What Stars Are Made Of - Sarah Allen

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

I LOVE getting more disabled protagonists, and I think it's so great that kids are going to start seeing more disabled characters in their books. The protagonist of this book is Libby, who has Turner syndrome, which means she only has one X chromosome. She has a few physical abnormalities, and some learning disabilities, but otherwise she's just a great 12-year-old kid who loves science! Her older sister is pregnant, and Libby is stressed about making sure the baby is okay. So she makes a deal with the universe that if she can win a contest writing about her favourite unknown female scientist, then that will mean her whole family will be okay.

There's nothing action-packed about this book, but I still found it so compelling that I stayed up late to finish it! Even though it's even geared towards the 10-12 aged kids set. The book covers at least half a year, and Libby is struggling with making friends, trying to get grownups to take her seriously, worrying about her family, and self-acceptance. The book is Own Voices, which means the author has Turner syndrome as well, and so it really feels authentic. And Libby is just so great. I enjoyed it myself so much, and I think kids of all ages would like it too.