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The Same Stuff As Stars Audiobook
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(3.02) - 693 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Katherine Paterson, author of Newbery Medal winners Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, again displays her storytelling talent in this powerful novel. Eleven-year-old Angel must play the adult when she and her brother are abandoned at their great-grandmother's house and the old lady proves incapable of caring for them. An emotional tale, this drama teaches the age-old lesson that every person can stand tall when the world lets them down.
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"This was a really good book to read aloud to my elementary aged daughters. It took us FOREVER to get through, partly because we started in Summer, and partly because while good, this book is not exactly the most exciting book you will ever read. It is all about 12-year-old Angel. A girl whose father is in prison, a mother who has had the authorities take her children away from her twice, a little brother who is a real pill, and a great-grandmother who she gets dumped on, who needs as much taking care of as her brother. Then there is the "star man" the stranger who lives in the crappy broken down trailer next to her great grandmother who, on every clear night comes out with his huge telescope in the open field near by to look at the stars. Angel joins him...amazed that he knows her, and knows all about the stars, and in his quiet way, opens a whole new world for Angel. There is also a bent over, ancient librarian who lets Angel know just how special and amazing she is..."the same stuff as stars". This is a great book to read to your 4th to 7th grader. Angel's life is hard. School does not get any better. Her parents are not responsible. All her problems do not go away is one swoop. The book ends in hope and with happiness however. A couple times while chatting with my girls and the conversation turned reflective I would say:"Remember how it was for Angel".Realizing that there are lots of children who have it much, much harder than they do, is always a good thing for kids."
— Leah (4 out of 5 stars)
The Same Stuff As Stars Listener Reviews
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" My daughter and I LOVED this book! It had some themes in it that were new to us (jail, abandonment), but it prompted some very deep discussions about families and things that happen to people in life. We read this book together every night until it was finished, then we felt sad that it was done. It also got us very excited to learn more about the night sky. We then bought one of the H.A. Rey books (The Stars) to learn more about identifying constellations. I highly recommend this book. "
— Lara, 2/17/2014 -
" Children's books can be so much better than adult books. Katherine Paterson never fails to transport me to a different world. Angel is such a great character. "
— Jennifer, 1/24/2014 -
" This was a great book! When I was near the end I had to stretch out silent reading so I could finish it! I am such a sucker for a sad book with a strong girl character. I need to read all Katherine Paterson's books now. "
— Lisa, 1/11/2014 -
" not a bad book, seriously sad though. i would love to get some of our spoiled entitled kids to read this and put themselves in angel's shoes. they freak out if they don't have the latest cell phone! "
— Sue, 1/9/2014 -
" Kids book - the cover just pulled me in. If I knew anyone under the age of 13 I would definitely suggest it. Probably. "
— Kates, 12/19/2013 -
" I nice book. It didn't hit me like Jacob Have I Loved does, but the book was hopeful and not depressing. "
— Sarah, 12/18/2013 -
" I loved this book... so good! Kathrine Paterson just writes books in an amazing way. "
— Aditi, 12/8/2013 -
" Strong characters & great story make this a JF must read ! "
— Kristin, 12/4/2013 -
" Katherine Paterson writes beautifully and with depth and understanding. I would've given this book five stars, but I was left worrying about how things would resolve for Angel and I'd grown to care about her so much! "
— Yara, 11/29/2013 -
" You have to love the details. A fantasticly disfunktional family. "
— Jo, 11/25/2013 -
" This was well-written and by a great author. I thought it was a sad portrayl of a young girl who has to be the "adult" of the family. It definitely captured the emotions and logic of children in these circumstances. I liked it, but at the same time, was disappointed in the ending. "
— Erin(and, 11/19/2013 -
" This book was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys should read it! You would really like it! It's the best book i've EVER read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
— DJ, 11/18/2013 -
" Eh. The book is nothing special. A few pages make you say to yourself "wow". That is neat. But i wouldn't recomend the book. "
— Kayla, 9/29/2013 -
" This is also THE WORST BOOK IN THE WORLD. So please, do yourself a favor and read a much better book. "
— Amanda, 9/8/2013 -
" Has some wonderful moments, but ends up being a strange mix of hard, raw life, and luminous coincidence. "
— Lia, 8/29/2013 -
" This is a sad book, but I LOVE IT! This is the same author who wrote, "The Bridge to Terribithia". This book is much like "How to Steal a Dog". It's about a disfunctioning family. I like this book so much, and I'm eager to read on with it, but the sad thing is, I left at school! Whaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! "
— Katurah, 8/20/2013 -
" I thought this was a good book about family and what goes through the minds of children when their parents don't act like parents. I thought the main character handled things pretty well, considering her age and what she faced, the book could have gone deeper than it did though. "
— Jennifer, 8/11/2013 -
" Angel self absorbed mother leaves her & 7 yr old brother with their old great grandmother. The 11 yr old girl worries not only about her mother, brother, her imprisoned fathers, frail old woman, but also a mysterious man who begins sharing his wonder of the stars. Good "
— Vicki, 7/21/2013 -
" Paterson of Terabithia... "
— Patrick, 5/15/2013 -
" I think of the Paterson books i have read, this is not my favorite. It was still very good, and a nice read. I just think Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved are so stellar, this one just pales. It still explores deep themes of childhood loss and how to cope. Good book. "
— Michelle, 4/30/2013 -
" Also read for my YA class . . .this just felt like the author took a plot from a Lifetime movie and put it into YA book form. "
— Jessica, 4/14/2013 -
" This is an alright Katherine Paterson book. Similar to her other books, heart wrenching, about a girl whose father is in jail and is abandoned by her mother. "
— Maree, 4/12/2013 -
" I loved it. In so many ways it sucked you in, and you honestly felt as if you living through this girl. You felt it when she was under trials, and you hoped that she would be able to get out of them, even though SHE is a fictional character. Kathrine Paterson did an amazing job with this story. "
— Giana, 3/20/2013
About Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson was born in China, where she spent part of her childhood. After her education in China and the American South, she spent four years in Japan, the setting for her first three novels. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including two National Book Awards and two Newbery Medals. An active promoter of reading and literacy, she lives with her husband in Barre, Vermont. They have four grown children.
About Alyssa Bresnahan
Alyssa Bresnahan is a dynamic dancer, actor, and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, has earned twenty Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. In 2009 she was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best fiction narration.