Starshine on TV

Krystyna Higgins is the former book review editor for the Toronto-based
Catholic New Times.

Starshine Bliss Shapiro has a hobby that is as memorable as her name:
spiders! In this third Starshine book by B.C. writer Ellen Schwartz, the
spunky 10-year-old takes on two challenges. The first is a contest
sponsored by the American Association of Arachnology involving
experiments with the Nephila, a tropical spider. At the same time, Star
becomes obsessed with the desire to appear on television, in the hopes
of finally upstaging her attention-grabbing little sister. In the end
her determination and ingenuity win out, against considerable odds.

In addition to Peggy—who is four, cute, and (in Star’s opinion)
quite obnoxious—the Shapiro family consists of Starshine’s loving
but somewhat eccentric parents, both artists. Star’s best friend,
Julie Wong, also plays a role in the story.

This book should have considerable appeal for the preteen reader. The
well-paced story combines everyday incident with a touch of the exotic
as we follow the ups and downs of Star’s experiment with the spider.
As first-person narrator, Starshine is a wryly perceptive observer of
human foibles, including her own. The story contains many very funny
scenes, culminating in a hilarious baking session with Star’s mother,
“the queen of the health food freaks.”

While such scenes may border on the farcical, Schwartz’s great
strength lies in her ability to portray the concerns and feelings of the
preadolescent in an authentic and unsentimental fashion. Starshine’s
relationships with family members and friends and her struggles to
define her own identity are sure to strike a responsive chord in the
young reader. Recommended.