The Stars of Whistling Ridge follows Ivy, a young girl whose family is constantly traveling in their RV. She longs for a place to call home, and decides to make a BIG wish to make this happen. Stranded in Whistling Ridge, a town with many secrets of it's own, we follow Ivy's quest to have a real home for the first time in her life.

I liked the premise of the story and thought that it had really good bones. The imagery of Whistling Ridge was a beautiful backdrop for the story, and Ivy's journey was fun at times. However, as much as I wanted to love this book, I had a hard time staying engaged through a few parts, and the story fell flat for me at times. Overall, this book was an interesting read and still one that I may recommend to imaginative readers, but not necessarily one that I would personally rush to pick up again.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books; this is my honest and voluntary review.

I adore Cindy Baldwin books!

The Stars of Whistling Ridge allows Cindy to take on a fantasy approach in her new story. Ivy Mae and her family live a unique life on the road. Ivy, her two sisters, her mother, and her father have spent their entire time as family traveling the United States in an RV.

Ivy is sick of life on the road. She yearns for a home, a treehouse, friends, and an ability to feel like she belongs. To accomplish this dream, she steals all her mom's wish jars.

However, like Mama has always warned her. You never know how magic may work. You must be careful how and what you wish for. Ivy's wishes may turn out to be more than she could have ever bargained for.

First I'd like to thank Netgalley for the EArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The eclipse is coming and everyone wants to watch from unpolluted areas, so the camp is booked! And one of those watchers is a world famous astronomer, who our young lead, Ivy, is fascinated with. She is an amateur astronomer and is anxiously awaiting the eclipse herself.
However, her family is going through a rough time. Her sister is experiencing some mental health issues due to her involvement in ballet and her own expectations. Ivy doesn't know what is happening to her two best friends, are they still her friends, have they dropped her?
And then there is THE telescope.

The characters were nice enough, but felt a little 2D at times. The college assistant's immediate connection to Ivy wasn't believable. I loved the idea of the story, but I wish it was a little 'more'. Somethings just felt glossed over or just covered very quick after a lot of buildup.

I would still recommend it to my friends at the library, but I might be picky about who I share it with.

This is such a cute read! I didn’t see the end coming, but I was so happy with it. The overall message from the book is a good one- home is more than just walls and windows. I would definitely recommend this book. The story kept me hooked the whole time and it was a fairly quick read. I loved Ivy. I related to her a lot-especially where her siblings are involved. The story and the characters were thought through and well written.

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books
for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was introduced to Cindy Baldwin through this year's NC Elementary Battle of the Books with Where the Watermelons Grow. The story of Ivy Mae Bloom and her family was excellent. I couldn't help but think a little of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and how a fallen star might act when it falls to the Earth and becomes human.

This exquisite book will spark in your heart like a firefly wish. Tender, thoughtful, and true. I wanted to hug it to my chest when I was done—the ending made me cry.

This is a magical story of wishes, family, and wanting to find your true home. Ivy travels in an RV with her parents and two sisters. Her mom is a fallen star and has two star sisters. They can grant wishes to people, but you have to be very careful with wishes. One day Ivy breaks the rules of wishes and steals her mom’s wishes for herself in hopes of having a true home. Ivy’s journey is an enjoyable one that I recommend you read! This book will have you thinking about what home means to you.

I was kindly provided an e-book by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of this book. This book is scheduled to be released on June 15, 2021.

The Stars of Whistling Ridge is a middle grade novel that follows a young girl’s journey of discovering what it means to have a “forever home.” Ivy Mae Bloom is the daughter of a fallen star, turned human woman, who trades wishes to people. This life of bartering wishes means the family must travel around the country to wherever the wishes are needed. This leaves Ivy longing for a more permanent situation—a forever home.

When Ivy decides to steal wishes to make her dream come true, the effects begin a snowball of events that lead the family to an Aunt’s home in Whistling Ridge. Once they arrive, they realize there is something completely messed up within the magical realm of this town. Ultimately, this background plot converges into the main plot of Ivy’s struggles with her sisters, her desire to have friends, and the longing for a place to call home.

I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy but also stories about self-discovery.

Ivy has lived an itinerant life and she longs to call one place home. Her mother, a fallen star, must travel around the country to do her work and brings her family with her for the journey. When Ivy unleashes some magic, she becomes ill and they travel to meet her mother's sisters. A book filled with magical realism and family and friendship.

I loved this gorgeous magical story, and I loved prickly, almost-thirteen-year-old Ivy. We need more stories where pre-teen girls can be angry and bitter and mean without it feeling wrong, with it feeling relatable and real, and that's exactly what Ivy did for me while reading. I know so many kids who would love this story of wanting to put roots down and belong.

What is not to like about this elementary to middle grade read?! It is magical and mythical. A young girl named Ivy Mae Bloom wants to live in one place...settled down for once in her life. Since the beginning she has lived on the road traveling. Her mama is literally a fallen star. Awesome right?! She has wish jars that she uses to help people in need. People who need a wish granted. Ivy gets herself and her family into trouble when she takes all of the wish jars herself to grant her own wish. Many of us can relate to Ivy. We all want stability and normalcy. A lovey adventurous read for young ones!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a pretty interesting book with a fresh plot line. The mother and aunts are literally fallen stars who have turned into humans and have the ability to work with magic to restore order. The children in the book are homeschoolers and roadschoolers, which will definitely appeal to that audience as there are relatively few books representing these families. It was an unusual read - not bad, but unusual - that will have niche love.

Beautiful lyrical, and hard-to-put down children's contemporary fantasy novel set primarily in North Carolina. Ivy Mae Bloom is the eldest daughter of a fallen star -- no, really, her mother is a fallen star, as are both of Ivy's aunts. Ivy's mother makes her living by traveling through the country trading wishes (in the form of fireflies) with those who need magic and correcting dark spots where magic has gone awry or dormant. But Ivy is tired of living in a Winnebago with four other people (who can blame her) and steals wishes in a bid to find a permanent home. Ivy's wishes result in the family returning to her mother's childhood home, the charming city of Whistling Ridge, where the magic has gone terribly and dangerously awry.

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books - Quill Tree Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved the sentiment of this story in relation to a place where someone can call home. Your wish coming true in finding your place in the world and discovering the secret to why everything else is wrong in the world. There is magic being drained and a curse among Whistling Ridge and Ivy's two aunt being both called the stars entrust in Ivy in saving their home. If Ivy saves Whistling Ridge, she is afraid that she and her mother will leave Whistling Ridge and no longer be needed especially since Ivy has grown a love for Whistling Ridge. Everyone needs a sense of belonging and you are along for the ride seeing how there is magic everywhere and all you have to do is believe. I know our young readers will really find this book very refreshing and I might just even nominate this book for our next Battle of the Books.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.