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A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
If you could get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for anything at all, what would it be? This writing assignment, given out in Ms. Hart?s tenth-grade creative writing class, sparks a group of nine students each to tell his/her own story. Readers are introduced to Jake and Shante?s interracial romance, Carlos? fear of deportation, and Sunday?s determination after being sexually assaulted. These teens persevere through hardship and heartache, laughter and love, and in the end, their voices shine through inspiring journal entries that answer the question in unusual and unexpected ways. Once again, Brenda Woods shows a keen understanding of the teenage psyche, as she did in Emako Blue , winner of the 2005 IRA Children?s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2010
3 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Woods
24 books70 followersBrenda Woods was born in Ohio, grew up in Southern California, and attended California State University, Northridge. Her award-winning books for young readers include The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond (a CCBC choice and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book); the Coretta Scott King Honor winner The Red Rose Box; the ALAN Pick Saint Louis Armstrong Beach; and VOYA Top Shelf Fiction selection Emako Blue. Woods’s numerous awards and honors include the Judy Lopez Memorial Book Award, the FOCAL International Award, and the ILA Children’s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award. She lives in the Los Angeles area.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 9, 2010
I love Brenda Woods! The Red Rose Box and Emako Blue both hit just the right note and so does this book. Students are given an assignment about getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and through their struggles with essays their lives are revealed. Very heartfelt and gut-wrenching.
February 27, 2021
I was not expecting this to be as big if an eye opener as it was
April 16, 2013
Fun story that reminded me a bit of Nikki Grimes' book, Bronx Masquerade. The story is of a Los Angeles area high school and told in various voices of students in Ms. Hart's English class. One day, when a student talks about being a star, the idea of the Hollywood Walk of Fame comes up. Ms. Hart requires each student to write a journal entry explaining what their star would be for on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As the story goes on, characters reveal bits of their lives and though seemingly very different, come together in many different ways. I think this would be a great story to use in a creative writing class.
Book Talk: Meet Marlon, Jake, Carlos, Gus, Mary, Ronni, Shante and Sunday and the rest of Ms. Hart's English class:
Marlon is a basketball star who thinks he'll go pro until an unexpected injury threatens to end his career and more.
Jake is a aspiring songwriter and is in love with Shante. Problem? He is white and Shante is black, and though thatdoesn't bother them, it seems to bother a whole lot of other people. Jake's Mom is also dealing with health issues.
Sunday's Mom's boyfriend tries to assault her. Sunday runs away but as various confrontations come and go finds herself reeling and scared of everything.
Gus feels invisible, but he is in love with Ronni, who is very popular. He may find that love isn't always where you expect to find it.
Carlos is living the American Dream, but Carlos' family is in the U.S. illegally and now ten years later, they may have to move back to Guatemala.
Mary has gained a ton of weight in the last year. Hiding from friends after trying to kiss a boy and having him make fun of here in front of the world, she eats her way through the pain. She becomes defensive and unwilling to try to make friends,but when Ronni offers to make her over in exchange for some tutoring, things start to look up for Mary.
Each of these students comes to class with his or her own personal distractions and none of them seem to think the others in the class will understand them, But when Ms. Hart gives them the assignment to write about what is special about them that they might have a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame awarded in their honor, they begin to reveal bits and pieces of their lives to those around them. Ultimately, they find that they are really all a lot a like.
Book Talk: Meet Marlon, Jake, Carlos, Gus, Mary, Ronni, Shante and Sunday and the rest of Ms. Hart's English class:
Marlon is a basketball star who thinks he'll go pro until an unexpected injury threatens to end his career and more.
Jake is a aspiring songwriter and is in love with Shante. Problem? He is white and Shante is black, and though thatdoesn't bother them, it seems to bother a whole lot of other people. Jake's Mom is also dealing with health issues.
Sunday's Mom's boyfriend tries to assault her. Sunday runs away but as various confrontations come and go finds herself reeling and scared of everything.
Gus feels invisible, but he is in love with Ronni, who is very popular. He may find that love isn't always where you expect to find it.
Carlos is living the American Dream, but Carlos' family is in the U.S. illegally and now ten years later, they may have to move back to Guatemala.
Mary has gained a ton of weight in the last year. Hiding from friends after trying to kiss a boy and having him make fun of here in front of the world, she eats her way through the pain. She becomes defensive and unwilling to try to make friends,but when Ronni offers to make her over in exchange for some tutoring, things start to look up for Mary.
Each of these students comes to class with his or her own personal distractions and none of them seem to think the others in the class will understand them, But when Ms. Hart gives them the assignment to write about what is special about them that they might have a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame awarded in their honor, they begin to reveal bits and pieces of their lives to those around them. Ultimately, they find that they are really all a lot a like.
October 25, 2012
Golden Sower Young Adult Nominee 2012-2013
Woods, Brenda. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010. Print.
This book touches on many serious topics that are issues for many students in urban schools. Although the story centers on teens in a creative writing course I am sure that younger students in a high ability group would be able to not only grasp the content in this book but also be able to relate to the characters. In the book Carlos is afraid that he will be deported back to Guatemala and in the school I work that is a very real fear for some of my students.
What I like about this novel as oppose to other similar books is that although the book tells the story of several children it also shows you what the narrator in the story is thinking Ms. Hart, the teacher of the creative writing course, who has her own struggles. I think the idea of including the story of the teacher makes students realize that adults are not so different from themselves as they also have struggles in their lives.
I would use this book as a way of opening up children to the idea of writing autobiographies about their own lives. Even high ability learners may be reluctant readers or get bored easily and due to the multiple points of view expressed it may be able to hook a larger audience of readers, especially in an urban school where difficult situations present themselves every day.
Woods, Brenda. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010. Print.
This book touches on many serious topics that are issues for many students in urban schools. Although the story centers on teens in a creative writing course I am sure that younger students in a high ability group would be able to not only grasp the content in this book but also be able to relate to the characters. In the book Carlos is afraid that he will be deported back to Guatemala and in the school I work that is a very real fear for some of my students.
What I like about this novel as oppose to other similar books is that although the book tells the story of several children it also shows you what the narrator in the story is thinking Ms. Hart, the teacher of the creative writing course, who has her own struggles. I think the idea of including the story of the teacher makes students realize that adults are not so different from themselves as they also have struggles in their lives.
I would use this book as a way of opening up children to the idea of writing autobiographies about their own lives. Even high ability learners may be reluctant readers or get bored easily and due to the multiple points of view expressed it may be able to hook a larger audience of readers, especially in an urban school where difficult situations present themselves every day.
June 21, 2012
This book is about a group of multicultural teens in Los Angeles who are all members of a creative writing class. Their paths all intersect outside of class, and each and every one of these teens has a story to tell. Their stories are all equally powerful and sometimes humbling. The students who are telling their stories are MJ: A smart, but plain, math tutor. Ronnie: A gorgeous popular girl that helps MJ look attractive. Gus: A white kid whose mother is HIV positive. Sunday: An African American girl that is almost raped by her mother's boyfriend. Shante: An African American girl who is battling with her parents about dating a white boy. Marlon: An African American boy who is an All-Star basketball player that gets hurt mid season (this might ruin his career.) Carlos: a student that is Guatemalan and might have to be deported back to Guatemala, although the United States is his home. and Dorian: A class clown who is sobered by the fact that he had to beg for food outside a McDonald's for his brothers. All their stories intersect by the narrator/teacher in charge: Ms. Hart who, herself, is debating on whether or not to move back to New York City because she cannot handle LA.
The prompt that brings them all together is: "If you could have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, what would it be for and why?" They all write spectacular essays towards the end.
The prompt that brings them all together is: "If you could have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, what would it be for and why?" They all write spectacular essays towards the end.
May 24, 2010
The stories of nine diverse teenagers at a Los Angeles high school comprise this slim, drama-filled novel. Characters include Sunday, who is molested by her mom’s boyfriend; basketball star Marlon, who endures a season-ending and possibly career-ending ACL tear; Carlos, whose family may be deported; and Jake and Shante, whose interracial romance is frowned upon by both friends and family. Any one of the nine stories could have filled a novel, but instead all are resolved in a short 164 pages, which is insufficient to truly realize anyone of them. There is ample conflict in each story to keep readers engaged, but the easy plot resolution detracts from the book’s overall impact. Still, some of the characters leave a lasting impression. Really good for readers looking for slim fiction with diverse characters.
October 25, 2011
I really enjoyed reading "A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame." Very much so. I thought it was interesting. The way they evenly showed each character's story from different points of views was clever. I found it easy to relate to because I had some similar problems going on. I can relate most to MJ's (Mary) story the most. I feel her pain, I would talk to a poster, thinking it was the only one who would understand and just listen to me rant. I would recommend this to my friends that like romance drama, highschool drama, or drama in general. But even if drama isn't your thing, you might still like this book. If you enjoy a story that changes prospective, has drama, is relatable to, or just a heart warming story, then this book is for you.
March 13, 2019
A Star on the Holly Wood Walk of Fame by Brenda Woods is a story about Ms. Hart's tenth-grade writing class assignment. The assignment is for the students to write about what they would get a star on Hollywood Blvd. for. The book follows the nine students in Hart's class over a two week span and all the changes they go through in that short amount of time.
As you read you get to be inside the head of each kid as the experience first love, bi-racial issues, first dates, new friendships, tragedies, let downs, and personal growth.
As you read you get to be inside the head of each kid as the experience first love, bi-racial issues, first dates, new friendships, tragedies, let downs, and personal growth.
October 21, 2010
I enjoyed this, but it was kind of forgettable. A class of students gets an assignment to write about why they think they might get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Each chapter follows a different character, and each character has different aspirations and issues. The only story I remember is the one where the girl gets fondled by her mom's boyfriend. Everything turns out fine.
December 27, 2010
Fast-paced read! Reality TV packaged between the covers... drama, angst, tragedy ad comedy. Short punchy chapters follow the activities of a class of high school students as each of them deals with the issues and traumas. The author manages to bring each student to life as they contemplate their class assignment of what would qualify them for a star on Hollywood Blvd.
February 15, 2012
Okay, well this definitely was realistic fiction. I can see why it was nominated for the Golden Sower Award. It certainly brings diversity to the fore. However, I was bothered by the neat little happy ending. Maybe, that is contradictory since I kept thinking when I was reading it that I would rather be reading fantasy and not the very real world (language and all)of high school.
February 8, 2013
When Ms. Hart gives a writing assignment, the students in her class begin to explore their lives and what thing they might for which they might become famous. Through multiple narrators, Woods explores the trials and tribulations of high school. What a great read!
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January 21, 2014it was nice but I felt really bad for Sunday because she was sexually abused by her moms boyfriend and I also feel bad for Jack because his mom got into coma in a car accident, but I really hate Morlan said that he hates god.
July 14, 2016
This book did throw around a lot but I liked reading it. I was so confused a lot because of it changing people, so that's why I give it 3 stars. If your good at keeping up with it changing people continuously then this is the book for you.
December 17, 2010
I loved this book sooo much. Its so real.(:
August 7, 2011
This was a quick read that had a good message. This would be a hit with the students.
May 10, 2011
Great for reluctant teen readers.
April 3, 2012
A Golden Sower Nominee for Young Adults next year. Multiple points of view, quick read, might be liked by some reluctant readers.
November 15, 2012
Inspirational and pretty good too.
June 14, 2013
Love the monologue format and the themes related to this wondrous coming of age tale where students make meaningful life changes. This book is very similar to Emako Blue thematically and in format.
August 29, 2019
great book for 9th - 12th grade Read 180 classes. Many students will relate to one of the characters in this book. wonderful!
March 13, 2012
2013 Young Adult Golden Sower nominee
July 26, 2012
Loved this book! So realistic!
October 30, 2012
great book period. :)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews