When his mom’s girlfriend gives him two bags of LEGOs and no instructions, he has to figure out how to build things on his own - just like he’s trying to do in the real world. As Lolly approaches his teen years, he’s pressured to join a neighborhood “crew” just like his brother did - knowing that it would offer him protection, but also a dangerous life. I found myself rooting for Lolly, and you will too.In David Barclay Moore’s stunning debut novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, 12-year-old Harlem resident Lolly Rachpaul is about to endure his first Christmas without his older brother, who died months earlier in a gang-related shooting. We definitely haven’t heard the last of his brilliance.” - Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor and National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming “ The Stars Beneath Our Feet is about the weight of the world on the back of a child, and the creative tools necessary to alleviate that pressure.

David Barclay Moore is an exciting new voice. A New York Times Notable Book A Time Magazine Top 10 Children's Books of the Year A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year Six Starred Reviews “A fast and furious read in which we meet some amazing people, people that stay with us. David Barclay Moore paints a powerful portrait of a boy teetering on the edge-of adolescence, of grief, of violence-and shows how Lolly’s inventive spirit helps him build a life with firm foundations and open doors. But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides Lolly with an escape-and an unexpected bridge back to the world. When Lolly and his friend are beaten up and robbed, joining a crew almost seems like the safe choice. His path isn’t clear-and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is always there. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. Jordan! It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent and soon to be a major motion picture directed by Michael B.

It’s the novel we’ve been waiting for.' - The New York Times A boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death in this outstanding debut novel that celebrates community and creativity.

It’s not just a narrative it’s an experience. Summary: 'The right story at the right time.

The stars beneath