Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper is primarily a story of Stella-- an eleven year old African-American girl growing up in "the segregated South" during the Great Depression. Stella is like many other girls her age. She likes playing with other kids, visiting the candy store in town where the owner always gives them one free piece of candy, and she loves a good story. It is this, in part, that makes her enjoy school-- Mrs. Grayson is a wonderful storyteller, and there are some books in school that Stella loves to read. Stella's secret wish is to be a great writer, but she feels like she struggles with writing, and often practices late at night out under the stars when the rest of her family is asleep. 
 The bigger story behind and entwined with Stella's story is that of race relations in a small North Carolina town in the 1930s. Things are separate and not equal, and the Ku Klux Klan becomes active as African Americans seek to exercise their right to register and vote in the 1932 Presidential election. Draper does a nice job of showing various types of relationships between the black and white citizens of the town. Most relationships are polite, if distant, and most people are willing to do what is right to help a neighbor, regardless of that neighbor's race. There are several, however that are riddled with anger, hate, and evil. Both are portrayed honestly by Draper. 
 I really enjoyed Stella by Starlight and found it difficult to put down. The characters are well-developed, and it's easy to come to care about Stella, her family, and her neighbors. One thing I was most appreciative of was that this was truly a middle-grades book-- appropriate for students in grades 4-6 or 7. (view spoiler)[Many "middle grade" novels include death and violence now-- much more that in past years. Draper adds plenty of suspense, and she isn't afraid to show how awful some people can be; however, she does stop short of having a child (or anyone else) die, and she doesn't describe violence in great detail. This doesn't hurt the novel at all. Instead, an important topic is addressed in such a way that it will be engaging and appropriate for children, but without the "shock effect" factors so many rely on in novels now. (hide spoiler)] 
 Great story, beautifully written!