Cynthia Lord (Half a Chance; Touch Blue) delivers another terrific summer read, populated by lovable characters who bring big themes such as culture, class and racism alive in a delicate and age-appropriate way.
Twelve-year-old Lily faces a long, boring summer in small-town Maine without her best friend, Hannah, who she has lost to boys and the Blueberry Queen Pageant. Fortunately, Lily meets Salma Santiago, the daughter of migrant workers in town to harvest blueberries. Salma helps catch Lily's runaway dog, Lucky, sparking a new friendship. Salma offers to assist Lily in painting Mason bee houses--blocks of wood, with holes drilled in for the tiny blue Mason bees--which she sells in order to raise money for Lucky's upcoming cataract surgery. In return, Lily helps Salma compete in the Blueberry Queen pageant. Salma has a good chance at winning, but her status as a migrant farmer and the fact that she's competing against Lily's former best friend complicate the situation.
Lord's beautiful writing uses colorful phrases, such as Lily thinking about her painted nails, "my ten fingers all ended in gold," or describing the taste of a blueberry as "a warm blue explosion, tasting of earth and sunshine." Wonderful metaphors and descriptions abound. A Handful of Stars will engage young readers with its genuine characters and charming story, while providing them with an opportunity to think about the social issues that all children face in order to grow up. --Andrea Vuleta, executive director of the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association