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Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Star by Felicity Marshall. Melbourne: Ford Street Publishing, 2010



Marion is a wooden Columbine doll. She and her friends Harley the Harlequin doll and the dog Polka live together by the sea. They're happy, but Marion wants more. She dreams of adventure. One day, a "smiling man" offers her stardom. She learns to sing and dance. She has a makeover, new clothes and a nose job. She has fan mail by the thousands, and someone to answer it.

And one day, she's on the scrap heap - literally. Fortunately, she still has friends...

A nice discussion of the emptiness of fame and fortune. And kids are those most likely to go for the latest, the youngest, the prettiest star. Definitely something to discuss in class as a writing prompt.

The art is beautiful and makes its point in case the reader didn't get it.

This has been lying on my TBR pile for some time, but is still worth buying. I believe it received a well-deserved Notable in the 2011 CBCA awards.


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