Content: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Alma moved to the town of Four Points with her parents a few months ago, but she has yet to find a way to fit in. It feels like a piece of her is missing. One day she enters a strange store in the middle of town called The Fifth Point; there the strange old proprietor gives Alma what she thinks is a telescope, but he tells her it’s a “quintescope” for seeing something much more special. When Alma sees a falling star, she feels the need to find it. She realizes that the star is actually a being – something, a Starling, that needs rescuing. But in order to help, she will have to find allies – not a comfortable feeling for her.
Redman’s writing is sweet, a nice read for a supplement. It is just missing that little flare that grabs your attention and makes you want to share it with everyone. Alma’s neurosis is a sticking point – its one thing to be unsure, another to be so out of touch that you are virtually paralyzed. This use of extreme personality flaws as a plot point is my absolute least favorite trend in middle grade lit.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
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