Ideas & Inspiration for The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Find this title at a library near you.
From the publisher’s website
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. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward.
His path isn’t clear—and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is always there. When Lolly and his friend are beaten up and robbed, joining a crew almost seems like the safe choice. But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides Lolly with an escape—and an unexpected bridge back to the world.
David Barclay Moore paints a powerful portrait of a boy teetering on the edge—of adolescence, of grief, of violence—and shows how Lolly’s inventive spirit helps him build a life with firm foundations and open doors.
Awards
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent AwardWINNER 2018
Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Master ListNOMINEE 2018
ALA Notable Children’s BookSELECTION 2018
ALA Quick Pick for Young Adult Reluctant ReadersSELECTION 2017
Boston Globe Best Book of the YearSELECTION 2017
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children’s and TeensSELECTION 2018
Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best BooksSELECTION 2017
Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s BooksSELECTION 2017
New York Times Notable Book of the YearSELECTION 2018
Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the YearSELECTION 2017
Publishers Weekly Flying Start AuthorSELECTION 2017
Shelf Awareness – Best ChildrenÂ’s & Teen Books of the YearSELECTION 2017
Time Magazine Best ChildrenÂ’s Books of the YearSELECTION 2017
Virginia Capitol Choices Award ListSELECTION 2018
Title-specific resources for your Book to Art Club:
The Stars Beneath Our Feet Discussion Guide from the publisher
The Stars Beneath Our Feet Pinterest Page
About the suggested projects:
The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a coming of age tale of a teenage boy overcoming his grief and resisting the temptation of violence through his artistic construction of a LEGO city. Build individual LEGO projects or construct a LEGO city as a group.