Reviews for The trouble with shooting stars [electronic resource].

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

As she recuperates from a terrifying car accident, Luna spends her time hiding from the world, preferring nighttime, when fewer people stare at the mask she has to wear while she heals. On one chilly night, huddled out on her balcony, she sees new neighbors move in and begins to wonder why they came in the middle of the night and where they came from. No one believes when Luna sees magic happening in the Sapienti's house next door, and even the little boy who lives there, Alessandro, tries to convince her that she's imagined it all. But when Luna catches Alessandro and his sister with real live baby stars, the three become fast friends as the magic distracts Luna from her injuries and helps her to truly heal. This first novel is a little slow to start, as it gives Luna and her extended family quite the backstory before delving into the new neighbors and their magical tales. Ultimately, though, it's a cute standalone for fans of Ingrid Law and Cornelia Funke.--Stacey Comfort Copyright 2019 Booklist


School Library Journal
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Gr 4 Up—After a car accident, 12-year-old Luna struggles to come to terms with the mask she wears while her facial injuries heal. Though she doesn't feel up to hanging out with her friends or spending time in public, she does enjoy drawing things she sees through her binoculars in her neighborhood. This is how she first notices the Sapienti siblings, her new neighbors who secretly watch over infant stars. As Luna gets to know the Sapientis, she enters a world of magic, adventure, and history. This is an elegant, beautifully written story that pairs well with the work of Madeleine L'Engle and Kelly Barnhill. Luna's struggles in the aftermath of a traumatic accident are vivid, and the comfort and healing she draws from friendship and community are well represented. However, Luna's desire to change her face to something more traditionally beautiful is never challenged, which is at odds with the book's message of resilience and self-love. VERDICT Luna's journey to self-acceptance follows a formulaic path that some readers may find overly predictable, and the entirely white, upper-middle-class cast limits the book's perspective. An additional purchase.—Madison Bishop, Plymouth Public Library, MA


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A 12-year-old with severe facial burns hides from the worlduntil she meets the new neighbors, who fly a magic zeppelin and babysit infant stars.The accident that burned Luna and left her father unable to walk sapped all joy from her life. A compression mask covering half her face is both uncomfortable and weird looking. With Luna's arm injuries, even drawing brings pain. Her large Italian American family loves her, but their disgusted pity at her facial difference only enhances her panic and shame. Late one night, Luna spies new people moving into the house next door. When Luna follows these new kids into the woods behind her Staten Island home, she discovers them caring for baby stars, and Alessandro and Chiara bring Luna into their world. During the day, narrator Luna is a terrified girl with an overprotective mother, unwilling to speak even with her best friend. But by night, she's one of the spazzatrici, polishing the sky. Readers familiar with disability tropes will anticipate Luna's choice: Will she use a star's magic to wish herself uninjured, or will she learn that the true magic was inside her all along? While Luna's journey attempts to avoid the shopworn magical-cure trope, it does not wholly succeed; her happy ending requires discovering not just inner, but also outer beauty. The primary cast is an all-white one.Sweet and heartwarmingbut unsettlingly conflicted. (Fantasy. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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