THE MOON WITHOUT STARS by Chanel Miller, audio read by Sunny Lu & Chanel Miller

Chanel Miller’s middle grade novel, THE MOON WITHOUT STARS has writing that is frighteningly relatable that readers can’t help but experience Luna’s difficult 7th grade year, a year of her becoming. There are situations like being unprepared and getting your period in school, the mockery, and the comfort of her best friend Scott with whom she can talk for hours, adventure, and create zines. It’s the zines that get her invited into the popular group, a situation that soon becomes decidedly treacherous when bullies and mean girls torture her. There’s a particularly wonderful section when her mother comforts her despairing daughter and tells her that her name relates to the many phases of the moon…”Sometimes the moon appears thin as a sliver, other times it’s round as a cheesecake…but the moon is always whole. Even when you can’t see it, it’s there…No phase is permanent; you’re eternally cycling.” Sunny Lu’s youthful voice works well in the audio. You can find links to the book and audio below.