"You gotta know someone cares about you, or you just give up." —The Same Stuff as Stars, P. 21 Katherine Paterson has brought into the twenty-first century her compassionate feel for the stories of fractured families, and I think that we are tremendously lucky for it. The story of Angel and her kin is vintage Katherine Paterson, as moving and surprising and germane as her works of mastery from the '70s and '80s. The interactions between Angel and her younger brother Bernie are as authentic and nuanced as any sibling relationship that I have seen in any book, and this relationship builds well upon the connection that Angel has to those around her as an authority figure who was chosen for that position whether or not she wanted it, as a safe harbor of mature decisions in a sea of adults that seem unable to make decisions for their own good, let alone take proper care of a couple of kids. Angel's world of uncertainty further intensifies when her mother abandons Angel and her brother with their father's grandmother. Because their father is in jail their only guardian now is their frail grandmother, who is herself in many ways like an unmanageable child. As she always naturally does, Angel takes over as the authority figure and tries to navigate the storms that life inevitably brings. The harsh realism of Angel's days is unexpectedly alleviated by the appearance of a warm, thoughtful stranger who appears outside of Angel's grandmother's house at nights to examine the brilliant stars that shine like studded jewels in the dark. Angel goes out to view the majestic skies with the "Star Man" every night and soon begins to learn a great deal about them, and to deeply reflect on the vastness of the universe and her relationship to the awesome sum total of creation. Somehow, this makes her regular life more palatable, makes her realize that her troubles are not as all-encompassing as they seem. She watches the constant North Star, Polaris, and knows that such an unchanging ballast is what she needs in her own life, even as she instinctively acts as a sort of Polaris for Bernie and their grandmother. It takes a while for Angel to truly become comfortable with her grandmother, but through time she accepts the idiosyncrasies that make up the old woman's character, and their makeshift family begins to heal. Issues continue to bombard Angel and keep her off balance, but as long as she has the Star Man to explain the stars to her, she feels that she can handle it all. Until one night, when the star man doesn't come... What really stands out to me about The Same Stuff as Stars is the fact that even though Angel and her grandmother appear so different, they really are kindred spirits. Both of them fear deep down that they aren't good enough to fulfill their responsibilities to their family, that they have failed the ones they love again and again, and that they are powerless to avert their cycle of failure. Growing slowly behind all the scenes of the book is the feeling that both Angel and her grandmother are beginning to see that even if they have made some mistakes, the best thing that they can do is to love the family around them now, and hope that their loved ones will make good decisions for themselves. A powerful, thoughtful book that makes its way forward in humor as well as sadness, The Same Stuff as Stars is one of the best books of the year, in my opinion. I would absolutely recommend it.
ري! با آن جسم خسته اي كه روحش را تاب نمي آورد. و روح دردمندي كه از پس تحمل فشار كشتار بر نيامده بود، ليزابا آن نقص جسماني عجيبش كه نتوانسته بود عظمت روحش را انكار كند. و حتي وين خلافكار كه حقيقتا اين دختر كوچولوي 12 ساله را دوست مي داشت، همه شان زنده بودند. مي توانستند شناسنامه هايشان را عوض كنند و به تابعيت مليتي ديگر درآيند. مي توانستند چيزهاي ديگري بخورند و به زبان ديگر صحبت كنند و همچنان به حياتشان ادامه دهند. و آنجل . آنجل كوچك 12 ساله كه بايد بعد از كارهاي روزانه و دادن غذا به همه ي اهل خانه و مراقبت از كوچكترها و كمك به بزرگترها برود سر درس هايش. دختر كوچولويي كه از انجام كاردستي سر كلاس آنچنان ذوق مي كرد كه آرزو داشتم هربار چيزتازه اي برايش هديه ببرم يا كارجديدي يادش بدهم. فرشته ي نازنيني كه هربار دست هاي كاركرده اش را مي ديدم و خبر انجام نشدن تكاليفش را كه آنطور با تاسف ادا مي كرد مي شنيدم، حس مي كردم قلبم از حركت خواهد ايستاد...
What do You think about The Same Stuff As Stars (2004)?
This was a really good book to read aloud to my elementary aged daughters. It took us FOREVER to get through, partly because we started in Summer, and partly because while good, this book is not exactly the most exciting book you will ever read. It is all about 12-year-old Angel. A girl whose father is in prison, a mother who has had the authorities take her children away from her twice, a little brother who is a real pill, and a great-grandmother who she gets dumped on, who needs as much taking care of as her brother. Then there is the "star man" the stranger who lives in the crappy broken down trailer next to her great grandmother who, on every clear night comes out with his huge telescope in the open field near by to look at the stars. Angel joins him...amazed that he knows her, and knows all about the stars, and in his quiet way, opens a whole new world for Angel. There is also a bent over, ancient librarian who lets Angel know just how special and amazing she is..."the same stuff as stars". This is a great book to read to your 4th to 7th grader. Angel's life is hard. School does not get any better. Her parents are not responsible. All her problems do not go away is one swoop. The book ends in hope and with happiness however. A couple times while chatting with my girls and the conversation turned reflective I would say:"Remember how it was for Angel".Realizing that there are lots of children who have it much, much harder than they do, is always a good thing for kids.
—Leah Beecher
Katherine Paterson has a way of getting to the heart of pre- teens and the difficult place they live in - one foot in childhood and one foot on the road to being "grown up". Throw in a dysfunctional family or one struggling to make ends meet and you have a compelling narrative. I borrowed this book from my neighbor boy when he joined our family read time one night and had brought along a pile of books and he asked if I wanted to read one. I had read so many Paterson books in my youth but had somehow missed this title. I enjoyed the main character, Angel, very much. She has a lot to teach us about responsibility, being needed and about soldiering on in the face of disappointment and people who let you down. An honest and true look at the difficulties many families face and how it effects the children in them but the power of what can happen if you are stay open and tenacious.
—Caroline Herfindahl
It's The Great Gilly Hopkins but on a darker level. I recommended The Same Stuff as Stars once to an elementary school girl but she later told me she couldn't finish it because it was too sad. Now that I've had the chance to review it again, I have to agree with her. This is a depressing story where the main character faces trials that are almost too believable to be endured by any normal child. Just when you think it might be getting better, it keeps getting worse.Only Katherine Paterson can tackle such realism by weaving in the faith she was raised on yet not come across in her writing as preachy. The writing is her usual high quality storytelling with strong setting, plot and characters. The story does drag in some places but her usual style shines as bright as the stars we get the opportunity to learn about.The only issues I have with the book is #1-killing off my favorite character. Those who've read the book know which one I'm talking about. #2-how did this family living in poverty manage the those hospital bills at the end without Obamacare?If this is your first Katherine Paterson book I recommend reading some of her other award winning books first because there's a reason this story didn't win any.
—Michelle Llewellyn
