So I read a lot in 2021 but I wasn’t good at keeping up with reviews after I read like I had been in previous years. What Stars are Made of was one of those books. I read lots of #OwnVoices books by disabled authors the disability written about in this book is written about in one other book I know about the Silver Gate but in the Silver Gate the author isn’t #OwnVoices.
What Stars are Made Of
Summary
Twelve-year-old Libby Monroe is great at science, being optimistic, and talking to her famous, accomplished friends (okay, maybe that last one is only in her head). She’s not great at playing piano, sitting still, or figuring out how to say the right thing at the right time in real life. Libby was born with Turner Syndrome, and that makes some things hard. But she has lots of people who love her, and that makes her pretty lucky.
When her big sister Nonny tells her she’s pregnant, Libby is thrilled―but worried. Nonny and her husband are in a financial black hole, and Libby knows that babies aren’t always born healthy. So she strikes a deal with the universe: She’ll enter a contest with a project about Cecelia Payne, the first person to discover what stars are made of. If she wins the grand prize and gives all that money to Nonny’s family, then the baby will be perfect. Does she have what it takes to care for the sister that has always cared for her? And what will it take for the universe to notice?
Review
I think this book was primarily written to encourage young girls with being newly diagnosed with Turner’s Syndrome and their parents. And that’s okay! It does its job very well, Libby is a smart, funny, encouraging protagonist who is used to her condition and could help someone who is newly diagnosed be less scared. It could also help them maybe be more at peace with some of their symptoms. I’m also always a fan of where people with different conditions get their own books. I also like all the information about female scientist Cecelia Payne that Libby researches throughout the book, and her final project is wonderful. Finally I like the conversation between her and Nonny about the baby.
Overall this was a great book, I love a #OwnVoice book by a disabled writer and always want to see more of those.