A Sky Full of Stars

Mississippi’s red dirt heats like a skillet in 1955, and thirteen-year-old Rose Lee Carter feels every crackle of change after the brutal murder of Emmett Till turns summer air into gunpowder. Shorty, fiery as a struck match, growls that fists should answer terror; best friend Hallelujah trusts peaceful marches to bend history toward Racial and Political Justice. Rose stands between them, scared yet stubborn, until Aunt Ruthie’s dream of starting a home-grown catering shop shows how feeding neighbors can be quiet resistance that outlasts night riders. While cotton fields whisper run North, Rose digs roots deeper, determined to sprinkle hope through her Delta town the way stars salt a moonless sky. Carolyn Roosevelt’s vivid sequel to Midnight Without a Moon sparks discussion on choosing courage over comfort, perfect for classrooms unpacking the boom of the Civil Rights Movement or faith circles searching for parable-rich stories of loving your homeland into fairness. One question blazes brighter than a porch light at dusk: will Rose’s new recipe for change rise before hatred burns the whole county? Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Rose’s stand beneath a sky full of stars.