I felt this was a solid read that many tweens will enjoy. Having a child character going through a medical crisis is something that will be good for kids going through that themselves, and their peers to read about. I also really enjoyed the trying friendship dynamics, and how they were overcome. I think this will be very encouraging and endearing for readers.

Stargazing is a gorgeous graphic novel! It is hopeful to see that the families represented in the novel are caring and loving, and supportive of other families around them. The characters are interesting and experience situations that are both true to real life, as well as unique. They evoke reader empathy for their situations. The afterword was special, and so was including the personal photos. Overall, a well done and enjoyable read.

Readers will enjoy reading about family, friendship, and illness in this captivating graphic novel. The illustrations and story line were superb. Readers should also read the afterword to get more of the author's background.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this title for an honest review.

Stargazing, touches on so many themes that kids can relate too; like friendships, families, and different cultures. There are even lessons here for kids on friendship, jealousy, communication, and illness. I felt that this was a lovely graphic novel that many kids maybe able to see themselves in. I wasn't sure about the bit of a twist that happened towards the end, it kind of threw me off. But overall I found the illustrations really great and the story one I can see kids enjoying.

Another great graphic novel for young readers to adults! Thanks again to NetGalley and First Second for allowing me to read this ARC. I fell in love with the cover and description, and of course the author (who wrote “The Prince and the Dressmaker”), so I knew I had to read it! The title also fits in well with our summer reading theme ⭐️

Christine and Moon become the best of friends and they learn a lot about their similarities and differences, but they have fun along the way. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves graphic novels about friendship and art/dance. This book provides it all.

What a sweet story about friendship, family, identity, and trauma. Jen Wang has done it again with Stargazing and I know children and teens will love it as I have!

Such a lovely story of friendship and finding yourself with some family diversity thrown in. I wish we had seen more of Moon's side of the story of having the brain tumor. Will definitely be purchasing this for my library to display beside The Prince and the Dressmaker.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. Stargazing was not at all what I expected, which is a good thing. I liked how different Moon and Christine are, they depict what a lot of childhood friendships are like in that kids who might not otherwise choose to spend time together become friends due to proximity. I also liked how they introduced things to each other like painting nails and learning Chinese.

What a gripping story! There was so much to relate to in how it feels to get to know a new person and changing dynamics in the groups young girls hang out in. The specifics of being part of a larger Asian community and dealing with culturally relevant stresses was well handled and is a great perspective to learn about. It felt a little like a twist in the end learning that Jen Wang's medical experiences informed Moon's, rather than the main character. The way Moon's medical problems and the everyday young girl politics had similar weights on Christine felt very realistic and is validating for kids reading the book. Moon's journey, from having visions to her post-surgery depression, was perfectly conveyed for the target age range, revealing a realistic experience without being too frightening.

Really cute story that shines a light into different households. It also shows that you can be two completely different people, from different households and cultures and still become friends.

Another wonderful addition to the cartoon-y, friendship-focused, middle grade graphic novel collection. Readers will feel the emotions of the characters: both the eccentric new girl, Moon, and the reserved Christine. I appreciate that this story focuses on a healthy, growing best-friendship, rather than the common frenemies scenario. Cultural differences, acceptance, and personal growth are at the core of the story.

Even after having finished this book, I really have no idea what is is about. The cover makes a reader think light hearted mg graphic novel about two best friends. But that is not exactly what is inside. Kids are afraid of the girl Moon because she is mean. Moon moves into an apartment behind Christine’s house and gets to know Moon. There is dancing, being a girl, etc, and the beginnings of a friendship. But the book is all over the place. The title is never really explained, and the characters never go stargazing. I think it's a play on Moon believing she is one with the stars, and Christine gazing upon her. But you also have a wacky terrible surprise ending that comes out of almost nowhere but doesn't really end either. Much of this is based on the author's life while not being autobiographical. It seems more like an amalgamation of scenes then a full story.
#LitsyAtoZGN
#NancyDrewChallenge #MCdances

Stargazing is a wonderful graphic novel by Jen Wang that kids in grades 3-6 will really enjoy! Recommend to kids who enjoyed Lumberjanes, Short & Skinny, and Brave.

Christine is the stereotypical Asian-American: plays the violin, has strict parents who shelter her, is part of the Chinese/Taiwanese church, etc. But when she becomes friends with Moon, who is also Asian-American but doesn’t fit these stereotypes, Christine is forced to grow up, take responsibility for her childish actions, and learn how one can be “a black sheep” within a tight-knit community and that be okay.

This middle grades graphic novel does a good job of helping younger middle-grade readers learn why bullying happens, how to take responsibility for it and how to graciously accept apologies, and how to be accepting of those who may be different-yet-similar.

Stargazing is an amazing book with a lot of heart. I was a huge fan of Jen Wang's Prince and the Dressmaker, and this is an excellent followup. Christine is raised in a fairly strict family. Her parents enroll her in violin lessons and discourage her from painting her nails. Moon is raised by a single mother who works in a garden center. She and her mom come in live in the extra unit that Christine's family has. Christine and Moon become fast friends, despite their differences. After a scary situation at a classmate's birthday party, their friendship is tested, and Christine especially learns a lesson in friendship.

I loved this sweet story so much. There are so many rich layers, and both Christine and Moon are charming and relatable characters. Christine's dad is the most developed adult character, and while Christine's relationship with her parents is a source of conflict at some points, it is clear that he has his daughter's best interests at heart. Give this to your realistic fiction fans. A true gem of a book!

Thanks to First Second Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Stargazing is one of those books that I would love to hand to every kid in the world. And every adult, for that matter. This charming story about friendship, feeling alone in the world and defining who we are is a wonder of nostalgia and something that feels so original. I’m a huge fan of Jen Wang and she did not disappoint. One of my first reviews was another graphic novel by Jen Wang, The Prince and The Dressmaker, and I cannot recommend either of these books highly enough.

There are so many good things to say about this book that I don’t know where to start. The characters are real and relatable, their problems and fears are important and I felt their falls and victories like they were mine. Wang does an incredible job of bringing her own experiences and authenticity to Stargazing and it pays off in spades.

I loved so many things about Stargazing. Particularly, I loved the unique perspective that Moon brings to the story and the journey she undergoes. Though not for the same reasons, I too felt that I didn’t belong here as a child, that I was secretly from somewhere else and might one day go back there, where it all made sense and I fit. I felt her loneliness at learning that she is a child of this earth the way that we all are. I felt her loneliness at learning that some of us are always going to be looking upwards, looking for something fantastic, no matter how grown up we become.

Christine, the other primary character in Stargazing, takes us on a different but just as valuable story, in trying to figure out how she’s supposed to be. From painting her nails, to the music she listens to, to her values and the friends she chooses, Christine is at an age where we all asked ourselves so many of these same questions. Do I fit in? Do I have to be who my parents/community/expectations tell me to be? Do I like who I am? Who do I want to be? Her journey was so relatable, especially so for those living in a community like Christine’s where she feels there is a “right” and “rewarded” way to be, like everyone else.

I was so excited when I requested this ARC from Netgalley, and so lucky to have gotten my hands on it. Jen Wang has impressed me again with this beautiful, sweet, whole-hearted story of two new friends trying to find their way in the world. Stargazing is about friendship, forgiveness, and feeling otherworldly, but its also a powerful story of growing up. To anyone who has felt alone, that they don’t belong, or that there might be something greater waiting for them, don’t miss out on Stargazing. You won’t regret it.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This one hits shelves on September 10, 2019!

“We can’t change the past. But we can learn from the way we hurt the ones we love, and try to do better.”

In Stargazing, Jen Wang has created a graphic novel about two young girls who become friends -- one who is growing up in a strict Asian household, the other who is an artsy Buddhist and daughter of a single mom.

The illustrations are reminiscent of Sunday comics in their style - inviting and accessible. The story itself is good, though a little choppy. Still, this is a good read for middle grade readers up through adults.

What a wonderful book! New friends, neighbors, being different, health scares, different cultures.... just a truly wonderful book! I can’t wait to share it with kids!

Sweet, heartfelt, and eye-opening. The art is beautiful and the story speaks volumes about how we perceive ourselves and how others see us. This story focuses on a narrative drawn from true events in the author's life - a brain tumor and a history growing up Asian-American but never feeling quite connected to her community. As always, Wang's art is stellar and moving, enhancing the story perfectly.

I loved this graphic novel story of fitting in, standing out, and being a real friend, all with the specific lived experience of a strong Asian American community. Stargazing will be an easy sell to middle grade readers who like Raina Telgemeier or books about friendship like Shannon Hale's Real Friends.