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Cruisers #3
A Star Is Born
Bestselling award-winning author Walter Dean Myers is back with a new book in his acclaimed Cruisers series.
The Cruiser, an alternative newspaper published by Zander and his crew of middle school misfits, is alive and well. And now there's plenty to report on when LaShonda, one of the Cruisers, steps into the spotlight with her costume designs for an upcoming play. LaShonda's designs get rave reviews, but she soon learns that show business is filled with challenges and choices. LaShonda is forced to consider what's more important--fame, or loyalty to her autistic brother. Whether she gets a standing ovation or the curtain pulled down on her is up to LaShonda. And she can't help but wonder if the Cruisers have got her back and will be there for her whether she’s center stage or waiting in the wings.
With signature humor and thought-provoking questions, Walter Dean Myers once again delivers a Cruisers novel that will keep readers at the edge of their seats, and have them applauding after the drama ends on the book’s last page.
The Cruiser, an alternative newspaper published by Zander and his crew of middle school misfits, is alive and well. And now there's plenty to report on when LaShonda, one of the Cruisers, steps into the spotlight with her costume designs for an upcoming play. LaShonda's designs get rave reviews, but she soon learns that show business is filled with challenges and choices. LaShonda is forced to consider what's more important--fame, or loyalty to her autistic brother. Whether she gets a standing ovation or the curtain pulled down on her is up to LaShonda. And she can't help but wonder if the Cruisers have got her back and will be there for her whether she’s center stage or waiting in the wings.
With signature humor and thought-provoking questions, Walter Dean Myers once again delivers a Cruisers novel that will keep readers at the edge of their seats, and have them applauding after the drama ends on the book’s last page.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Walter Dean Myers
223 books1,204 followerspseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 15, 2020
The cruiser is a group in which make the school news paper interesting.Zander is one of the member of the group who makes plays he lives with his mother but if he doesn’t bring up his grades he will have to go live with his father in Oregon.The group tries to help LaShonda who is the designer is the designer in the group.She lives in foster homes but now has to choose between going to college or staying with her brother who is autistic.The cruiser talk to the college and they make an agreement in which they give St.Francis children a chance for studies.To be honest I didn’t really like the book it wasn’t really much of an interest for me.It didn’t captivate my attention at all .
November 8, 2015
The Cruisers of Da Vinci Academy for the Gifted and Talented are back again in this third volume of their eponymous middle-grade series, and not much has changed about them since the last book, Checkmate. Zander Scott's irreverent riff on Shakespeare, a mini play he penned entitled Act Six, is attracting loads of positive attention in Harlem. Not only is the writing and acting judged a success by most who watch the play, but LaShonda's costuming is turning heads as well. That combination of talent brings commendation from important school officials whose respect for Zander, Bobbi, Kambui, LaShonda, and their indie school newspaper dubbed The Cruiser had only been grudging before. Things should be looking up for our witty eighth-grade protagonists, but a few high hurdles remain for them to clear.
LaShonda is over the moon when the Virginia Woolf Society accepts her to their program, which should fast-track her to a decent college when she graduates high school in five years. The Virginia Woolf housing arrangement keeps its male and female tenants in separate quarters, however, which presents a huge problem for LaShonda. Her brother Chris's autism is a stumbling block in every aspect of his life, and there's no telling how long she'll need to be his caretaker. Chris can't be expected to live by himself while LaShonda pursues higher education, and he doesn't have a mother or father in the picture who can step in and assume responsibility. If LaShonda can't persuade the big brass of the Virginia Woolf Society to expand the program's benefits and make a special exception for her brother, she might have to refuse their offer. But how can she hope to care for Chris longterm without the prospects for gainful employment that a college degree offers?
"They don't have to ride white horses
Or come to my rescue when I'm down
They just need to be there when I turn
So I can see them standing behind me
When I'm needing
A someone or maybe two
They don't have to be brilliant
Or strong or fast
They can just slide along
Glide along
Like they did when they first
Cruised into my life
When they smiled at me
When we started our journey
On the high seas of friendship."
—Bobbi McCall's poem Friends, from page 126 of A Star Is Born
While the Cruisers rally around LaShonda in her time of need, they face opposition on another front from Charles Lord, a community activist who resents the Da Vinci Academy's focus on the most academically promising students. Mr. Lord wants to cut funding for the school so every young person in Harlem has equal opportunity, but that certainly would throw cold water on the future of the Cruisers and other gifted inner-city kids. Fortunately, the Cruisers have the right stuff intellectually to win the argument against Mr. Lord and his cohorts. Will these threats to their future ever stop popping up against the Cruisers, so they can relax and enjoy their youth without the stresses of adulthood seeping in prematurely?
We can definitely learn from A Star Is Born. There are a few perceptive observations in the story that made it a tossup for me between rounding my one-and-a-half star rating up or down, and I did like the book overall. Zander and the Cruisers are beginning to understand that their impressive smarts aren't going to beat down every stubborn opponent they encounter; sometimes conflicts won't end the way they should in an imperfect world. "We were taking Algebra in school and figuring out what x was or what y was and jumping all over the unknowns like they were lame and we just had to track their little unknown butts down. Once we tracked them down (x = y+2), the problem was solved. But in real life you could track down whatever x or y was and nothing was solved." The Cruisers are an optimistic bunch, though, and I hope that buoyancy never steps out on them. The Cruisers is a unique series I can't see coming from anyone other than Walter Dean Myers, and his fans should give it a read.
LaShonda is over the moon when the Virginia Woolf Society accepts her to their program, which should fast-track her to a decent college when she graduates high school in five years. The Virginia Woolf housing arrangement keeps its male and female tenants in separate quarters, however, which presents a huge problem for LaShonda. Her brother Chris's autism is a stumbling block in every aspect of his life, and there's no telling how long she'll need to be his caretaker. Chris can't be expected to live by himself while LaShonda pursues higher education, and he doesn't have a mother or father in the picture who can step in and assume responsibility. If LaShonda can't persuade the big brass of the Virginia Woolf Society to expand the program's benefits and make a special exception for her brother, she might have to refuse their offer. But how can she hope to care for Chris longterm without the prospects for gainful employment that a college degree offers?
"They don't have to ride white horses
Or come to my rescue when I'm down
They just need to be there when I turn
So I can see them standing behind me
When I'm needing
A someone or maybe two
They don't have to be brilliant
Or strong or fast
They can just slide along
Glide along
Like they did when they first
Cruised into my life
When they smiled at me
When we started our journey
On the high seas of friendship."
—Bobbi McCall's poem Friends, from page 126 of A Star Is Born
While the Cruisers rally around LaShonda in her time of need, they face opposition on another front from Charles Lord, a community activist who resents the Da Vinci Academy's focus on the most academically promising students. Mr. Lord wants to cut funding for the school so every young person in Harlem has equal opportunity, but that certainly would throw cold water on the future of the Cruisers and other gifted inner-city kids. Fortunately, the Cruisers have the right stuff intellectually to win the argument against Mr. Lord and his cohorts. Will these threats to their future ever stop popping up against the Cruisers, so they can relax and enjoy their youth without the stresses of adulthood seeping in prematurely?
We can definitely learn from A Star Is Born. There are a few perceptive observations in the story that made it a tossup for me between rounding my one-and-a-half star rating up or down, and I did like the book overall. Zander and the Cruisers are beginning to understand that their impressive smarts aren't going to beat down every stubborn opponent they encounter; sometimes conflicts won't end the way they should in an imperfect world. "We were taking Algebra in school and figuring out what x was or what y was and jumping all over the unknowns like they were lame and we just had to track their little unknown butts down. Once we tracked them down (x = y+2), the problem was solved. But in real life you could track down whatever x or y was and nothing was solved." The Cruisers are an optimistic bunch, though, and I hope that buoyancy never steps out on them. The Cruisers is a unique series I can't see coming from anyone other than Walter Dean Myers, and his fans should give it a read.
July 20, 2014
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Fiction)
Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Level: Approximately Level T
Summary: The Cruisers are a group of four students at Da Vinci Middle School for gifted and talented students in New York City. They have just put on a play that drew tremendous attention for LaShonda's fabulous costume designs. LaShonda is even offered a scholarship by the elite Virginia Woolf Society. But, when she finds out that accepting the scholarship will mean she must leave her autistic brother and the group home they live in, she cannot accept. Will her Cruiser friends find a way to help LaShonda stay together with her brother Chris and get the scholarship she needs to attend college?
Why I Liked/Disliked the Book: I appreciated that Walter Dean Myers included an autistic character in his book. The narrator, Zander, one of the Cruisers, describes his own questions and thinking as he gets to interact with Chris over time. I felt like his thought process was pretty realistic for a middle school student. However, I found myself wishing that we heard from LaShonda about her autistic brother, since she was clearly the expert and would have given a different perspective on it.
I enjoyed reading the script of Zander's play at the end of the book.
What This Book Made Me Think About: The book had an interesting theme of persuasion and influence throughout it. The Cruisers are used to having a voice in their school (through their alternative newspaper) and are able to take that voice to an elite group with success. In addition, a local community activist protests the school because it only serves students who are considered gifted and talented. His attempts to persuade and influence are different from the Cruisers, but the Cruisers also learn from him.
Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Level: Approximately Level T
Summary: The Cruisers are a group of four students at Da Vinci Middle School for gifted and talented students in New York City. They have just put on a play that drew tremendous attention for LaShonda's fabulous costume designs. LaShonda is even offered a scholarship by the elite Virginia Woolf Society. But, when she finds out that accepting the scholarship will mean she must leave her autistic brother and the group home they live in, she cannot accept. Will her Cruiser friends find a way to help LaShonda stay together with her brother Chris and get the scholarship she needs to attend college?
Why I Liked/Disliked the Book: I appreciated that Walter Dean Myers included an autistic character in his book. The narrator, Zander, one of the Cruisers, describes his own questions and thinking as he gets to interact with Chris over time. I felt like his thought process was pretty realistic for a middle school student. However, I found myself wishing that we heard from LaShonda about her autistic brother, since she was clearly the expert and would have given a different perspective on it.
I enjoyed reading the script of Zander's play at the end of the book.
What This Book Made Me Think About: The book had an interesting theme of persuasion and influence throughout it. The Cruisers are used to having a voice in their school (through their alternative newspaper) and are able to take that voice to an elite group with success. In addition, a local community activist protests the school because it only serves students who are considered gifted and talented. His attempts to persuade and influence are different from the Cruisers, but the Cruisers also learn from him.
September 17, 2012
Recommended for gr. 6-9. Although this is the third book in the series, it stands well on its own, in fact I didn't realize that it was part of a series at first.
The Cruisers are a group of misfits at Da Vinci Academy, a school for gifted students. As the book opens, they have something to celebrate - one of their own, LaShonda, has caught the attention of a scholarship group because of her costume design for an original play produced by the Cruisers. Unfortunately, this opportunity does not include her autistic younger brother, whom LaShonda will not leave behind. (The siblings live in a group home for unexplained reasons.) The group must pull together and find a solution to LaShonda's dilemma which recognizes her talent as well as keeping her with her brother.
The story is told by Zander, one of the Cruisers, and the narrative is interspersed with articles and editorials from the school newspaper, The Palette, and the alternate newspaper, The Cruiser.
The Cruisers are a group of misfits at Da Vinci Academy, a school for gifted students. As the book opens, they have something to celebrate - one of their own, LaShonda, has caught the attention of a scholarship group because of her costume design for an original play produced by the Cruisers. Unfortunately, this opportunity does not include her autistic younger brother, whom LaShonda will not leave behind. (The siblings live in a group home for unexplained reasons.) The group must pull together and find a solution to LaShonda's dilemma which recognizes her talent as well as keeping her with her brother.
The story is told by Zander, one of the Cruisers, and the narrative is interspersed with articles and editorials from the school newspaper, The Palette, and the alternate newspaper, The Cruiser.
September 16, 2012
Take a look at the picture of LaShonda on the cover of The Cruisers #3 A Star is Born by Walter Dean Myers. Tell me. I dare you to tell me that is not the spitting image of Judy on the cover of the best movie ever. It struck me right away.
In this latest installment, LaShonda has been noticed by the Virginia Woolf Society for her wonderful costume designs and they want to send her to a special place to live and a special school. LaShonda, though, lives in a group home with her little brother who has autism and she doesn't want to leave him. That is the main problem in this third book and The Cruisers must find a way to help out their friend.
I am still not into this series as much as I want to be, but I love Myers and so I will keep on keeping with them. I love the twist of Zander and Caren. And all of The Cruisers are very likable friends. The books make you think and they take on big issues. I do recommend them.
In this latest installment, LaShonda has been noticed by the Virginia Woolf Society for her wonderful costume designs and they want to send her to a special place to live and a special school. LaShonda, though, lives in a group home with her little brother who has autism and she doesn't want to leave him. That is the main problem in this third book and The Cruisers must find a way to help out their friend.
I am still not into this series as much as I want to be, but I love Myers and so I will keep on keeping with them. I love the twist of Zander and Caren. And all of The Cruisers are very likable friends. The books make you think and they take on big issues. I do recommend them.
September 23, 2012
Third book in Myers' middle school series "The Cruisers".
LaShonda designed the costumes for Zander's play, Act Six. They garnered a lot of positive attention and actually brought in an offer for a scholarship from the Virginia Woolf Society. However, the scholarship would require LaShonda and her autistic younger brother to leave their group care home and live in separate places. Neither LaShonda nor Chris would be able to live with such a drastic change so she is going to have to turn the scholarship down unless the Cruisers can help her figure out a solution.
Not as hard-hitting as Myers' books aimed at older audiences, but solid nonetheless. At times it is hard to figure out how old the characters are, however. Sometimes they seem like they should be in high school, rather than in middle school.
LaShonda designed the costumes for Zander's play, Act Six. They garnered a lot of positive attention and actually brought in an offer for a scholarship from the Virginia Woolf Society. However, the scholarship would require LaShonda and her autistic younger brother to leave their group care home and live in separate places. Neither LaShonda nor Chris would be able to live with such a drastic change so she is going to have to turn the scholarship down unless the Cruisers can help her figure out a solution.
Not as hard-hitting as Myers' books aimed at older audiences, but solid nonetheless. At times it is hard to figure out how old the characters are, however. Sometimes they seem like they should be in high school, rather than in middle school.
February 26, 2015
The twin text I chose for this book is Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. The reason I chose this as the twin text is because A Star is Born talks about misfits of a school and one of the characters also has Autism. I chose Peter Nimble because it is a story about a boy who is blind and finds three "fantastic" eyes. I think that these two books can be related by the children because they both have characters who may be seen as "different." I also believe that reading this books is a good time to talk about how everyone is equal no matter their abilities or disabilities.
February 21, 2013
I thought I'd love a book by Walter Dean Myers, but no such luck. This is a continuation of a series about four students (the Cruisers) at a gifted school in Harlem. LaShonda wins a scholarship for her great costumes from a play they put on, but since she lives with and takes care of her autistic brother, she can't accept it. The Cruisers find a solution for her, though, and through their school newspaper articles, you get to know each one of them. Afraid this is a no vote for me.
February 8, 2013
I couldn't get into the story, but maybe it's that I didn't already love the characters--I hadn't realized that this was the third in the series. Perhaps one day I will pick up the first one and try again.
August 4, 2013
The Cruisers is a valuable series for young readers that combines the complexities of life with the light-hearted experiences as well.
March 27, 2017
LaShonda, one of the Cruisers, is awarded a scholarship to a school for design. Her dilemma is what to do about her brother Chris, who is autistic. Since LaShonda and Chris live in a group home, she is determined to remain a family with him and maintain responsibility for his welfare. The Cruisers help LaShonda find a solution to her problem.
Read for LIS 5564 Info needs of children - FSU Spring 2017
Read for LIS 5564 Info needs of children - FSU Spring 2017
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews