Shame the Stars (Shame the Stars #1)

By Guadalupe García McCall
Hardcover: $21.95

In the midst of racial conflict and at the edges of a war at the Texas-Mexico border in 1915, Joaquín and Dulceña attempt to maintain a secret romance in this young adult reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.

Audiobook Edition

Description

Eighteen-year-old Joaquín del Toro’s future looks bright. With his older brother in the priesthood, he’s set to inherit his family’s Texas ranch. He’s in love with Dulceña–and she’s in love with him. But it’s 1915, and trouble has been brewing along the US-Mexico border. On one side, the Mexican Revolution is taking hold; on the other, Texas Rangers fight Tejano insurgents, and ordinary citizens are caught in the middle.

As tensions grow, Joaquín is torn away from Dulceña, whose father’s critical reporting on the Rangers in the local newspaper has driven a wedge between their families. Joaquín’s own father insists that the Rangers are their friends, and refuses to take sides in the conflict. But when their family ranch becomes a target, Joaquín must decide how he will stand up for what’s right.

Shame the Stars is a rich reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in Texas during the explosive years of Mexico’s revolution. Filled with period detail, captivating romance, and political intrigue, it brings Shakespeare’s classic to life in an entirely new way.

About the Creators

Guadalupe García McCall
Guadalupe García McCall

Guadalupe García McCall is the best-selling author of Summer of the Mariposas and won the Pura Belpré Award for her first novel, Under the Mesquite. She was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a young girl, keeping close ties with family on both sides of the border. She is a full-time author and abuelita and lives with her husband in South Texas. Find her online at ggmccall.com.

Awards

  • Best Books

    Kirkus Reviews

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

    Junior Library Guild

  • Américas Award Commended Title

    Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

  • TAYSHAS Reading List

    Texas Library Association (TLA)

  • Texas Great Reads

    Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Reviews

  • * "Pura Belpré winner McCall delivers an ambitious, sardonically relevant historical novel--a must-read, complex twist on a political Shakespearean tragedy."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "The historical aspects of the narrative are eye-opening. McCall infuses the little-discussed uprising in South Texas with Spanish (defined in a glossary) and primary-source newspaper clippings, and gives women a vital role in the Tejano fight for justice. A powerful story of love in the face of great odds."

    - Booklist
  • "Sophisticated readers will appreciate the intricate political and ethical questions raised, as well as their relevance to contemporary border issues. McCall's depiction of two important female characters, who stand out for their strength and grace in an otherwise staunchly traditional—and often hot-headed—male hierarchy, is especially compelling."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Keeps readers in suspense, while slowly revealing details about the characters' involvement in the revolution. . . A good purchase for historical fiction collections, especially where there are fans of Ashley Hope Pérez's Out of Darkness."

    - School Library Journal

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620142783
  • Publication Date Sep 01, 2016
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 5.75 × 1 in
  • Weight 1.125 lbs
  • Page Count 320
  • Word Count 58337
  • Interests

  • Audience Young Adult
  • BISAC Category 1 YAF / Historical / United States / 20th Century
  • BISAC Category 2 YAF / People & Places / Mexico
  • BISAC Category 3 YAF / Romance / Historical
  • Themes Breaking Gender Barriers, Conflict resolution, Coping with Death, Courage, Discrimination, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fathers, Fiction, Friendship, Heroism, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Realistic Fiction, Teen Interest, Tolerance / Acceptance, United States History, War, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 12 - 17
  • Grade Range Grades 7 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z
  • ATOS Book Level 5.4
  • DRA 80
  • Interest Level Grades 7 - 12
  • Lexile Level 830
  • Reading Level Grades 7 - 8
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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