(Courtesy of Artscroll)
Four girls.
Four dreams.
Four stars.
Welcome to the very first volume of “The Starlight Sisters,” beloved author Libby Lazewnik’s new and amazing series.
Lucky Ora. She’s got a beautiful voice. She’s a whiz at math. And now, YES! She’s been accepted into Bais Yaakov of Valley Stream, otherwise known as JAPA, the Jewish School for Performing Arts, a unique new school that combines a high-level Bais Yaakov education with intensive training in the performing arts. A school that accepts only the best performers and trains them to be even better.
To get into JAPA, you’ve got to be good…. no, great… in either dance, singing or playing a musical instrument. And Ora’s been accepted! How incredible is that!? So if everything is so incredible, why is everything so terrible?
Mostly, it’s because Ora is tired of “playing second fiddle.” Never the tops, never the champion, always second best. She’s second fiddle to her sister, who is loved and admired by everyone, teachers and students alike. And second fiddle to the quiet girl who’s managed to steal both the best solo in the choir and Ora’s best friend. Join Ora and her fellow “Starlight Sisters,” Gali, Chaya, and Penny, on their quest to spread their own special “starlight” to the world. And get set for a fantastic performance!
We spoke to Libby Lazewnik about her new series.
A new Libby Lazewnik series! Great news! Tell us a little about the characters of Starlight Sisters and why readers are going to love them.
LL: There are four Starlight Sisters to start with, with a fifth to make her appearance later in the series. Each of the four girls has a particular talent, a particular kind of family situation, and a particular middah that she needs to work on. The girls are not perfect – I’ve tried to make them very real, very relatable. Each of the girls narrates “her” book, so we get to know them all really well—inside and out. By the time you’re done, they’ll be your best friends! This first volume begins with Ora’s story. Ora has a gorgeous voice, a wonderful family, excellent marks in school… and a problem that’s going to take her an entire book to solve!
You chose an interesting setting: a Bais Yaakov-type school for super-talented girls. Is that something you always dreamed of?
LL: Although I did belong to my school’s dance group, performing as a dancer was not my dream. My own “superpower” was always writing. But I was definitely fascinated by the idea of kids putting on professional-quality performances and what goes on behind the scenes. And I know that many, many girls long to be in productions and performances.
What age group are you writing for?
The Starlight Sisters are in seventh grade, so these books are aimed at my usual young-adult crowd, aged approximately 10-14.
The question everyone asks you: After writing so many books and articles, how do you keep finding such fresh and original plots?
LL: Life is constantly fresh and original. I just keep my eyes open…and daven!
Without giving away any secrets, what can we expect in future books in the series?
LL: As I said, we’re looking at a fifth Starlight Sister to join the group after a very dramatic sort of introduction to our old friends. Apart from that, there’ll be more performances, more “family and friends stuff,” more character growth—and of course, a super-exciting trip to London, where they’ll be giving a command performance, to top it all off!
