Star-Crossed
Star-Crossed book cover

Star-Crossed

Hardcover – March 14, 2017

by
Price
$18.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
288
Publisher
Aladdin
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1481478489
Dimensions
5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Weight
14.4 ounces

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 46–—When it is announced that the eighth grade play will be Romeo and Juliet, Mattie and her friends shift from obsessing over boys to auditioning for the show. The class's best-looking lad, Liam, is chosen as Romeo, even though he's a clod with the lines. British-born Gemma is Juliet, naturally. Mattie's interest in Gemma intensifies, and eventually Mattie admits the crush to herself. Mattie is recast as Romeo when Liam drops out. Once the kissing scenes begin, Mattie passes out from nerves, but by opening night, she and Gemma are a brilliant, star-crossed couple. This is a mostly breezy young teen romance: the besties are supportive, the boys are pawns, the mean girls are nasty, the school cafeteria is a stage, etc. It is also a sweet coming-out story for junior high readers. The clever Shakespeare content is a bonus, and Dee deserves praise for a strong example of gender-blind casting. The charming cover art accurately portrays the spirit of the novel. VERDICT A fine choice for middle school libraries in need of accessible LGBTQ stories, and a great option for students reading or performing Romeo and Juliet.—Elaine Fultz, Madison Jr. Sr. High School, Middletown, OH “A sweet story of young love amid middle school theatrics...Readers cannot but help root for Mattie as she discovers bravery she never gave herself credit for, both onstage and in life.” ― Kirkus Reviews "A sweet coming-out story for junior high readers. The clever Shakespeare content is a bonus. Verdict: A fine choice for middle school libraries in need of accessible LGBTQ stories, and a great option for students reading or performing Romeo and Juliet" ― School Library Journal Star-Crossed delighted me! Barbara Dee has a light touch and a pitch- perfect middle school voice. This book will have you laughing and groaning in sympathy with crush-addled Mattie and eagerly turning pages. Mattie and her classmates charmed me with their kindness, their humor, their uncertainty, their devotion to one another and to–Shakespeare! Barbara masterfully sprinkles the bard’s words over the narration and stirs the troubles of Romeo and Juliet into the plot. And those Shakespearian insults! Be sure to read Star-Crossed or you’ll miss out.” -- Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted "Star-Crossed takes the drama, humor, friendships, misunderstandings and romance of Romeo & Juliet and transforms them perfectly to the middle school stage.xa0 One word about this honest, heartfelt middle grade novel for the theater geek in each of us?xa0 Encore!"xa0 -- Donna Gephart, author of Lily and Dunkin" Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee cleverly draws from Romeo and Juliet, providing readers with an insightful introduction to Shakespeare while exploring the complexities of young love. Readers will root for this relationship." -- Ami Polonksy, author of Gracefully Grayson"Barbara Dee's Star-Crossed is a love story, a rallying cry for girl-power, and a Shakespeare lover's dream come true. When I finished reading, I had a huge smile on my face and a lightness in my heart." -- Nora Raleigh Baskin, author of Nine, Ten: A September 11 StoryMattie is excited when her favorite English teacher, Mr. Torres, announces that their eighth grade play production will be Romeo and Juliet . As the class studies the play together, Mattie really connects with the characters and their speeches. When the male lead drops out of the play, Mattie steps up to play the part of Romeo. Things become complicated as Mattie develops a crush on her Juliet co-star, Gemma Braithwaite. Gemma is pretty, smart, and talented, and Mattie just can’t figure out what to do about a crush on a girl. It’s a good thing that Mattie has her best friends, a caring sister, and supportive parents to help her work through her complicated feelings. The events of the story playfully mirror the events of Romeo and Juliet . As Mr. Torres teaches his students to understand the Shakespearean text, Mattie finds she can apply what she learns to her own life’s difficulties. This is a sweet look at unexpected first love.xa0 Recommended xa0 ― School Library Connection Barbara Dee is the author of fourteen middle grade novels including Unstuck , Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet , Violets Are Blue , My Life in the Fish Tank , Maybe He Just Likes You , Everything I Know About You , Halfway Normal ,xa0and Star-Crossed . Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including The Washington Post ’sxa0Best Children’s Books, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Star-Crossed Read more

Features & Highlights

  • “
  • Star-Crossed
  • delighted me! Barbara Dee has a light touch and a pitch-perfect middle school voice. This book will have you laughing and groaning in sympathy with crush-addled Mattie and eagerly turning pages. Mattie and her classmates charmed me with their kindness, their humor, their uncertainty, their devotion to one another and to Shakespeare! Barbara masterfully sprinkles the bard’s words over the narration and stirs the troubles of Romeo and Juliet into the plot. And those Shakespearian insults! Be sure to read
  • Star-Crossed
  • or you’ll miss out.” —Gail Carson Levine, author of
  • Ella Enchanted
  • Mattie is chosen to play Romeo opposite her crush in the eighth grade production of Shakespeare’s most beloved play in this
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • inspired novel from the author of
  • Truth or Dare
  • .
  • Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • . And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British. As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life. “Barbara Dee’s
  • Star-Crossed
  • is a love story, a rallying cry for girl-power, and a Shakespeare lover’s dream come true. When I finished reading, I had a huge smile on my face and a lightness in my heart.” —Nora Raleigh Baskin, author of
  • Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story
  • “
  • Star-Crossed
  • takes the drama, humor, friendships, misunderstandings, and romance of
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • and transforms them perfectly to the middle school stage. One word about this honest, heartfelt middle grade novel for the theater geek in each of us? Encore!” —Donna Gephart, author of
  • Lily and Dunkin
  • “
  • Star-Crossed
  • by Barbara Dee cleverly draws from
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • , providing readers with an insightful introduction to Shakespeare while exploring the complexities of young love. Readers will root for this relationship.” —Ami Polonksy, author of
  • Gracefully Grayson

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(164)
★★★★
25%
(68)
★★★
15%
(41)
★★
7%
(19)
★
-7%
(-19)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Utterly devourable

Got this for the tween.

She said "sounds cool. I like the writing" and then I didn't hear from her again for about 6 hours except for things like "oh my god, oh my god" and this weird shrieking noise which, when asked, apparently meant "I'm so in love with this book that I want to eat it whole right now."

All of her friends have been asking to borrow it - she's usually quite the sharer - and she's refused. Probably going to have to buy another copy.
9 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Hopeful, Charming, and Wonderful

This was an absolute delight to read. It filled my heart with a sense of warmth and hope that has been sorely lacking in recent months. Mattie is a charming and relatable protagonist. The Shakespeare parallels are well-calibrated to this modern day tale of young romance and a love that the protagonist feels she cannot voice publicly. My only complaint is that I want more of it. As the story ends, it feels like it's just beginning. Both during and after the story, I would have loved to have a further expansion of this world and its characters. It might be too early and too much to hope for a sequel, but I'd dearly love to see what becomes of these characters, where the story might go after its end. Where might Romeo and Juliet have gone if their story had continued on? Stories like this really do make me believe in a better tomorrow. The world needs more light-hearted romances like this one and I'm very thankful for this lovely contribution toward making the world a more loving place.
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

A book that belongs in every middle grade classroom and beyond

I finished this book with tears in my eyes as I realized how much I wished it would have been around when I was growing up.

This incredible story focuses on the delightfully complex character of Mattie as she works to deal with the realization that she might just have a crush on another eight grade girl named Gemma. Both girls are taking part in their school production of Romeo and Juliet and there are references to the story of Romeo and Juliet throughout.

What I loved most about this book is that while it focuses on a girl dealing with her first crush on another girl, it is also just the story of kids figuring out who they are and the messy world of relationships that they are entering.

In a world that is in desperate need of positive stories of those in the LGBTQ+ community, this book delivers something incredibly important and also unbelievably engaging.

For teachers who know and believe that it is important for elementary school classrooms to have books that center LGBTQ+ characters, but have been afraid to begin putting those books in their classrooms, this book is the perfect place to start.

I cannot day enough about this book and how important it is and how good it is. I will be eager to begin sharing it with my fifth grade students as soon as the weekend is over.

I am incredibly grateful for this book and for the way Barbara Dee wrote it.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Star-Crossed was absolutely lovely and charming and FUNNY and silly and just plain ol' adorable

I cannot stress enough how important I think it is for people of all ages to read this book written for middle-schoolers. Star-Crossed was absolutely lovely and charming and FUNNY and silly and just plain ol' adorable. I dog-eared every page that included something that melted my heart or made me clutch my chest dramatically - the result was a book LOADED with dog-eared pages. I am a 22 year old senior in college who will graduate with an English degree. And for many reasons, this is one of the greatest books I've ever read in my entire life. And for those reasons, I think everyone should read this enchanting story!
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Sweet story of young romance

This book is a very wholesome and sweet story of a middle school girl discovering that she is bisexual when she starts to develop a crush on one of her female classmates, even though she's had crushes on boys before this. Very well written, and so glad to have this book on my shelves for my future children! If I'd had a book like this around when I was younger, I might've learned to accept who I was a lot earlier than I did.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Seeing them grow up and learn would be the icing on this wonderful cake.

This book is more than what I had hoped for. I hope the auther decides to do a second book, exploring how the two girls relationship evolves. Seeing them grow up and learn would be the icing on this wonderful cake.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

A lovely story with a topic well done

With finesse, this book tackles a difficult topic while sticking to a realistic middle grader's life.

Mattie is a good student, loves books and has two very good friends. She also has a crush on a guy, which seems out of her reach. When she tries to figure out whether this guy is worth her time, she runs into Gemma and soon finds herself maybe crushing on her. . .maybe. When a theater production has her playing Romeo and Juliet with Gemma, things even get more complicated.

The one thing which impresses right away with this book is the fantastic middle grade voice. The girls are eighth graders (bordering between middle grade and YA), but they hold true to the eighth grade voice through and through. The concerns, thoughts and actions fit perfectly to the age group, and the characters could be friends in any kid's class. Drama ranks high as Mattie fights against peer pressure and deals with the opinions of those around her. Luckily, she has a good set of friends, who hold to her and treat her with gentle understanding.

There's a lot of fun in these pages, and it mixes masterfully into the more serious topic. The read is light and engaging without ever weighing down. Although Gemma struggles to figure out her emotions and feelings for both a guy and a girl, the author never presses this theme too hard. It comes across as a natural predicament kids of this age group might face and doesn't go into what happens beyond. Mattie's feelings could be those of pure friendship or they might develop into something more. This innocence speaks volumes.

Much of the story rotates around Romeo and Juliet, and while this offers a lovely background to the plot, there were times that it went a bit to deep. Many middle graders are not that familiar with Shakespeare and some parts of this story might fly by readers of the intended age group.

Summed up, this is a lovely read for girls ages nine to thirteen which takes a modern day topic and handles it in a very, age appropriate manner.

I received a complimentary copy, enjoyed it and wanted to leave my thoughts.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Thank you Barbara Dee!

I loved this book! Like many other reviewers have already stated the story is just absolutely adorable. Also, I really enjoyed how funny it was and how innocent all the kids were. Mattie has made her way onto my all time favorite fictional characters list. As a teacher myself, I found the descriptions of the other teachers pretty humorous because I could easily put a face to each of them. I also think it's absurd that a school district didn't want her to talk about this amazing book during an author visit due to fear of parental backlash. Ugh! I truly hope those students decided to seek out the book on their own.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I may touch that cheek!

My 21-year old gay heart is SCREAMING this book is so stinkin cute and I am so happy it exists!!! I was a 12 year old lover of Shakespeare and at that age I too had a crush on one of the most talanted girls in school but didn’t know it was a crush... if I had this book it would have helped me so much. I am so happy to see literature like this existing for young people today. Thank you Barbra Dee for writing this book!!
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

I wish I'd had books like this when I was younger

Delightful LGBTQ-positive portrayal of young girls that I look forward to passing on to my own daughters shortly (when it's age-appropriate). I wish I'd had books like this when I was younger. Because, though I consider myself to be a relatively decent, open-minded human being now, it took me until college to shake off the bigotry I'd picked up in my hometown. I'd like to think that books like this, which have a great story in addition to offering representation of heretofore underrepresented characters would have opened my world and my mind even sooner.
2 people found this helpful

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