The Magic in Changing Your Stars

by Leah Henderson

Overview

Journey back to 1939 Harlem in this time-travel adventure with an empowering message about believing in yourself and persevering.

Eleven-year-old Ailey Benjamin Lane, a gifted dancer, is certain that he'll land the role of the Scarecrow in his school’s production of The Wiz. But when a classmate overshadows him at auditions, a deflated Ailey confides in his Grampa that he is going to give up dancing. Not ready to give up on Ailey, Grampa shares a story from his past. As a young boy, Grampa gave up his dreams of tap dancing even after the unofficial Mayor of Harlem, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, encouraged him to perform. Robinson also gifted him a special pair of tap shoes. A curious Ailey tries on the shoes and is instantly transported back to 1930s Harlem. There he meets a young street tap dancer and realizes it's his grandfather. Ailey thinks he can help the 12-year-old version of his Grampa face his fears, but he must tread lightly—if Ailey changes the past, can it affect his future, and will he ever make his way home? Featuring an all-Black cast of characters and many moments infused with Black culture and history, this is a time-travel adventure that has been waiting to be told.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454944041
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	01/18/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	61,829
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Leah Henderson's writing is filled with stirring stories featuring Black heroes and heroines. She is the author of the middle-grade novel One Shadow on the Wall and Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History. She lives in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Magic in Changing Your Stars
“Black excellence, Black fantastic, and Black family combine for a transformational story of passion and persistence.”
      —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A fast-paced story about family, bravery, and the arts, this story will have readers wanting to visit Harlem and tap alongside Ailey, Grampa, and Bojangles himself.” 
      —School Library Journal (starred review)

“Henderson weaves magical realism and historical fiction together, offering hard lessons about trying and grit, alongside overwhelming love of family, a lot of laughs, and a ‘smidgen of magic.’”
      —Booklist (starred review)
 
“The value of family, perseverance, and believing in oneself takes center stage in this bighearted multigenerational story tinged with enchantment.”
      —Publishers Weekly
 
This story is family, 
and time-travel,
plus Harlem,
plus tap (and rap), 
with a dash of The Wiz.
Come and get it.
         —Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me and The List of Things that Will Not Change

“The Magic in Changing Your Stars is an enchanting story of a boy whose dream of becoming a star will take readers on a most wonderfully magical journey—a heartfelt tribute to legendary African American performers and their place among the stars.” 
      –Ibi Zoboi, New York Times bestselling author of My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
 
“Leah Henderson brings heartfelt magic to this culturally rich journey of hope, self-discovery and familial love.” 
      —Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of The Gaither Sisters trilogy
 

From the Publisher

04/20/2020

The value of family, perseverance, and believing in oneself takes center stage in this bighearted multigenerational story tinged with enchantment. An aspiring rapper and dancer, 11-year-old Ailey Lane is determined to play the Scarecrow in his school production of The Wiz, but the fifth grader bungles his audition, neglecting to learn his lines and forgetting his dance moves. When he informs his grandfather that he’ll never try out for anything again, the man tells Ailey about his own childhood choice, rooted in fear of failure, to pass up Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s invitation to “show him what I had,” a decision that scotched his tap dancing dreams and spawned lifelong regret. Trying on the tap shoes that Robinson gave to Grampa decades earlier, Ailey is transported to 1939 Harlem, where he doggedly tries to help his young grandfather “change his stars” by reversing his fateful decision. Henderson (One Shadow on the Wall) adds a dose of suspense as Ailey sorts out how, if at all, the tap shoes can help change history and return him home. The author leaves readers space for creative speculation and with genuine affection for the Lane family—in their past and present personas. Ages 8–12. Agent: Clelia Gore, Martin Literary & Media Mgmt. (June)

Publishers Weekly

★ 04/01/2020

Gr 4–7—Eleven-year-old Ailey is a dancer, all the way to his bones. But when he chokes at a school audition for The Wiz, he thinks he's finished. Then his grandpa tells him something amazing: He was a tap dancer so talented that Bojangles himself gave him a special pair of shoes and a chance to audition--and Grampa choked, too. Ailey finds the shoes, tries them on, and is whisked back to 1939 Harlem where he might have the chance to change both Grampa's life and his own. Ailey's story may have elements of fantasy, but it reads like a work of realistic and historical fiction. The historical setting is well researched and immersive, making any reader feel that they, too, have plunged into 1930s Harlem. Parallels to The Wizard of Oz are unmistakable, but this is no simple retelling. Ailey and Grampa are their own heros, and Ailey's quest to get home is filled with twists and turns, raps and tap dancing. A "Black Excellence List" at the end provides extra information about the famous people and places referenced in the book. VERDICT A fast-paced story about family, bravery, and the arts, this story will have readers wanting to visit Harlem and tap alongside Ailey, Grampa, and Bojangles himself.—Kristin Brynsvold, Tuckahoe Elementary School, Arlington, VA

School Library Journal

★ 2020-02-26
Ailey Benjamin Lane can dance outta this world and even drop a dope rhyme, but he struggles to perform his best under the spotlight.

Henderson’s characters have such powerful names, evoking a legacy of black excellence that dovetails triumphantly with this story of facing regrets and achieving redemption. (A list of these names is appended.) At the center, there’s Ailey Benjamin Lane, named for black dancer Alvin Ailey and astronomer/inventor Benjamin Banneker. Ailey is headed into stiff competition for the role of the Scarecrow in the school’s production of The Wiz. Ailey struggles through his first audition, and his stress is compounded when he arrives home to learn that his grandfather, who has shared with Ailey his love of the stars, is hospitalized. At the hospital, Grampa now shares a secret about a prized possession he’s held onto all these years: the tap shoes of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Ailey tries on the shoes and is transported to 1930s Harlem. There, he meets a young street tapper who looks an awful lot like Grampa and who is seeking to make a name for himself but must overcome his own doubt and anxiety. Through these magical shoes and this historic journey, there’s a way for Ailey to rewrite the story and “with every bit of heart and grit you have to seize…possibility.”

Black excellence, black fantastic, and black family combine for a transformational story of passion and persistence. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews