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What Came from the Stars Audiobook
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(3.00) - 540 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Gary D. Schmidt's best-selling books have won widespread acclaim while racking up numerous honors. In What Came from the Stars, Tommy is coping with the loss of his mother when he finds a mysterious necklace in his lunchbox. Little does he know that he's now in possession of a planet from across the cosmos - and that he will soon be targeted by the planet's enemies.
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"So, I've heard that some people are disappointed with this one. I think the first problem is that this is just not meant for the usual Gary Schmidt audience. I kind of considered it two books in one. One of those books DID feel very much like a Gary Schmidt. That was the story of a family that had lost its heart and soul and was learning to cope. Great characters, great heart, great story. All Gary Schmidt trademarks. But there was a parallel story here and that was the one that seemed to give some people problems. The sci-fi thing. Now, while I enjoy science fiction, I wouldn't exactly say I'm the biggest fan. Science fiction books often take themselves FAR too seriously for me with the ponderous, portentous language--as though they were writing about tremendous, important events instead of fiction. In my opinion, Gary Schmidt put his tongue firmly in his cheek and mocked those books with his take on science fiction books here. Lovingly, I'm sure. However. It makes for some heavy going. Will your average kid take the time to wade through the mire? Not sure. Am I glad I did? Absolutely."
— Dolores (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Wonderfully strange...This inventive and memorable story...manages to mingle the quotidian and the movingly supernatural. It’s funny, too.”
— Wall Street Journal -
Highly recommended...The presentation is unique and packed with bravery, loyalty, friendship, mystery, and adventure.”
— Children’s Literature -
“Award-winning author Schmidt is a wondrous writer...A wonderful story.”
— VOYA -
“[An] artful interplanetary story.”
— Horn Book (starred review) -
“Schmidt, already a bestseller and award winner, should pick up even more fans with this crowd-pleasing fantasy.”
— Booklist -
“[A] boldly imagined outer-space offering.”
— Kirkus Reviews
What Came from the Stars Listener Reviews
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" When I found this book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble two days before it was supposed to come out, I was thrilled. It was very good. It reminded me a LOT of A String in the Harp. A kid just lost his family, and finds a relic which magically connects him with a different culture. Schmidt's writing is terrific just like in Okay For Now, and his descriptions of the setting were great. I feel like, I've actually been to Plymouth now. Really, really good book. "
— Benji, 2/20/2014 -
" This half sci-fi, half contemporary realistic story about a 6th grade boy named Tommy Pepper who finds an intergalactic necklace that holds all the art and knowledge of a far away civilization at war unfortunately didn't work for me. And I say unfortunately because up until now, I haven't met a Schmidt book I didn't like. But I have to admit to being flummoxed by the sci-fi chapters about the Valorians, which were written in an archaic style and employed a special vocabulary that was difficult to interpret even with the glossary. Still, the chapters that took place in Tommy's world were vintage Schmidt: perfectly rendered realistic portraits of children, their families, school and community that were moving and sweet. I will be interested in finding out if my reaction is due to my sludgy adult brain. It may be that my middle school students won't have the same difficulty dealing with the Valorian language as I did. "
— Jennifer, 2/16/2014 -
" Gary D. Schmidt, why did you do this to me?!? "
— Kristen, 2/15/2014 -
" Another one of those fantasy stories blended with real life. Reminds me of a non-violent, children-friendly Marbury Lens. "
— Vi, 1/7/2014 -
" Any Gary Schmidt is good, but this just doesn't reach the classic level of Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, two of my favorite books of all time. "
— Robert, 1/3/2014 -
" Not as good as Schmidt's other books. This is a mix of a realistic story with sci-fi. I do enjoy sci-fi and high fantasy, I did not like that part of this book and found myself just skipping whole parts of it. "
— Toni, 9/26/2013 -
" I'm torn about my feelings for the book. It took me a long time to get into the other world and then I didn't think there was enough of it. I had to push myself to finish reading it. "
— Teresa, 9/6/2013 -
" I love Gary Schmidt's books, so I was surprised that this one was sci-fi. I found the other world chapters very difficult to follow or care about. The parts on Earth were better, but still not great. I will have to stick with his other books! "
— Jennifer, 8/29/2013 -
" Since I REALLY enjoyed Schmidt's Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, I was terribly disappointed in his new book. Perhaps it's because I'm not a fantasy fan. Also I thought the alternating chapters was confusing. "
— Carol, 7/10/2013 -
" Good, though I'm not sure it's good fantasy. "
— Melissa, 5/17/2013
About Gary D. Schmidt
Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and the Newbery Honor book The Wednesday Wars. He is a professor of English at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
About Graham Winton
Graham Winton is a television, film, and voice actor who has won the Audie Award for Best Narration. He has appeared on such television shows as Blue Bloods, Law & Order, All My Children, and As the World Turns.