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Galaxy of Sea Stars
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo’s second middle-grade novel―a heartwarming story about family, loyalty, and the hard choices we face in the name of friendship.
Sometimes, the truth isn’t easy to see. Sometimes, you have to look below the surface to find it.
Eleven-year-old Izzy feels as though her whole world is shifting, and she doesn’t like it. She wants her dad to act like he did before he was deployed to Afghanistan. She wants her mom to live with them at the marina where they’ve moved instead of spending all her time on Block Island. Most of all, she wants Piper, Zelda, and herself―the Sea Stars―to stay best friends, as they start sixth grade in a new school.
Everything changes when Izzy’s father invites his former interpreter’s family, including eleven-year-old Sitara, to move into the marina’s upstairs apartment. Izzy doesn’t know what to make of Sitara―with her hijab and refusal to eat cafeteria food―and her presence disrupts the Sea Stars. But in Sitara Izzy finds someone brave, someone daring, someone who isn’t as afraid as Izzy is to use her voice and speak up for herself. As Izzy and Sitara grow closer, Izzy must make a stay in her comfort zone and risk betraying her new friend, or speak up and lose the Sea Stars forever.
Sometimes, the truth isn’t easy to see. Sometimes, you have to look below the surface to find it.
Eleven-year-old Izzy feels as though her whole world is shifting, and she doesn’t like it. She wants her dad to act like he did before he was deployed to Afghanistan. She wants her mom to live with them at the marina where they’ve moved instead of spending all her time on Block Island. Most of all, she wants Piper, Zelda, and herself―the Sea Stars―to stay best friends, as they start sixth grade in a new school.
Everything changes when Izzy’s father invites his former interpreter’s family, including eleven-year-old Sitara, to move into the marina’s upstairs apartment. Izzy doesn’t know what to make of Sitara―with her hijab and refusal to eat cafeteria food―and her presence disrupts the Sea Stars. But in Sitara Izzy finds someone brave, someone daring, someone who isn’t as afraid as Izzy is to use her voice and speak up for herself. As Izzy and Sitara grow closer, Izzy must make a stay in her comfort zone and risk betraying her new friend, or speak up and lose the Sea Stars forever.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2020
21 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
3 books116 followersJEANNE ZULICK FERRUOLO is the author of EACH OF US A UNIVERSE, A GALAXY OF SEA STARS, and RUBY IN THE SKY, which earned two starred reviews and which BOOKLIST called "quietly magical." She is also a volunteer with IRIS-Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (irisct.org) in New Haven, Connecticut. She lives in Ellington, Connecticut with her family. Visit her at jzulferr.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
December 2, 2019
I wanted to share some background on the writing of A GALAXY OF SEA STARS with you.
The original inspiration for the story began through my volunteer work at IRIS-Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven, Connecticut. Through IRIS I've had the privilege to know some amazing young men and women.
When I began looking for middle grade books with refugee characters. I quickly found there were not many. So, with the help of IRIS, we formed a group of young women from the countries of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, who wanted to share their experiences coming to the United States as refugees to help create such a book.
We began by simply getting together at the IRIS office where I listened as these amazing ladies talked about what it was like for them to come to the United States as refugees. Then, over the course of a year, these young women read three versions of A GALAXY OF SEA STARS—each time, offering their critical insight and advice. In our meetings, I listened as they recounted stories of discrimination, as well as their wishes, dreams and fears. Their stories spun together to shape the character of Sitara Haidary.
The goal of this project was always an opportunity for these ladies to reach out to world to say: "This is what I want you to know about me," "This is how it has been for us," and "This is how we'd like it to be."
As we met, an odd thing happened along the way. The ladies told me that Sitara's strength inspired them. But the reality is that each one of these ladies IS Sitara. What they saw on the pages of GALAXY was a mirror image of their own strength and bravery.
Discovering the courage you already possess has been and will always be the heart of A GALAXY OF SEA STARS. As Izzy's grandmother Starenka says, "Let your courage be bigger than your fear." This is what I learned from the brave young women.
I hope you enjoy Izzy's and Sitara's story and I hope you feel braver for knowing them.
The original inspiration for the story began through my volunteer work at IRIS-Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven, Connecticut. Through IRIS I've had the privilege to know some amazing young men and women.
When I began looking for middle grade books with refugee characters. I quickly found there were not many. So, with the help of IRIS, we formed a group of young women from the countries of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, who wanted to share their experiences coming to the United States as refugees to help create such a book.
We began by simply getting together at the IRIS office where I listened as these amazing ladies talked about what it was like for them to come to the United States as refugees. Then, over the course of a year, these young women read three versions of A GALAXY OF SEA STARS—each time, offering their critical insight and advice. In our meetings, I listened as they recounted stories of discrimination, as well as their wishes, dreams and fears. Their stories spun together to shape the character of Sitara Haidary.
The goal of this project was always an opportunity for these ladies to reach out to world to say: "This is what I want you to know about me," "This is how it has been for us," and "This is how we'd like it to be."
As we met, an odd thing happened along the way. The ladies told me that Sitara's strength inspired them. But the reality is that each one of these ladies IS Sitara. What they saw on the pages of GALAXY was a mirror image of their own strength and bravery.
Discovering the courage you already possess has been and will always be the heart of A GALAXY OF SEA STARS. As Izzy's grandmother Starenka says, "Let your courage be bigger than your fear." This is what I learned from the brave young women.
I hope you enjoy Izzy's and Sitara's story and I hope you feel braver for knowing them.
Read
June 24, 2022A Galaxy of Sea Stars by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo is about a girl named Izzy and her struggles going into 6th grade. A Muslim girl Izzy does not even know, named Sarita, has moved into her house, and it is becoming harder and harder to stay connected with her other friends, Piper and Zelda. As Izzy’s situation worsens, she realizes that she must choose between Sarita or Piper and Zelda.
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a great book about culture because it shows the how American life seems from the point of view of an immigrant. Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo shows that you must choose your friends carefully in life through this book. -Jackson Y., SPL Teen Volunteer
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a great book about culture because it shows the how American life seems from the point of view of an immigrant. Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo shows that you must choose your friends carefully in life through this book. -Jackson Y., SPL Teen Volunteer
October 1, 2022
Rating - 4.5 stars
Wow, this book was better than I was expecting! It was really cute.
I loved the central theme of facing your fears and finding the courage to face them head on. So often we avoid the things that frighten us the most, but when we face them, we continually become better people. You might find a niche in the end, depending! And the friendship between Izzy and Sitara was so sweet. The way they encouraged each other and helped one another to be bold...it was lovely.
I will say that Izzy's friend, Zelda was very annoying. I feel like she came across a little racist towards Sitara, which was poorly done in my opinion. And she was such a control-freak and always made things all about her. It's a good thing they ended up not being friends anymore in the end. Also, it was irritating that her mom had two aunts. They only appeared in one scene and were mentioned a couple of times, but just the fact that it was thrown in there was ridiculous.
Anyway, this was a cute story about the importance of friendship and not being fearful of the things that scare you the most. In my opinion, I feel like it was a little long. There weren't any slow scenes, but I feel like there were some unnecessary ones. All in all though, Ferruolo wrote a fantastic middle-grade!
Wow, this book was better than I was expecting! It was really cute.
I loved the central theme of facing your fears and finding the courage to face them head on. So often we avoid the things that frighten us the most, but when we face them, we continually become better people. You might find a niche in the end, depending! And the friendship between Izzy and Sitara was so sweet. The way they encouraged each other and helped one another to be bold...it was lovely.
I will say that Izzy's friend, Zelda was very annoying. I feel like she came across a little racist towards Sitara, which was poorly done in my opinion. And she was such a control-freak and always made things all about her. It's a good thing they ended up not being friends anymore in the end. Also, it was irritating that her mom had two aunts. They only appeared in one scene and were mentioned a couple of times, but just the fact that it was thrown in there was ridiculous.
Anyway, this was a cute story about the importance of friendship and not being fearful of the things that scare you the most. In my opinion, I feel like it was a little long. There weren't any slow scenes, but I feel like there were some unnecessary ones. All in all though, Ferruolo wrote a fantastic middle-grade!
February 10, 2020
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is middle grade fiction at its finest. These young girls are just discovering their independence but with these changes come challenges to long-held friendship, discovering things you never knew, looking at life differently and learning to look past your own experiences to consider the feelings of others.
Izzy and her two best friends are the Sea Stars, best friends since they were little. With a new school to navigate and new classes, Izzy is determined to keep the group together. When Izzy’s father invites the interpreter he worked with in Afghanistan and his family to move in, Izzy is worried. Why isn’t her mother moving back home and what will the Sea Stars say about Sitara, who is Izzy’s age and isn’t scared of standing out or explaining about her beliefs?
Izzy is an authentic young teen. She is struggling to balance what she knows and feels is right with trying desperately to hold onto what is comfortable and known in her life. She is right on the cusp of growing up - sometime sounding like a mature teen and other times reverting back to more childish displays of emotion (and sadly, even as an adult I could totally relate to these meltdowns). Growing up is hard, especially when navigating changes in schools, friendship and family circumstances. It’s something so many young people face today, especially family breakdown. Izzy wants her family to go back to the way it was and doesn’t understand why her mother can’t just come home. She also struggles to come to terms with the changes she has seen in her father since he has come back from serving in Afghanistan. These two points aren’t explored in too much depth, the focus of the story remains on other things, but Izzy does come to accept her mother’s choice, she loves and accepts her fathers, and her parents work harder at explaining things to Izzy and making her more comfortable with the new living arrangements.
As Izzy gets to know Sitara, she finds they actually have a lot in common and make good friends. Sitara’s story of persecution and having to flee her home touches Izzy and brings into contrast the peace and security of her own life, despite the recent changes. Izzy values Sitara’s bravery in standing up to the people who do not understand her or judge her for her choices. Sitara and her family are Muslim and face persecution for their faith. Izzy has to choose between her old life and what she knows to be right. In doing so, she must also learn to be brave, even when her anxiety threatens to overwhelm her.
Izzy is a budding marine scientist. I loved this positive portrayal of women in STEM, including Izzy herself, a young and enthusiastic female science teacher and Izzy’s idol, scientist Marie Tharp.
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a positive middle-grade novel about managing new and old friends, coming to terms with family changes and learning to stand up for what’s right.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Izzy and her two best friends are the Sea Stars, best friends since they were little. With a new school to navigate and new classes, Izzy is determined to keep the group together. When Izzy’s father invites the interpreter he worked with in Afghanistan and his family to move in, Izzy is worried. Why isn’t her mother moving back home and what will the Sea Stars say about Sitara, who is Izzy’s age and isn’t scared of standing out or explaining about her beliefs?
Izzy is an authentic young teen. She is struggling to balance what she knows and feels is right with trying desperately to hold onto what is comfortable and known in her life. She is right on the cusp of growing up - sometime sounding like a mature teen and other times reverting back to more childish displays of emotion (and sadly, even as an adult I could totally relate to these meltdowns). Growing up is hard, especially when navigating changes in schools, friendship and family circumstances. It’s something so many young people face today, especially family breakdown. Izzy wants her family to go back to the way it was and doesn’t understand why her mother can’t just come home. She also struggles to come to terms with the changes she has seen in her father since he has come back from serving in Afghanistan. These two points aren’t explored in too much depth, the focus of the story remains on other things, but Izzy does come to accept her mother’s choice, she loves and accepts her fathers, and her parents work harder at explaining things to Izzy and making her more comfortable with the new living arrangements.
As Izzy gets to know Sitara, she finds they actually have a lot in common and make good friends. Sitara’s story of persecution and having to flee her home touches Izzy and brings into contrast the peace and security of her own life, despite the recent changes. Izzy values Sitara’s bravery in standing up to the people who do not understand her or judge her for her choices. Sitara and her family are Muslim and face persecution for their faith. Izzy has to choose between her old life and what she knows to be right. In doing so, she must also learn to be brave, even when her anxiety threatens to overwhelm her.
Izzy is a budding marine scientist. I loved this positive portrayal of women in STEM, including Izzy herself, a young and enthusiastic female science teacher and Izzy’s idol, scientist Marie Tharp.
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a positive middle-grade novel about managing new and old friends, coming to terms with family changes and learning to stand up for what’s right.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
October 5, 2023
“Will your fear be bigger than your courage, or will your courage be bigger than your fear?”
Such a good story of bravery, friendship, and learning how to appreciate the differences of others. I absolutely loved this book and everything it stood for. Doing this in literature circles with my students gave me an insight into their empathy and sensitivity for others. Will definitely be doing this one again!
Such a good story of bravery, friendship, and learning how to appreciate the differences of others. I absolutely loved this book and everything it stood for. Doing this in literature circles with my students gave me an insight into their empathy and sensitivity for others. Will definitely be doing this one again!
May 4, 2022
I try to read everything before handing it over to my kids, especially with newer books. This is one I would have loved as a kid myself, or young teen. It captures the real struggles of being a kid while infusing greater depth in relationships, life changes, growing up, adapting, judgement vs. acceptance, and more. Overall, I think this is a beautifully written story and would love to have a hard copy to put on my home library shelf so my kids and I can read this together over and over again throughout the years.
January 20, 2020
“Let your courage be bigger than your fear.” This is a touching story about what happens when you go to middle school & everything changes. It’s about figuring out how to handle life‘s tough situations with courage, grace, & strength. Most importantly it’s about being strong & speaking out for what you believe.
December 23, 2019
Thank you MacKids for an ARC.
As I progressed through this story my lens became heavily teacher based as I continued reading. I think this might be my next read aloud after break due to so many inferencing opportunities - Zelda’s friendship (or lack thereof) is very evident as an adult, but for my students it’s exactly what they experience every day. I love the idea of discussing with my students to use their voice in moments where Izzy should have spoken up, but couldn’t. The many subplots also provide a lot of opportunities for discussion ; parent separation, PTSD, refugees, fresh starts, ignorance, selfishness, bravery.
For me: it’s a must buy in the middle grade classroom, and one I will recommend to my realistic fiction lovers - or those who I know need to read this story and truly understand it.
As I progressed through this story my lens became heavily teacher based as I continued reading. I think this might be my next read aloud after break due to so many inferencing opportunities - Zelda’s friendship (or lack thereof) is very evident as an adult, but for my students it’s exactly what they experience every day. I love the idea of discussing with my students to use their voice in moments where Izzy should have spoken up, but couldn’t. The many subplots also provide a lot of opportunities for discussion ; parent separation, PTSD, refugees, fresh starts, ignorance, selfishness, bravery.
For me: it’s a must buy in the middle grade classroom, and one I will recommend to my realistic fiction lovers - or those who I know need to read this story and truly understand it.
March 17, 2022
So far I've read 2 books by this author (this one and Each of Us a Universe)
I think they are both equally as amazing.
(though, I think I like this one 0.000001% more than EOUAU)
I still absolutely LOVE EOUAU!
This one was so great that when I finished it, I cried. No Joke.
I was so upset it was over
I still am
I loved Sitara and Izzy (Zelda can die for all I care sorry not sorry)
I wish there was more, this story was beautiful. If you see this Jeanne...
I LOVE YOU
thank you for this wonderful story with amazing characters, setting and honestly everything.
I will be buying and reading Ruby in the Sky very soon.
I love this book <3
I think they are both equally as amazing.
(though, I think I like this one 0.000001% more than EOUAU)
I still absolutely LOVE EOUAU!
This one was so great that when I finished it, I cried. No Joke.
I was so upset it was over
I still am
I loved Sitara and Izzy (Zelda can die for all I care sorry not sorry)
I wish there was more, this story was beautiful. If you see this Jeanne...
I LOVE YOU
thank you for this wonderful story with amazing characters, setting and honestly everything.
I will be buying and reading Ruby in the Sky very soon.
I love this book <3
August 9, 2022
Loved this one! Cute story about finding courage amongst fear and learning that your forever friends might not always be forever.
Reread: Still really enjoyed this one and how the author was able to connect so many little things together!
Reread: Still really enjoyed this one and how the author was able to connect so many little things together!
February 8, 2020
I was sent a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
TW: PTSD, Islamophobia
Rep: Muslim, Czechoslovakian
____________________________________________________________
Izzy is dealing with a lot as she begins her first year of middle school. She learns that her childhood friends aren't who she thought they were and grows apart from them. In particular, her friend Zelda was a brat and I really disliked her, but I understood why the author wrote her. However, I wish Zelda had learned from her behavior and that the school administration had taken things more seriously involving islamophobia, even though the student who did participate in an Islamophobic act was suspended, I would've liked to see the school and adults in the novel be more assertive and pre-cautious.
Sitara and her family move into Izzy's apartment and she learns many lessons from Sitara. I really enjoyed Sitara's character and her message of bravery. I learned a lot about living in Afghanistan and being Muslim from her character alone and as a middle grade, I felt that this topic was super important for children to read. The author explains halal food and why it's important for Sitara to wear her hijab. As well as Izzy's perspective on dealing with her father coming back from serving in the Iraq war post-9/11 and dealing with PTSD. I thought that was a relatable topic that children or anyone could relate to. She's also dealing with her parent's separation.
I wished the characters would've had more depth. I wanted to see more of Izzy's artistic side rather than just her mapping. But, I did like her passion for boating, sea stars and creating sounding data maps of the ocean. Honestly, I learned a lot about sea stars from this book, haha.
I felt like this book was mediocre and I would've liked this book to be #ownvoices. But, the author did do her research and explains it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It does have a great message and theme. I would recommend it based on that alone!
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
TW: PTSD, Islamophobia
Rep: Muslim, Czechoslovakian
____________________________________________________________
Izzy is dealing with a lot as she begins her first year of middle school. She learns that her childhood friends aren't who she thought they were and grows apart from them. In particular, her friend Zelda was a brat and I really disliked her, but I understood why the author wrote her. However, I wish Zelda had learned from her behavior and that the school administration had taken things more seriously involving islamophobia, even though the student who did participate in an Islamophobic act was suspended, I would've liked to see the school and adults in the novel be more assertive and pre-cautious.
Sitara and her family move into Izzy's apartment and she learns many lessons from Sitara. I really enjoyed Sitara's character and her message of bravery. I learned a lot about living in Afghanistan and being Muslim from her character alone and as a middle grade, I felt that this topic was super important for children to read. The author explains halal food and why it's important for Sitara to wear her hijab. As well as Izzy's perspective on dealing with her father coming back from serving in the Iraq war post-9/11 and dealing with PTSD. I thought that was a relatable topic that children or anyone could relate to. She's also dealing with her parent's separation.
I wished the characters would've had more depth. I wanted to see more of Izzy's artistic side rather than just her mapping. But, I did like her passion for boating, sea stars and creating sounding data maps of the ocean. Honestly, I learned a lot about sea stars from this book, haha.
I felt like this book was mediocre and I would've liked this book to be #ownvoices. But, the author did do her research and explains it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It does have a great message and theme. I would recommend it based on that alone!
October 5, 2019
Many thanks to EdelweissPlus and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
This was a lovely middle grade story about family, friendship, and what happens when you have to decide if your courage is going to be bigger than your fear. Izzy is about to start middle school and she isn't sure how it is going to go. In addition to the new school and the new classes (will she really have to do tech production in order to have homeroom with her best friends?) her mother is still staying with her aunts a ferry ride away, her dad is still struggling with PTSD after being deployed in Afghanistan, and her father's old translator and his family have moved upstairs. All of these things signal change for Izzy, and she hates change. She wants to know why things can't just go back to the way they were before, even if that wasn't so great either.
Highly recommended. This is a strong purchase choice, especially for collections where realistic fiction is popular. It is also a nice example of a story with a diverse family structure and friend group. That being said, I did give it a 4 out of 5 because it got VERY heavy-handed feeling with the "message" towards the end. I think that the readers would have gotten it without it being spelled out quite so explicitly.
This was a lovely middle grade story about family, friendship, and what happens when you have to decide if your courage is going to be bigger than your fear. Izzy is about to start middle school and she isn't sure how it is going to go. In addition to the new school and the new classes (will she really have to do tech production in order to have homeroom with her best friends?) her mother is still staying with her aunts a ferry ride away, her dad is still struggling with PTSD after being deployed in Afghanistan, and her father's old translator and his family have moved upstairs. All of these things signal change for Izzy, and she hates change. She wants to know why things can't just go back to the way they were before, even if that wasn't so great either.
Highly recommended. This is a strong purchase choice, especially for collections where realistic fiction is popular. It is also a nice example of a story with a diverse family structure and friend group. That being said, I did give it a 4 out of 5 because it got VERY heavy-handed feeling with the "message" towards the end. I think that the readers would have gotten it without it being spelled out quite so explicitly.
January 25, 2020
This is a very important book with a great message of seeing someone who is of a different culture and getting to know them and standing up and finding your voice. I hope those who read this will come with more compassion and kindness when meeting someone who is not like you.
March 20, 2022
This book is beautifully written and has a wonderful message on being an ally and friend, always doing the right thing in the face of Islamaphobia, even when its hard!
Genre: MG
Ages: 9-12
Available: Amazon
Screening: bullying, a few references to war/violence in Afghanistan
Izzy’s school year is starting all wrong. She feels a gulf between herself and her two best friends, her mother isn’t living with them anymore, her father is dealing with ptsd, they moved out of their house, and a new Afghan family has moved in the same building. Izzy befriends Sitara, the Afghan girl, but when it is one of her own best friends who bullies Sitara, Izzy has to decide. Will she take a stand against her own friend and do the right thing or should she stay quiet like always…
Wow, this story was so well written and meaningful. I loved the author’s note on working with Afghan refugees, and the book def read more authentic Islamically because of her experiences in real life.
I especially like how Sitara wore hijab and defended her hm choice to practice her religion, not allowing hate to dictate what she did.
Afghan food and words are sprinkled throughout, giving the book a beautiful multi-cultural feel.
And even with the hardships of bullying and war, Sitara and Izzy both show remarkable character and empathy in how they deal with the world. The book contains many powerful SEL lessons for readers.
I also enjoyed all the marina life references and sea star facts! It offered a science aspect to the book that children will learn from, including references to Pangea and plate tectonics (and cool female explorer Marie Tharp).
Def an awesome read and one I enjoyed!
Genre: MG
Ages: 9-12
Available: Amazon
Screening: bullying, a few references to war/violence in Afghanistan
Izzy’s school year is starting all wrong. She feels a gulf between herself and her two best friends, her mother isn’t living with them anymore, her father is dealing with ptsd, they moved out of their house, and a new Afghan family has moved in the same building. Izzy befriends Sitara, the Afghan girl, but when it is one of her own best friends who bullies Sitara, Izzy has to decide. Will she take a stand against her own friend and do the right thing or should she stay quiet like always…
Wow, this story was so well written and meaningful. I loved the author’s note on working with Afghan refugees, and the book def read more authentic Islamically because of her experiences in real life.
I especially like how Sitara wore hijab and defended her hm choice to practice her religion, not allowing hate to dictate what she did.
Afghan food and words are sprinkled throughout, giving the book a beautiful multi-cultural feel.
And even with the hardships of bullying and war, Sitara and Izzy both show remarkable character and empathy in how they deal with the world. The book contains many powerful SEL lessons for readers.
I also enjoyed all the marina life references and sea star facts! It offered a science aspect to the book that children will learn from, including references to Pangea and plate tectonics (and cool female explorer Marie Tharp).
Def an awesome read and one I enjoyed!
January 13, 2020
This tender, middle grade story will resonate with middle grade readers, especially those facing changes in their lives, friendship struggles, family and cultural issues, and school challenges. A series of reflections by the protagonist add to the plot and the realistic ending will not disappoint. A great choice for book clubs.
March 17, 2020
A Galaxy of Sea Stars is full of heart and love. After a summer of so much change, Izzy is nervous about middle school, but at least her two best friends will be with her. But when school starts, even more changes come, from the Afghani family that moves in upstairs, to her absent mother still not coming home, to a strange tension between Izzy and her friends. Izzy's plan to chart the bottom of the harbor seems to be her only constant. Izzy soon learns that change can be painful, but it also helps us to grow and stretch. As she and her new friend Sitara learn to adapt and still hold onto their dreams, Izzy begins to find the courage that she has had inside her all along.
This book is full of so many important topics- healthy friendships, trying new things, making our own choices, standing up to bullying and hate, speaking out, compassion and acceptance of immigrants and refugees, kindness, family relationships. Beautifully written and perfect for middle grade readers. I will definitely be adding this book to my class library!
This book is full of so many important topics- healthy friendships, trying new things, making our own choices, standing up to bullying and hate, speaking out, compassion and acceptance of immigrants and refugees, kindness, family relationships. Beautifully written and perfect for middle grade readers. I will definitely be adding this book to my class library!
January 10, 2020
I was really excited to read an advance copy of this book. I really liked reading about the friend relationships in this story and totally related to Izzy and how she struggled to hold onto friends that weren’t really friends anymore. Even though Izzy and Sitara’s lives were very different- they both faced challenges and they came together to overcome them. The characters in the story were very realistic. I felt like I went to school with them. I thought this was a great book and I will recommend it to my friends.
January 3, 2020
Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo has done it again! A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a beautifully written, right on story about the fragility of relationships. Izzy is starting middle school while also trying to navigate the relationship with her Veteran dad, her distant mom, and her changing best friends. When Sitara, a refugee from Afghanistan, moves in, Izzy's life is completely changed---but with that change may also come a courage she didn't know she had. I love when a book drives me to do research! Learning about Marie Tharp and her quest to map the ocean floor was intriguing. I can't wait to read more about her work. The information Jeanne shares with the reader about wearing a Hijab and other aspects of Afghani culture prompted me to look further. I found Under my Hijab by Hena Khan. This picture book would pair nicely as background for students. This book must become part of every classroom library!
January 6, 2020
Hi,
I read this book while vacationing in Florida. I loved it! There are a lot of heavy themes in the book, but it also has a lighter flair with the ocean, etc. I will be ordering a copy for our library collection at NPL. :)
I read this book while vacationing in Florida. I loved it! There are a lot of heavy themes in the book, but it also has a lighter flair with the ocean, etc. I will be ordering a copy for our library collection at NPL. :)
December 7, 2019
I received an ARC of this book and it was really a fantastic read. It addresses lots of real world issues in an honest way that is perfect for older elementary or younger middle grades students. The flashbacks throughout the book were a brilliant way to show the reader how when it seems like friendships are changing, maybe you are also growing and changing and seeing the friendship in a new light. It discusses navigating changing friendships in middle school, dealing with changing family dynamics, parents separating, a parent coming back from serving in the armed forces, the beauty and strength of the Muslim faith, Islamophobia, and ultimately the value in using ones voice to speak up for oneself and others when it means getting out of ones comfort zone.
September 15, 2021
A galaxy of stars is a timely — more so now than when it was written - story that every YA and their parents should read — and then talk about. It is a moving and well written story of America - everyone who comes here lives a similar tale of being new and different. Whether being a refugee from Afghanistan or escaping the nazis in the 1930/40. And such a great story for young girls (and boys for that matter) to see that growing up is hard and about the need find their voice and the courage to stand up for themselves, their friends and for what is right even if it means doing something that may not be immediately popular. I hope the author has a lot more books in her as we will read them all! Look forward to the next one!!
December 4, 2019
I was lucky enough to read an early version of this story with my daughters aged 8 and 9. I love stories with strong female characters and this one doesn’t disappoint. From learning about the oceanographer, Marie Tharp, to sharing Izzy and Sitara’s journeys as they stand up to mean girls and bullies and learn what it means to make your courage bigger than your fear. There are so many great messages here and so much to discuss with my girls. I think this would make a great read-aloud in any classroom.
October 27, 2019
Another mesmerizing read by Ferruolo that covers friendship, family, diversity, and science. There wasn't anything about this novel that I didn't enjoy as I read about Izzy's growth during her first weeks of middle school, her setbacks with friends while discovering new ones, and learning to stand up and fight for what is right. Ferruolo has been gifted with the magic of storytelling and I cannot wait to read her next book. Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC.
January 19, 2022
I think most of us would agree that middle school isn't the easiest part of our lives. This young girl is caught in the drama of female friendships while at the same time dealing with her parents separating and her dad inviting an Afghan family to come and live with them. Very believable story. Friendships at that age are complicated. Nice how what she dislikes in her friends comes back to haunt her as she has to take a deeper look at her own life.
December 17, 2019
Ferruolo's ability to weave a story and message without being preachy is true inspiration. Can't wait for young readers to read this gem!
November 30, 2020
Honestly, the author isn’t a great writer, her sentences are simplistic and won’t leave you dying for more. However, she did come up with a really good story, and I love Sitara. 8+
January 3, 2021
4.5 “Is your fear bigger than your courage or your courage bigger than your fear?” This story is poignant and much-needed. When choose kindness we see we are all more alike than different.
February 18, 2021
This book was a beautiful story of a young girl coming to grips with lots of changes in her life. Its about strength and integrity. I loved it
December 28, 2021
One book closer to my goal! And another great middle-grade read on how to deal with difference and middle school angst.
July 19, 2020
This book explores endless topics in such a seamless, authentic way. I finished it a week ago and took this whole week to think about what to say - but it comes down to the fact that I'm kind of speechless about how much this middle grade novel affected me as an adult in my mid-thirties.
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I turned to her. “You are my best friend,” I said.
“I know,” she said.
“Feeling bad when someone’s being treated poorly is fine and all, Izzy, but until you actually do something to change things… well, what’s the point?”
“It happened to Sitara, not me.”
“Hate hurts everyone.”
“ ‘I’m scared, Mama,’ I said.
“ ‘Bah!’ Mama said. ‘They are the ones who are scared.’
“ ‘How are they scared?’ I asked. ‘They are the ones with the fire.’
“Mama shook her head. ‘Do you think the fire makes them big,’ she said. ‘Do you think the fire makes them brave. So we have to be bigger. We have to be braver.’ “
“You have to decide...
Will your fear be bigger than your courage, or will your courage be bigger than your fear?”
“You need to speak up.”
“But what if no one listens?”
“Talk louder.”
“You can’t stop things from changing by pretending they’re not.”
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I turned to her. “You are my best friend,” I said.
“I know,” she said.
“Feeling bad when someone’s being treated poorly is fine and all, Izzy, but until you actually do something to change things… well, what’s the point?”
“It happened to Sitara, not me.”
“Hate hurts everyone.”
“ ‘I’m scared, Mama,’ I said.
“ ‘Bah!’ Mama said. ‘They are the ones who are scared.’
“ ‘How are they scared?’ I asked. ‘They are the ones with the fire.’
“Mama shook her head. ‘Do you think the fire makes them big,’ she said. ‘Do you think the fire makes them brave. So we have to be bigger. We have to be braver.’ “
“You have to decide...
Will your fear be bigger than your courage, or will your courage be bigger than your fear?”
“You need to speak up.”
“But what if no one listens?”
“Talk louder.”
“You can’t stop things from changing by pretending they’re not.”
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