The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Grade Level: 5 - 6
Author: David Barclay Moore
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.
Product details
- Publisher : Yearling; Reprint edition (January 8, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1524701270
- ISBN-13 : 978-1524701277
- Reading age : 10 - 13 years
- Lexile measure : 650L
- Grade level : 5 - 6
- Item Weight : 7 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.19 x 0.67 x 7.56 inches