"This poster makes me feel at home.
This poster makes me feel closer to my mom.
Your mom is right here.
There's plenty of room on your wall.
Mine is full.
Exactly.
You have tons of pictures up and
this is all I have.
Then it'll fit right there."
It is not an auspicious reunion for cousins Riley and Maya. To start their year in sixth grade they are sent to live with their activist grandmother in Urbanopolis. They have some issues to resolve as they share a room. Riley is outgoing and eager to be friends with her cousin; they have not seen each other since they were much younger. Maya is more interested in being alone to pay careful attention to her inventions.
As they start school, their grandmother reminds them to 'be the stars you are'. They each find other students who share their interests as they do their best to fit in, They also take note of Vice Principal Balderdash who has promised to be a good friend while speaking at the opening assembly. However, he is always watching the students and looking for reasons to send them to detention. There are security cameras wherever they gather.
It takes no time to realize the vice principal is intent on defunding activities important to the students. The girls decide they will run for class president on a platform of protest against such cuts. It does not sit well with Vice Principal Balderdash. Realizing that they will make little progress working alone, they decide to team up with another student to make the difference they want to make. They need to save the school from the vice principal's shameful manipulation.
The action is quick-paced, the characters are realistic and formidable, the expressive illustrations are telling and a strong complement to this story of young people getting involved in what is happening at their school. I haven't heard any news about the next book in the series; it will be widely anticipated by fans of this one.
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