Books like 'Stella by Starlight'
Readers who enjoyed Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical north-america usa north-carolina historical-fiction family children realistic poc-mc social-commentary
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Watercress by Andrea Wang
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage.Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road... -
![The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson]()
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsClover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together. With the addition of a brand-new author's note, this special edition celebrates the tenth anniversary of this classic book...Categorized as:
bullying children family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco]()
The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook Description Publication Date: 2011 When young Trisha finds out her class at the new school is known as "The Junkyard," she is devastated. She moved from her old town so she wouldn't be in a special class anymore! But then she meets her teacher, the quirky and invincible Mrs. Peterson, and her classmates, an oddly brilliant group of students each with his or her own unique talent...Categorized as:
bullying children friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary book -
![Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson]()
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.I couldn't go to their schools.I couldn't drink from their water fountains.There were so many things I couldn't do. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary children poc-mc family realistic friendship children-books -
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![Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez]()
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsInspired by true events that rocked the nation, a profoundly moving novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.Montgomery, Alabama 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend has big plans to make a difference, especially in her African American community...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction north-america poc-mc poverty realistic social-commentary -
![Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca]()
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family friendship poc-mc children coming-of-age middle-grade -
![Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall]()
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA debut about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories.2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient... -
![Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall]()
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall invites readers to peek through windows that shine like real glass on this lavish book’s cover, and explore the dollhouse-like world of a beloved farmhouse where twelve children were born and raised.Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction realistic children children-books fiction historical multigenerational -
![Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles]()
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo boys—one black, one white—are best friends in the segregated 1960s South in this picture book about friends sticking together through thick and thin.John Henry swims better than anyone I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic slavery -
![Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco]()
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood... -
![The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco]()
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThis 25th anniversary edition of a beloved and bestselling classic about family and tradition includes fifteen pages of bonus material.“We will make a quilt to help us always remember home,” Anna’s mother said. “It will be like having the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night.” And so it was... -
![Light to the Hills by Bonnie Blaylock]()
Light to the Hills by Bonnie Blaylock
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA richly rewarding novel about family bonds, the power of words, and the resilience of mothers and daughters in 1930s Appalachia.The folks in the Kentucky Appalachians are scraping by. Coal mining and hardscrabble know-how are a way of life for these isolated people...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction family friendship coming-of-age female-mc kentucky -
![The Lost Letters of Aisling: A Novel by Cynthia Ellingsen]()
The Lost Letters of Aisling: A Novel by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA woman faces the past she fled in a heart-stirring novel about unforgettable love and indomitable courage by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.Rainey’s grandmother makes a startling Take me home. To Ireland, the country she fled post–World War II. Though they’re inseparably close, Rainey knows few of her grandmother’s secrets... -
![Embrace the Wind by Susan Denning]()
Embrace the Wind by Susan Denning
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEMBRACE THE WIND continues the story of Aislynn Maher, heroine of FAR AWAY HOME, an Amazon bestseller for five years in the categories of Historical Fiction-US and Romance-Western. What is the cost of living life on your own terms? For a young woman on the American Frontier, the price can be high. Aislynn Maher trusted the wrong man... -
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![Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton]()
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn 1969 twelve-year-old Mimi and her family move to an all-white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-race background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy make her feel like an outsider...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction poc-mc -
![The Gardener by Sarah Stewart]()
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBy the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The LibraryLydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds, plenty of stationery, and a passion for gardening to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, brightening the bakery and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows...Categorized as:
children family female-mc friendship historical-fiction north-america poverty realistic -
![The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi]()
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she?Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic -
![Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman]()
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn international bestseller: Grace learns that she can be anything she wants... -
![Key Player by Kelly Yang]()
Key Player by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMia Tang is going for the goal in the fourth Front Desk novel by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang! The Women’s World Cup coming to Southern California, everyone is soccer-crazy -- especially Mia Tang! The U.S. is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. Less exciting, though? The fact that her P.E...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic friendship children poc-mc family social-commentary bullying -
![New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer]()
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes—but when her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary realistic poc-mc friendship children family female-mc -
![Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack]()
Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1950s Nashville, Tennessee is segregated, and black people are persecuted, but young Tricia Ann is determined to venture on her own across town to someplace special. A must read book about persecution of minorities, but also about hope and light...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family historical-fiction north-america poc-mc realistic -
![Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan]()
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNewbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a person with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic slavery social-commentary black-mc -
![Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome]()
Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA Coretta Scott King Author Honor BookWinner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical FictionWhen eleven-year-old Langston's father moves them from their home in Alabama to Chicago's Bronzeville district, it feels like he's giving up everything he loves. It's 1946. Langston's mother has just died, and now they're leaving the rest of his family and friends...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction north-america poc-mc -
![The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride]()
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe new novel from the bestselling, National Book Award-winning, Oprah Book Club-picked, Barack Obama favourite James McBride.In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction poc-mc friendship family social-commentary pennsylvania -
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![The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson]()
The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAn Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction family coming-of-age friendship female-mc kentucky -
![The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill]()
The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor a doll contest at a party, a little girl chooses to enter a doll that seems least likely to win a prize...Categorized as:
children classics female-mc friendship historical-fiction book children-books fiction -
![Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter]()
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIllus. in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions...Categorized as:
children classics family historical-fiction poc-mc slavery social-commentary action-adventure -
![Little Women by Lucia Monfried, Louisa May Alcott]()
Little Women by Lucia Monfried, Louisa May Alcott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsReprint. Originally published: New York: Baronet Books, c1989...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic -
![Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline]()
Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis young readers’ edition of Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Orphan Train follows a twelve-year-old foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a ninety-one-year-old woman. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, Orphan Train Girl includes an author’s note and archival photos from the orphan train era...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic -
![The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain]()
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“We said there was no home like a raft. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery…but you feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.” Sail down the Mississippi with Huck Finn and the runaway slave, Jim... -
![Of Mice and Men by Kevin Hinkle, John Steinbeck]()
Of Mice and Men by Kevin Hinkle, John Steinbeck
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratings...Categorized as:
classics coming-of-age historical-fiction realistic book fiction historical literary -
![Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome]()
Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston . Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can't begin to imagine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc female-mc realistic children-books historical -
![Gordo by Jaime Cortez]()
Gordo by Jaime Cortez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe first ever collection of short stories by Jaime Cortez, Gordo is set in a migrant workers camp near Watsonville, California in the 1970s. A young, probably gay, boy named Gordo puts on a wrestler's mask and throws fists with a boy in the neighborhood, fighting his own tears as he tries to grow into the idea of manhood so imposed on him by his father... -
![How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani]()
How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family realistic friendship social-commentary children bullying coming-of-age -
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![Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall]()
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsRuby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family realistic poc-mc children social-commentary female-mc children-books -
![That Book Woman by Heather Henson]()
That Book Woman by Heather Henson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction poverty realistic action-adventure -
![Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson]()
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail...Categorized as:
historical-fiction slavery children family friendship realistic poc-mc social-commentary -
![A Little House of Their Own by Celia Wilkins]()
A Little House of Their Own by Celia Wilkins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJust after Caroline Quiner starts teaching at the Concord School, she runs into her fiddle-playing neighbor Charles Ingalls, who's full of plans to head out west. As their friendship turns to courtship, Caroline realizes that she has a difficult decision ahead of her -- and a choice that may mean leaving behind her family and everything she's ever known...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family female-mc historical-fiction book female-author -
![The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill]()
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA year they'll never forget Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction north-america poc-mc realistic -
![Outbound Train by Renea Winchester]()
Outbound Train by Renea Winchester
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 1976, memories from a night near the railroad tracks sixteen years earlier haunt Barbara Parker. She wrestles with past demons every night, then wakes to the train’s five-thirty whistle. Exhausted and dreading the day, she keeps her hands busy working in Bryson City’s textile plant, known as the “blue jean plant,” all the while worrying about her teenage daughter, Carole Anne... -
![Liverpool Lou by Lyn Andrews]()
Liverpool Lou by Lyn Andrews
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne of Lyn Andrews' first eight novels, transferring from the original publisher to Headline; already steady sellers, they will be targeted for a huge increase in sales. Aunt Babsey considered herself a cut above her neighbours on Everton Ridge. For one thing she was 'trade'. She taught her children to be respectable, and she ruled her family with a rod of iron...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens]()
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGrammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. I learned your words and wrote my song. I put my story down...Categorized as:
family slavery children historical-fiction poc-mc social-commentary children-books historical -
![Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson]()
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLindy and her doll Sally are best friends - wherever Lindy goes, Sally stays right by her side. They eat together, sleep together, and even pick cotton together. So, on the night Lindy and her mama run away in search of freedom, Sally goes too. This young girl's rag doll vividly narrates her enslaved family's courageous escape through the Underground Railroad...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic slavery social-commentary action-adventure -
![In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo]()
In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA novel in verse about a young Taiwanese immigrant to America who is confronted by the stark difference between dreams and reality.Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic coming-of-age children bullying family poc-mc social-commentary -
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![Like Vanessa by Tami Charles]()
Like Vanessa by Tami Charles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin's real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with an incarcerated mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence... -
![Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold]()
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIllus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic slavery social-commentary action-adventure -
![Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris]()
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne day, Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood... -
![Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan]()
Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCould anything be more perfect than a prairie wedding? Cassie doesn't think so, for a wedding brings: Two lovebirds together, Aunts from faraway Maine, A long white dress with a wedding veil, Zinnias, Satin ribbons, Dancing under a clear blue sky, And a world that smells of roses...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family historical-fiction realistic book children-books -
![Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez]()
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings'It's time we name our kingdom!' he shouted over the wind. 'I say we call this place Happy Land. If this ain't the land of happy people, then where is it? Why not create our heaven right here on earth?' In the hills of Appalachia, there once existed a land ruled by a king and queen...Categorized as:
north-america usa north-carolina historical-fiction family poc-mc social-commentary slavery -
![The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine]()
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe last thing Harry "Dit" Sims expects when Emma Walker comes to town is to become friends. Proper -talking, brainy Emma doesn't play baseball or fish too well, but she sure makes Dit think, especially about the differences between black and white. But soon Dit is thinking about a whole lot more when the town barber, who is black, is put on trial for a terrible crime...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic
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