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Booktalking Colorado Full Record:
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Title: |
The Same Stuff as Stars |
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Author: |
Paterson, Katherine |
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Date Published: |
2002 |
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Genre: |
Fantasy |
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Grade Level: |
6 - 8 |
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Booktalker: |
Sam Marsh |
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Booktalk:
She'd gone off and left us!! I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. Just up and left without a word to either of us...and with a Great-grandmother that neither of us hardly even knew, and who could hardly get around on her own. All she had was beans and canned peaches. Not near to completing the five basic food groups.
Cheese! Was I gonna hafta be the mother "again?!" I mean I'm (Angel) ONLY eleven years old myself, and Bernie's only eight!! Not that Verna, or mom as she's also known, has ever been much of a mother. We've already been in foster homes, me and Bernie, not mom, twice. The last time, they even separated us. And, if they find out we've been left alone with and eighty-odd year old great grandmother, they'll come and take us away again...and probably separate us.
Dad's been in jail for something or the other since, like forever. I think I was about five when he went in. We've been seeing him every Saturday, and every time we've changed schools, which is pretty often, they find out sooner or later about my convict dad, and I have to endure the talk and whispers and the way they try not to be friends with me. Last year there was another girl who had a dad in jail, and we sat together at lunch even though we didn't have anything else in common. We didn't talk, just sat together for the company.
I should be used to it by now. I'm always the responsible one. I'm always the one that keeps Bernie outta more trouble then he's always in anyway. And that is expected to 'look after him' all the time. I swear, I don't know why mama and dad had him if they didn't want to take care of him. Or me for that matter.
But, I'm sick and tired of being the grownup...instead of the grownups! Even if I am made of the "Same Stuff as Stars" as the Star Man that lives in grandma's old trailer says.
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