as anyone, providing a living backdrop for Lolly’s important slice-of-life story. But, the danger those street hold for young men of color like Lolly isn’t something most people know or even think about and Moore has captured it with brutal honesty, compassion, and even humor.

From the moment I started reading The Stars Beneath Our Feet, I could’t put it down. It may not be a book for everyone, but it is certainly a worthwhile read and, I think, a real eye-opener for many. Moore’s final message in this novel - it is not just family, but also community that can help change things for kids.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an ARC received from the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf ...more

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Feb 15, 2019 Heather Taake rated it liked it

I liked the idea behind this story a lot, but it was a little choppy. I think it was supposed to feel a little disjointed, because that's how the character was feeling...however, it made it a little hard to follow in my opinion.

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Jul 10, 2018 Alicia Farmer rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, 2018, young-adult

Books like this make me wish I taught middle school English. In addition to the poor, white boys of the American Heartland in "The Outsiders," or the island-bound white schoolboys in the "Lord of the Flies", I'd have my students read about poor dark-skinned boys on Manhattan Island that populate this book. And not just boys. Girls, too. And adults. And people who are gay, who are on the autism spectrum, who have disabilities. It's an inclusive story where everyone is doing their best to survive. Books like this make me wish I taught middle school English. In addition to the poor, white boys of the American Heartland in "The Outsiders," or the island-bound white schoolboys in the "Lord of the Flies", I'd have my students read about poor dark-skinned boys on Manhattan Island that populate this book. And not just boys. Girls, too. And adults. And people who are gay, who are on the autism spectrum, who have disabilities. It's an inclusive story where everyone is doing their best to survive. I hate that cliche (which I'd have my class discuss), but it seems apt here.

Tween-aged kids are flirting with adulthood in Harlem. In the projects. Do they join the gang whose members keep threatening and harassing them? Do they find false security behind owning a gun? Do they follow their creative impulses or turn hard and abandon them?

There's a lot going on in this story, not least the recent death by shooting of the brother of the main character, Lolly. Lolly has the constant reminder of his brother's empty bed to remind him of his loss. He also has a largely absent father, whose abandonment he feels keenly. Lolly's mother and her girlfriend are loving and active in his life, but they're trying to earn a living in a world that doesn't welcome people of their race, gender and sexual orientation.

Lolly's solace is Legos. He escapes to imaginary kingdoms that he builds. His passion leads him on an adventure in which he makes new friends, gains acclaim, makes NYC his own, and discovers the content of his character. Along the way we readers meet the "people in his neighborhood," from drug dealers to street vendors, store proprietors to grandmothers. We even glimpse another wily but vulnerable being: a coyote in St. Nicholas park.

I loved this story's loving core and gentleness with its characters (even though police violence and gun death make their appearances). The author's afterward endeared David Barclay Moore to me. He wrote this for kids like Lolly, so they can see themselves in books, too, not just the Pony Boys and Piggys school gives us. ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 The Reading Countess rated it really liked it

Shelves: award-winners, realistic-fiction, middle-grade

With writing that is as much raw as it is honest, Moore draws the reader into a Harlem family rampant with issues. Divorce, gang activity, loss of a child, autism, and poverty thread throughout the book, but this is not a bleak read. No, it encourages the reader to do what is right even if it is hard. It reminds the reader that though it may feel as if you are alone, we really are all connected. And The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a nod to creativity, to uniqueness, to being open to all types of p ...more

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Nov 24, 2018 Duds Saldanha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Crianças como nós - eu, Vega e Rose - estavam nas próprias ilhas, vivendo em um rio feroz. Nós tínhamos que nos cuidar."

Estamos muito acostumados a ler histórias de perspectivas negras contadas por adultos ou adolescentes quase coming of age, e elas são sempre poderosas. Mas e quando se é uma criança negra?

O mundo de Lolly é confuso e aos pedaços - não só pelas suas perdas mas porque eles está sempre tendo pedaços de coisas: pedaços de paz, pedaços de raiva, pedaços de tempo, pedaços de violênc ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

12 year old Wallace (Lolly) is grieving the death of his brother while trying to navigate life in St. Nick, the low-income housing development in Harlem where he lives with his mother. As Lolly pursues an interest in architecture expressed through legos and photographs, he and his best friend are being recruited by one gang and routinely followed and attacked by another. Lolly wants to avoid gang life, but it is hard to see another path. Lolly finds support at a community center and from neighbo ...more

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Sep 21, 2017 Barbara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: animals, bullies, character-building, community, compassion, conflict, cooking, crime, death, drugs

Twelve-year-old Wallace (Lolly) Rachpaul is carrying some heavy baggage as he continues to mourn the death of his older brother Jermaine. Although his mother and her partner try to provide him with the support and love he needs, Lolly blames himself for his brother's death and feels the anger growing. Sometimes he even acts out his anger, something that surprises Lolly. Lolly loves building with the collection of Legos he's received over the years while his best friend Vega seeks solace in his v Twelve-year-old Wallace (Lolly) Rachpaul is carrying some heavy baggage as he continues to mourn the death of his older brother Jermaine. Although his mother and her partner try to provide him with the support and love he needs, Lolly blames himself for his brother's death and feels the anger growing. Sometimes he even acts out his anger, something that surprises Lolly. Lolly loves building with the collection of Legos he's received over the years while his best friend Vega seeks solace in his violin. But both boys are increasingly drawn into the violence of their Harlem neighborhood as a couple of thugs harass them, try to steal their possessions, and persuade them to join their gang. Both boys come perilously close to making the wrong choices, but a surprising turn of events involving one of the adults in their lives sends them in the right direction. Readers will enjoy the interactions between Lolly and Rosamund Major as they try to build two different Lego towers ten feet high, going from enemies and competitors to friends over the course of the book. Clearly, love can save someone, but so can other pursuits such as art, music, and architecture. Who would have imagined that Legos could help someone dream of a brighter future and maybe help him save himself? Well, this book will make a believer out of its readers. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the sights, sounds, and feelings of this particular part of New York City in all its glories and dangers. Growing up on the mean streets of an urban area where even a trip to the bodega can mean watching one's back is never easy, something of which readers will be mindful. Even though the adults in Lolly's life do their best, they have no idea of the daily challenges he faces and the feelings that are swirling within, threatening to overwhelm him. Late intermediate and middle grade readers will relate to the characters here, including chickens and a coyote that somehow survive in the city. Some of the challenges of living in a city where landlords are less than responsive to basic needs such as electrical wiring are described too so that readers see how even life at home is not easy. As Lolly envisions another world, he builds his own, Lego brick by Lego brick. Despite the book's serious topics, there is humor included in its story as well as pain. I will eagerly anticipate more from this author who is covering ground that hasn't been frequently walked here. ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Melanie rated it it was amazing

The Stars Beneath our Feet is a captivating story of grief and growing up in Harlem, a place at once rich with family and friends but also treacherous, with gangs that pressure young men to join "the easy life." Lolly is a heart-warming character, so honest his words sting, his voice abrupt at times and desperate at others, always seeking a way forward even in a world that seems to want to hold him back. My heart broke for both Lolly and his mother, a courageous woman doing everything she can to ...more

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May 15, 2018 Estee rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a modern day bildungsroman (a coming-of-age novel) featuring a 12 year old boy growing up in Harlem and dealing with the loss of his brother.

I liked the writing style. It was easy to read and very descriptive. Here is one of the sentences that I highlighted because I liked the feel of it.

"I hung the hood of my blue parka over my head and let the rest of my coat float behind me. It was cold today, but I was feeling hot inside."

ooh the imagery. I can totally see it! I love that!

This book ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Emily rated it liked it

Authentic, lots of interesting characters (including several gay POC), great use of dialog and African American Vernacular, and some triumphant moments. However, the editing could have been a lot tighter to develop what really mattered and cut what didn't. There were a few subplots that didn't really go anywhere and didn't add to either plot or symbolism (that I picked up on, in any case). I also had some issues with how characters were often described negatively or made fun of. I know it's not ...more

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Feb 04, 2018 Samantha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: will-forever-recommend

David Barclay Moore introduces you to Wallace a.k.a Lolly. A young boy growing up in Harlem, forced to cope in his own way with the loss of his older brother. Moore tells a story of not only diversity but of grief in the urban community, unlikely friendships, and how creativity can truly be an outlet for emotion.

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Jun 13, 2018 Clare Lund rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-caudill-nominees

I'll admit that I first picked up this book because of the cover art - what a beautiful story about finding your own place in the world, no matter how unconventional it may be. I loved Lolly's inner monologue.

It also had a heartbreaking way of reminding me that America needs to do a lot better for so many of our kids, so they never think this about themselves at the age of 12:
"Lolly, I think you'll be a good architect. Or whatever you wanna do."
"Thanks, Vega. We both know I won't ever be nothing ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 Joanne Kelleher rated it liked it

Your heart really goes out to Lolly. He definitely has way too much on his plate for a 12-year-old.
Throughout the book he is grieving, and his grief sometimes steers him in the wrong direction or brings out a darkness that he does not always want to suppress. For the most part, I liked his character.
I also enjoyed Lolly and Rosamund's trips around the city to study architecture as an inspiration for his Lego buildings.

ON the negative side, I thought that there was just too much going on in the b ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Kendall rated it liked it

Finally verdict: 3.5

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Apr 10, 2018 Brian rated it really liked it

(4.0) Excellent, touching, sincere

Pre-reading this to see which age it's likely appropriate for. Probably something more like 9 or 10 years old, though I may want to read and discuss with younger children. I really like the voice of the narrating character, Lolly. He's honest with us, even when he's reluctant to talk about sensitive subjects. The plot veers a little unrealistic, but still at its heart feels real and I was fully invested.

Moore covers a lot of ground here: art, poverty, hope, gang ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Kelli rated it it was amazing

Love, love, love this book. Can't wait to get it in the hands of some middle school kiddos.

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About David Barclay Moore

David Barclay Moore

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Photo: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Follow DAVID BARCLAY MOORE online at DavidBarclayMoore.com, on Twitter at @dbarclaymoore and on Instagram at dbarclaymoore.

David is a Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe Award-winning author whose novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, is being made into a film by actor/director Michael B. Jordan.

Wanna know more?

Writer, filmmaker, photographer, super geek, cherry cobble ...more