A Night Without Stars

This is a book that every child should read at least once. No matter if you are the one having surgery or not. Children can be so mean and cruel to one another when they don't understand what someone else is going through. I had my second , and I pray to god last, open heart surgery when I was 10 and A Night Without Stars really does describe the fears and uncertainty of a child having surgery. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand a little bit better.

While most sixth graders are planning what they'll be doing over summer vacation, eleven-year-old Maria Angelina Tirone is spending her last few days of freedom stressing over her upcoming surgery. Maria was born with a hole in her heart, and while doctors didn't notice it earlier, it has now become a problem in Maria's everyday life - so she has to have open-heart surgery. The problem, is that everyone seems to be taking Maria's coming surgery lightly, and no one will give her any information about what it will be like. She can't figure out whether she'll live or die, or whether she'll be given the heart of a murderer, or someone who isn't Catholic. And her family won't help either. The Queens, New York residents simply tell her to be brave, and a big girl, and to have faith in God, but Maria doesn't feel like any of those things are helping. After all, when you're facing the unknown, it's impossible to have faith. But then Maria meets Donald. Donald was burned in a fire when he was six-years-old, and has had to go through countless operations to help fix the burns on his skin. Sadly, he is still disfigured, and the rest of the children in the hospital - including Maria's very own roommate, Linda, as well as Linda's close friend, Bonnie - refer to Donald as Monster Man. The fact that Donald has never been understood by other children, and is constantly teased for his disfiguration has left him cold-hearted, and unable to open up to anyone. That is, until Maria comes along. Maria has the ability to see the good in Donald. To see the human being who is often ignored by those around him, and to befriend the boy. To Maria, Donald's scars and burns, along with his bitterness, are easy to understand, and only make Maria attempt to get to know him better. After all, Donald is the only one willing to answer some of Maria's questions, and Maria is the only one willing to call Donald a friend. I'm currently working on an article about a program in the pediatrics ward of a hospital, and became interested in learning more about how children react to having to spend a lot of time within the confines of a hospital room. So when I learned about James Howe's A NIGHT WITHOUT STARS, I knew that it would be a wonderful way to receive an accurate depiction of the thoughts and feelings that run through a child's mind as they await their surgery. From page one, I found that I was correct. James Howe manages to pinpoint the exact feelings and emotions that you would expect from someone who spends days, even months, within the confines of a hospital bed. Having to play the same games day in and day out, and being forced to undergo various operations, and take medications on a daily basis. Howe brings the emotions to life, and creates a sympathetic storyline that really educates the reader about not only accepting fate, and having faith, but seeing past the exterior of a person, and learning to accept them for what is on the inside. Maria is a lovely character, whose w

My language arts teacher chose this book as a liturature circle book for my class. I didn't think it would be a good book at first, but when I read it, I saw I was wrong. Maria doesn't know what to expect when she is getting open heart surgery. Sh eis afraid...until she meet Donald, a boy who was disfigured in a fire a few years before. He tells her that surgery is like being in a night without stars. I have never had any major surgeries in my life, but i give my sympathy for anyone who has to go through what Maria did.

A night without stars sort of forshadows my life from the ages of 6 months old until I was 6 years old only my surguries were on my feet. The nervousness that Maria feels the night befor her surgury is the same that I felt. The fact that she is having open heart surjury is much more serious and frightening. Well I thought some parts in the begining were sort of confusing but thats me, everything is so confusing. A Night Without Stars was certainly one of my favorite books and I think that everyone should read it. Boys and girls. I mean who cares if the main character is a girl, boys should read it anyways. I thing this book should be a middle school, or high school requirment throughout the united States of America.

This book is among one of my Top 10 faves! It's even better than the Bunnicula books,especially since the characters are human. Maria was apprehensive about having heart surgery. Getting no information from doctors,friends,or family didn't help. She made new friends in the hospital. Although they told her to avoid a burn victim cruelly nicknamed Monster Man,she resisted peer pressure and befriended the boy. They both helped each other through their surgeries. Since I want to be a writer,Donald's poetry interested me. He coped with disaster the way many other ostracized teens would: by withdrawing and showing hostility. Only Maria cracked his tough shell of bitterness. The story behind this story(it's in the back of the book on the page about the author)is really touching. Enough waxing philosophical,now for the most important part: get this book.You won't regret it.