The Same Stuff as Stars

by Katherine Paterson

2015

Status

Available

Call number

Paterson

Genres

Children's Books

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Realistic Fiction

Publication

HMH Books for Young Readers (2015), Edition: Reprint, 256 pages

Description

When Angel's self-absorbed mother leaves her and her younger brother with their poor great-grandmother, the eleven-year-old girl worries not only about her mother and brother, her imprisoned father, the frail old woman, but also about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of the stars.

User reviews

LibraryThing member abbylibrarian

Angel Morgan knows that she has to be careful. She has to look out for her younger brother because she can't count on her mom to do it. She has to make sure that they eat balanced meals and that Bernie always wears his seatbelt. Their mom is unpredictable and little things set her off, so Angel is

not very surprised when her mom tells her that they're moving. They have an hour or so to pack one suitcase apiece and then they're off to Angel's great-grandma's house in the country. But when Angel's mom leaves them there and doesn't come back, Angel has to face the fact that she's all Bernie has. She has to learn to live with a crotchety great-grandma who's barely able to care for herself. And she realizes that she's stronger than she ever thought she was.

The audiobook of this novel was really great. Narrator Alyssa Bresnahan does a great job with different voices and it was really interesting to listen to. It's a great story, a bit sad sometimes, but ultimately uplifting, with great characters that I came to love.

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7 more

LibraryThing member MsLangdon

Part D Family

Paterson, K. (2002). The same stuff as stars. New York: Clarion Books.

A father in jail, a careless mother, and a seven-year-old brother is what Angel Morgan knows about family, until her mother abandons her and her brother with their 80-year-old great-grandmother who can barely care

for herself. At only eleven, Angel is a mother figure to both her brother and her grandmother. She buys the groceries and makes sure they have proper nutrition, making sure to have the five major food groups. She enrolls them into school. In addition to all of her responsibilities, she worries that social services is going to figure out that their mom left them and will put her and her brother into foster care. She wonders when her mom will return and if her dad will ever get out of jail. But, in all of the chaos and worries, she finds stability, friends, and her family.
Angel Morgan’s loneliness and worries don’t bring her down. Her optimistic attitude and strength add to the inspiring story of family and the struggles of life. Paterson’s depiction of Angel Morgan and her life experiences exemplifies the possible life of many young children in today’s world that may not have a strong family structure. Ages 9-12.

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LibraryThing member Whisper1

Katherine Paterson has the distinct honor of receiving two Newbery medals, one in 1981 for Jacob I Have Loved and another in 1978 for Bridge to Terabithia. In 1979 she received a Newbery honor for The Great Gilly Hopkins.

This is a writer who creates unique characters. Paterson brings clarity of

emotion and poignancy to each page. The Same Stuff as Stars deals with the heartbreaking topic of child neglect.

Angel is twelve and spent most of her young life shouldering the burden in the role parents should perform. With a father in jail and a mother who slaps instead of hugs, who shouts instead of whispers, who cares only about herself instead of others, and who flits from man to man, Angel is left to care for her mother, herself and her little brother Bernie.

Overwhelmed with even the most simple task, dysfunctional Mamma Verna decides it is time to unburden herself of two unwanted children. She abandons them with their great grandmother. Leaving them with a feeble and frail older woman, Verna speeds away from the trailer park faster than her broken down truck can spin its tires.

Paterson gracefully shows the range of emotions Angel experiences. Blaming herself for her parent's abuse, Angel justifies the abandonment. Gradually Angel realizes that she should not be the adult and the cards dealt her are not a full deck.

Odds stacked against her, Angel moves forward, finding a friend in the local librarian and an unlikely friend whom her grandmother refers to as Santa Clause.

"Santa Clause" shows her the beauty of the night sky and provides a steady reference of encouragement.

The librarian opens a world of knowledge and love of books. Her Great Grandmother is spunky and does the best she can to provide for Angel and Bernie.

Realistically portraying the strength and fortitude of Angel and her ability to survive despite all odds, I'm guessing this author has personal knowledge of abandonment and neglect.

Highly recommended.

Five Stars

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LibraryThing member nariya.rose

This is a story about a girl named Angel Morgan. Her dad is in jail, and her mom is not a very good mother. The only good part of her life is a stranger who teaches her about planets and tells her that she is made of the same stuff as stars. You have to read the book to find out what they mean.
I

like this book because Angel has to face a lot of obstacles. She has a hard life, not like a princess or something. Also, I learned a bit about astronomy.

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LibraryThing member olegalCA

Children's books can be so much better than adult books. Katherine Paterson never fails to transport me to a different world. Angel is such a great character.

LibraryThing member EmmaS91

Angel's mother has abandoned her and her little brother at her great grandmother's house. They live out in the middle of noware and Angel now has to take care of her little brother by herself and her poor great grandmother who doesn't eat anything but caned beans and caned peaches. The only store

around is a store 2 miles away and she must walk there with her whining little brother and bairly any money. But in the middle of the night she meets an old man who teaches her about the stars. When the school year starts she must enrole her and her little brother on a school and sound like a grown up. Do you think she can keep it up?
I liked this book because this book tells you alot about how hard life is when your mother abandons you and how you are stranded. But i didn't like this book because some parts were a bit hard to understand.

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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan. Angel has had a difficult life in her 12 years. Her father is in prison, her mother is an alcoholic and Angel has had to be the adult in her family, in particular looking after her younger brother Bernie. Her mother dumps Angel and Bernie off on their frail 80-year-old

Grandma. With her mother gone, Angel must handle the responsibilities of getting her and Bernie to a new school, buying groceries with Grandma's Social Security check and cooking the meals. Her saving moments are visits to Miss Liza at the library and stargazing with the tenant on Grandma's property, the "Starman."

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LibraryThing member RobertaLea

It just doesn't get much better than Katherine Paterson for a good middle grade novel. I love her stories and her writing.

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