Anything about Octavia Butler and I'll read it. Ibi Zoboi is an excellent writer and I enjoy reading this interesting and dreamy book.

I will admit that I had only heard of Octavia Butler in passing before this book, but I really enjoyed this. I think this may be a great addition to our campus library.

This was an exquisite story. The prose and verse combination was dynamite and a really lovely way to get this story on the page.

I LOVED this concept: a diverse collection of poems, quotes and biographical information on a popular author! I have never read a biography in verse. I loved the structure, it was a perfect balance between poetry, historical data/information, photographs and quotes. It would be great to use this in the classroom to teach primary and secondary sources since they are blended together beautifully.

What I loved:
The different poetry styles used to tell the story of Octavia E. Butler's life.
The photographs used - of the author and of Octavia E. Butler and her family. Although, my favorite poster was a poster from the Space Race from Russia. I never considered to look up space race propaganda from other countries.
The titles of the chapters connected to Butler's own works.
That I learned so much about an author I love through this novel.
The current events throughout Butler's life that influenced her and her writing.

GREAT biography resource for the classroom. Adding it to my classroom library next year! Also - it would be a great springboard for students to conduct their own research in a similar fashion (makes research more fun if you get to blend media) or even create their own autobiographies. If I had a free curriculum, I would be adding this to it ASAP!

Star Child is a uniquely structured biography of celebrated science fiction author Octavia Butler. A mixture of poetry and prose is used to provide readers with insight into the influences and events that molded Butler during her early years and informed her writing. A variety of forms of poetry are used throughout the text. The blend of different formats of writing engages readers and makes it stand out from other biographies. The work truly is a “constellation,” as described in the book’s title. I also enjoyed reading about the author’s connection to Butler and how she was inspired by Butler’s work and life. Butler fans and those interested in biographies will enjoy reading this, as will aspiring writers. It may also serve as a vehicle to introduce new readers to Butler’s work.

I think this book will be a hidden gem. I will recommend it to all my students especially if they love poetry. This book was filled with beautiful language, imagery and hope. The history woven in with the verse is astounding. Zoboi always puts out a great story and this one is no different.

I love Ibi Zoboi, I love Octavia Butler, and I love biographies in verse. I thought this book was super cool. I loved all the different mediums in this book. There were poems, quotes, and history in prose. I think this diversity of medium really shaped this book in a way that stands out from other biographies, or other biographies in verse. I felt like it was over too fast and I wanted to dig deeper.

I always love what I read by Ibi Zoboi. Though familiar with Octavia Butler's writing, I haven't in fact read her work myself, nor am I an avid science fiction fan, but hearing that Zoboi wrote this and did so in poetic form, I wanted in!

Star Child did not disappoint. I wish all biographies were this engaging, especially when written for young readers. Ibi Zoboi's use of poetry to narrate is beautiful, but the book is blended with traditional chapter summaries to help the reader understand what was happening in the world around Butler and how things like the civil rights movement and the space race influenced her writing. There's also such wonderful inclusion of quotes, photos, images of her writing and notebooks and more.

I loved the end where Zoboi shares how much her own writing has been influenced by Butler's work and what it has meant to her to meet with Butler a few times and spend a life researching a hero.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Ibi Zoboi's love of Octavia Butler's work, and for the author herself (whom Zoboi got a chance to talk to years ago), comes through well in this heartfelt and interesting biographical collage of text, images, poems, and quotes from Octavia herself. Zoboi conveys Octavia's lifelong passion for storytelling, while giving us some background on her mother, and the backdrop of racism and politics that were part of life in the US.

I found that this reads a little older than middle grade, but is still accessible to that age group. I particularly liked the quotes by Butler, as well as the images from her notebook.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Incredible. Ibi Zoboi does it again. Thank you to the publisher for this digital ARC in return for my honest review. I was so excited to read this, as my high school students have often requested books by or featuring Ibi Zoboi. This did not disappoint. The beautiful lyricism dispersed with biographical prose with digestible facts was astounding. This book was so emotionally evocative, it makes me want to go pick up a Butler novel immediately. I cannot wait to see the impact this book has on future Butler reading!

Star Child is a truly unique and special style of biography. Woven throughout with prose and verse from the author, Zoboi, this biography weaves a story about the youth and coming-of-age of the renowned Octavia Butler. The real-life story is presented in such a personal way, with anecdotes that will resonate with the younger audience it has been written for. In parallel, it also touches on a number of milestones from the era - including the baby boom, the space race, WWII and the Civil Rights Movement.

While at times it reads in a way that seems older than the proposed middle-grade audience, I think this is a book perfect for readers who have an honest interest in biographies. It is also a fantastic option for young adult readers who are looking for a simple, but interesting, insight into the author's life. This is a book that will make all readers think and consider how different circumstances can mould someone's life, but in the end it is an individual's own choices and motivation that makes them who they are.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Star Child!

This is truly an incredible book! I love the mixture of poetry and prose, and I think Ibi Zoboi's poetry is simply beautiful. I love Octavia Butler and her work, so I really enjoyed getting to know more about her life in this unique and interesting way. I've never read another book like this one, so I'm not totally sure how to describe it, but it manages to hit all the right notes, at least for me. It taught me something new and also made me feel all the emotions while reading it. I'm not totally sure if younger readers will connect with it, but it's definitely a beautiful read for adults as well.

Highly recommend!

This book was a beautiful mix of prose and verse with photographs. I enjoyed reading about Octavia's life and knowing Ibi;s connection to her made it all the more meaningful. It's made me even more curious about her work and wanting to learn more about her inspirations. I can't wait to have a finished copy so I can really take in the pictures and the formatting of the poems!

A lyrical and heartfelt look at a beloved science fiction & fantasy author written by one of her proteges... Ibi Zoboi includes personal details of her time with Octavia Butler in this biography in verse. Peppered with photographs and excerpts from Butler's childhood writing, this connects well with fans of Butler's work but will take some hand-selling to students who aren't familiar with her yet. The stunning cover will certainly draw in browsers and readers will move quickly through the alternating poetry and prose passages. Recommended for aspiring teen writers and fans of Afrofuturism.

A beautifully written poetic biography about pioneering science fiction author Octavia E Butler. I look forward to seeing a physical copy to get the full experience. I enjoyed the poems that matched the shape of their title (star, moon, etc)