“Christine, your collar was undone the whole time!”

From Jen Wang’s Stargazing.

The first time Christine sees Moon, her friends warned her that the new girl was rumored to have been kicked out of her last school for fighting. When Christine’s parents learn that Moon and her mother are in need of a home, they rent the small apartment in Christine’s back yard to the kind mother and daughter. While both girls are Chinese-American, Christine and Moon are vastly different from their interests to their religious beliefs, even the fact that Moon can’t speak Chinese sets them apart. However, despite their differences, Christine and Moon soon become friends and enjoy the uniqueness that each of them brings to the friendship. Moon’s bold presence pushes Christine to try new things like agreeing to perform a dance routine for the school talent show, but Christine can’t quite figure out how to handle Moon‘s occasional insistence that she’s really from a far away galaxy. When Christine’s younger sister is bullied by a classmate, Moon takes on the bully herself, which instantly lands her in trouble, but both Christine and her sister appreciate their friend’s concern. Moon’s no-holds-barred approach to life helps her make friends at school, which makes Christine jealous, but when Moon receives a serious medical diagnosis, Christine is left trying to work past her guilt to get back to her friendship.

Wang’s graphic novel provides readers with a very quick read that is inspired by some event’s from the author’s childhood. The story is filled with characters that are unique in both attitude and appearances. Stargazing offers an sweet story of friendship set in a culturally-rich setting that readers will enjoy.