A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (review)

Attempting to get through to the kids in her creative-writing class, Ms. Hart hits on a winner when she asks them to write a journal entry on how they would earn stars on the Hollywood walk of fame if stars were awarded for all kinds of achievement. As the kids map their experiences over several weeks, they each come up with something unique and worthy, a result of the challenges they undergo. Shante and Jake, for instance, pursue an interracial relationship that leads Jake to a better understanding of his mother and Shante to a better understanding of herself; basketball superstar Marlon stares down the worst possible future as a minor injury uncovers a much more serious physical problem; Sunday, sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend, ends up shooting him in retaliation. The range of experiences is a bit forced and the premises teeter on the purposive, but Woods is such a master of pace and voice that her storytelling will rivet even reluctant readers to the page. Her use of dialect is flawless, and her quick transitions from one character's perspective to the next keep things lively. She deftly takes readers through each scenario with just the right amount of introspection and reflection, and middle-graders will be able to take that imaginative leap into someone else's head without getting lost in it.