Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind among other great reads, writes another brilliant novel in Stella by Starlight. With a burning cross and two young darker-skinned children pictured on the cover, Draper gives us a teeny window into what this book is about. Yep, right away you think KKK (or the secret name of "triple K"). It also is about racism, finding one's way, surviving, and discovering who your friends are no matter their skin color.

I am not sure what I loved most about this book. The chapters are just-right short, and the transitions from chapter to chapter seem just like exactly-right placed stepping stones. The character development is rich too, and the tensions between characters made such sense. The storyline gripped me hard, making me read every word. If I am reading the dedication page accurately, Draper combined stories from the lives of her grandmother and father-- seek out more details on her website. As I read, I wondered which parts could connect with history and her relatives' lives. Mostly though I found Draper's work once again enlightened and beautiful. And yes, painful--I would be lying if it weren't that too. But Draper writes with such grace about such awfulness....A brilliant book and a rich read.