During the Depression, North Carolina was less than hospitable for African-Americans forced to work more to earn less while being deprived of basic human rights. Stella Mills and her brother Jojo witness the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross late one starry night, setting off a chain reaction that leaves their entire community changed. 'hen a young girl gains confidence from her failures and strength from what her community dreads most, life delivers magic and hope. And yet, it's done with nuance and a light touch: there are white people who treat the Black community with respect and compassion as well. And Draper doesn't shy away from showing the racism and tensions Stella and her family deal with on a regular basis, from when Stella's father registers to vote to when an act by the Klan rocks her community. It's much more about Stella's internal growth and coming of age than it is about one plot thread holding together. The story is pretty episodic, in a way that I haven't read in a kid's book in awhile but reminded me of the pacing of a lot of books I would read as a child. The Black community of Bumblebee deals with that fear while Stella goes about her life, going to school, struggling with writing, and coming together with love when hardship happens. It's the Depression in 1930, and the Ku Klux Klan has a meeting she and her younger brother see one night near their home. Twelve-year-old Stella Mills and her family live in Bumblebee, North Carolina.

Stella by starlight book