The Blue Star by Tony Earley

Jim The Boy introduced us to Jim Glass, a boy growing up in 1930s North Carolina. He was 10 years old when the book ended. The Blue Star picks up Jim’s story when he is finishing high school and the world is involved in war. Jim has grown in many ways but finds he still doesn’t always get what he wants. There are lessons to be learned that aren’t taught in the classroom. He’s ready to learn them, though. We leave Jim as he is heading out into the world and I am glad I had a tissue nearby. Tony Earley has written a wonderful story and I hope to read the next installment very soon. Four Stars!

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley

“Tony Earley celebrates the world of one young boy in one small place in a simpler, sweeter time. Deceptively understated, Jim the Boy is a luminous rendering of an ordinary life, told with gentle grace and good humor….Earley is a master at sketching small but crucial moments with bright, telling strokes.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

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Jim’s father died a week before he was born. Jim lives with his mother and near his uncles in a tiny North Carolina town during the Great Depression. Most of the book takes place between his 10th and 11th birthdays. It’s a fast read and I didn’t want it to end. Earley is a wonderful storyteller. I think this would be a good audio book.

I recommend it for all ages. It might be a good book to read aloud to a child.