illustration of 2 girls floating over a city skyline and the title "The Stars Below Me"
ALL ART BY TRISTAN YUVIENCO
Fiction,

The Stars Below Me

Mara doesn’t want to move to New York City. Then a friend helps her see things in a whole new light. 

By Wendy Mass | Art by Tristan Yuvienco
From the May/June 2021 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify how Mara changes when she realizes that her new city surroundings, and a new friend, offer unexpected joys.

 

Lexile: 500L-600L, 600L-700L
Guided Reading Level: P
DRA Level: 35
Featured Skill: How a Character Changes,
Common Core Standards
  • R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.3, SL.1, L.1, L.2
TEKS Standards
  • TEKS Grade 3:
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6c, 6e, 6f, 6g, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7f, 7g, 8b, 8c, 8d, 10c, 10d, 12a

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Think and Read: How a Character Changes

As you read, look for ways that Mara changes from the beginning of the story to the end of the story.

Some people might think country living is boring, with the wide-open spaces and the big piles of hay. But
I love it here. In the fields with my telescope, I can see faraway stars and the rings of Saturn.

How cool is that?

The problem is, Dad just got some big job at a newspaper, and now we’re moving to New York City. Mom grew up in the city and is so excited she’s practically glowing.

I am not glowing.

I’ve lived in the same house every day of my life. I’ve gone to school with the same kids since kindergarten. The fact that I’ll still have the stars in New York is the only thing keeping me from freaking out. Dad promised that our apartment will have a balcony for my telescope. He also promised I wouldn’t have any trouble making friends.

I doubt that one. I like looking at the stars and growing pumpkins. I don’t think kids in the city are interested in things like that. 

Some people might think country living is boring, what with the wide-open spaces and the big piles of hay. But except for the roosters waking me at the first sign of the sun on the horizon, I love it here. In the fields with my telescope, I can see the craters on the moon and the rings of Saturn. The stars are so far away, it can take millions of years for their light to reach us. Whenever I look up, I’m looking into the past. I travel through time without leaving my backyard!

How cool is that?

The problem is, Dad just got some big job on a newspaper, and now we’re moving to New York City. Mom grew up in the city and is so excited about the move she’s practically glowing.

I am not glowing.

I’ve lived in this house every day of my life. I’ve gone to school with the same kids since kindergarten. The fact that I’ll still have the stars in New York is the only thing keeping me from freaking out. Dad promised that our apartment will have a balcony for my telescope. He also promised I wouldn’t have any trouble making friends.

I doubt that one. Kids in the city are cool. They grow up next to famous people, and they know what to wear for every occasion. I like looking at the stars and growing big pumpkins. I’m in the 4-H club. I even like math. I don’t think I’m going to be very popular. 

PAUSE AND THINK: What big change is happening for Mara and her family? 

Surrounded by Buildings 


On our last night at home, I say goodnight to my best friend, Eta. I met her when my grandfather gave me my first telescope. He showed me a star named Eta that is just like our sun and might have a planet around it like Earth. And on that planet there might be a girl looking up at the stars, wondering if anyone’s looking back. I call that girl Eta.

I know Eta is an imaginary person. But she’s the best kind of friend. She’s always there, near her star. And she thinks it’s cool that I like math.

“Goodnight, Eta,” I whisper. “Next time I see you it will be from the city.”

“’Night, Mara,” I pretend she says. “Have a wonderful trip.”

We leave at dawn. Hours later, Dad parks the van in front of a building that’s so tall I can barely see the top. Our apartment is on the second floor. It’s surrounded by more tall buildings. Already I want to go home.

When it’s finally dark, I take my telescope onto the balcony and look up. My heart starts pounding. “Dad!” I call. “Come quick!”

When he runs outside, I gesture frantically at the sky. “It’s too bright!” I cry. “I can’t see Eta!”

“I’m sorry, honey,” he says, squeezing my shoulder. “Maybe it will get dark enough in a few hours.”

I sit out there for two more hours, and the sky doesn’t darken. Mom comes out with hot chocolate, but I don’t drink it. I bet it won’t taste as good in the city. 

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

On our last night at home, I step outside to say goodnight to my best friend, Eta. We’ve known each other since we were 7 years old, and we say goodnight every night before bed. I met her when my grandfather gave me my first telescope on my birthday. He pointed it at the constellation Cassiopeia [kass-ee-uh-PEE-uh]. He showed me how the bright stars spell out M for Mara, and that a star close to the middle is named Eta. He said Eta is a star just like our sun and might have a planet around it just like Earth. And on that planet, there may be a girl looking up at the stars, wondering if anyone’s looking back. I decided to call that girl Eta. We’ve been friends ever since. 

“Goodnight, Eta,” I whisper. “Next time I see you, it will be from the city.”

“ ’Night, Mara,” I pretend she says. “Have a wonderful trip.” 

We leave at dawn, and after a 10-hour drive, Dad parks the moving van in front of a building that’s so tall I have to crane my neck to see the top. I’m used to seeing miles of sky when I’m outside. Already I want to go home.

Our apartment is on the second floor, and the building is surrounded by other tall buildings. This means I can’t even see the sky from my window without sticking my head far out. I have a feeling I’ll be spending most of my time on the balcony.

When it’s finally dark, I take my telescope onto the balcony and look up. The sky is a rosy pink. I can see some faint points of light, but no patterns. No constellations. My heart starts pounding. “Dad!” I call. “Come quick!”

When he runs outside, I gesture frantically at the sky. “All the lights! It’s too bright!” I cry. “I can’t see Eta! What if she’s waiting for me to say goodnight, and I’m not there?”

Dad puts his arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry, honey. Would you like to come inside? We can take a break from unpacking and watch a movie. It might take your mind off it.” I shake my head glumly. “Well,” he says, squeezing my shoulder, “maybe it will get dark enough in a few hours.”

But it doesn’t. I sit out there for two more hours, and the sky doesn’t darken one bit. Mom eventually comes out with hot chocolate, but I don’t drink it. I bet it wouldn’t taste as good in the city. 

PAUSE AND THINK: Who is Eta? 

“I Can Help” 


In the morning, Mom sticks her head into my bedroom.

“You have a guest,” she says, beaming. “Her name is Chloe. She’s the daughter of an old friend of mine. They live in the building.”

I walk out and see a girl in the living room standing next to my telescope. She’s wearing a dress with daisies on it. I think about the daisies growing in my old yard and feel homesick. “Welcome to the city,” Chloe says.

“Your mom was telling me you like astronomy. That’s, um, neat. I never knew anyone who had a telescope before.”

I feel my cheeks turn red. Why did Mom have to tell her that?

“I have to go,” she says quickly. “But maybe I’ll see you later?”

“Uh, sure,” I reply.

“She seemed very nice, didn’t she?” Mom asks, after Chloe leaves. 

“Mom, she left the second she met me.”

“I’m sure it had nothing to do with you,” Mom replies. I’m not convinced.

The next day, I head downstairs to the lobby. There’s a fountain with two small ducks in it. I plan to sit by it and pretend to be on my favorite rock next to the stream by my old house.

To my surprise, Chloe is already sitting there, a textbook in her lap. She looks like she’s been crying.

“Are you OK?” I ask. She shakes her head. “I have a math test tomorrow. I’ve been studying, but I’m still going to fail.”

“I can help you,” I say softly.

Her face brightens. “Really?”

I nod and feel my cheeks turn red again. “I’m pretty good at math.”

“Can you come up to my apartment after dinner?” she asks.

“OK.” 

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

When I finally decide to go to bed, it’s late. I drift in and out of sleep all night, the strange sounds startling me. At my old home, I’d hear the occasional animal baying at the moon, but here there are rattling pipes, neighbors shutting doors, the wail of sirens. It takes a long time for morning to come. When it finally does, I lie there waiting for the roosters that never crow. Instead, Mom sticks her head in.

“You have a guest,” she says, beaming.

I sit up so quickly I get a head rush. “Eta?”

“Who? Oh, right. No, of course not, honey. Her name is Chloe.”

Of course it wasn’t Eta. Rubbing my eyes, I ask, “Who’s Chloe?”

“Chloe’s the daughter of an old friend of mine. They live in the building. Hurry and get dressed.”

Standing in the living room next to my telescope, I find a short, thin girl with brown curly hair. She’s wearing a sundress with yellow daisies. I feel a pang of homesickness for the daisies that used to grow on the edge of our field.

“Welcome to the city,” Chloe says, smiling. “Your mom was telling me you like astronomy. That’s, um, neat. I never knew anyone who had a telescope before.”

I feel my cheeks burn. Why did Mom have to tell her that? Now she knows I’m a geek, and I haven’t even opened my mouth yet.

“I have to go,” she says before I can even get a word in. “But maybe I’ll see you later?”

“Um, sure,” I reply.

“She seemed very nice, didn’t she?” Mom asks, closing the door. “Mom, I know you want us to be friends, but she left the second she met me.”

“I’m sure it had nothing to do with you,” Mom replies. I’m not convinced. 

PAUSE AND THINK: Why is Chloe upset? 

From Above 


After dinner, I take the elevator all the way up to Chloe’s apartment. It’s high up, on the 50th floor. 

I show Chloe easy ways to remember the math formulas. We take a break for hot chocolate, which, I admit, DOES taste as good in the city. We even laugh a few times. I’m glad I found her by the fountain.

I keep catching Chloe glancing at the clock, though. “You probably have lots of better things to do,” I say.

“No, no,” she says. “I have a surprise for you. Your mom told me how sad you were that you can’t see the stars here, so I wanted to show you other kinds of stars. I was waiting till it got really dark.” She leads me onto the balcony.

I gasp. Tiny lights glitter beneath us in every direction, in every color of the rainbow. They’re like a million stars, but now I’m seeing them from above instead of below. 

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

I’m already getting squirrelly from being cooped up inside, so I decide to go exploring. My parents make me promise not to leave the building. As though I’d have anywhere to go. I head downstairs to the one place I’ve seen so far that reminds me a little bit of home.

The walls of the lobby are paneled in wood, and there are plants in every corner. There’s a fountain in the middle that actually has two small ducks in it. I plan to sit by it, close my eyes, and pretend to be on my favorite rock next to the brook that ran behind my old house. To my surprise, Chloe is already sitting there, a textbook open in her lap. She looks up as I pass by. Her eyes are red, and her cheeks are blotchy.

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. “Are you OK?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I have a math test tomorrow. I’ve been studying all day, but I’m still going to fail.”

“I can help you,” I say softly.

Her face brightens. “Really?”

I nod and feel my cheeks burn again. “I’m pretty good at math.”

“Can you come up to my apartment after dinner?” she asks.

“OK.”

After dinner, I take the elevator up to Chloe’s apartment. I show her easy ways to remember the formulas. She catches on fast. We take a break for hot chocolate, which, I admit, does taste as good in the city. We even laugh a few times. I’m glad I found her by the fountain.

I keep catching Chloe glancing at the clock, though. “I should probably go,” I say.

“No, no,” she says. “In fact, I have a surprise for you. C’mon.” She leads me into the living room. “Your mom told me how sad you were that you can’t see the stars here, so I wanted to show you different kinds of stars. I was waiting till it got really dark.” She steps onto the balcony and I follow. 

PAUSE AND THINK: Where does Chloe take Mara after it gets dark? 

How Cool Is That? 


“Wow. It’s . . . it’s amazing!” I say.

“Over there,” Chloe says, pointing to the left, “is Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History. They have a cool planetarium. And over there is the Statue of Liberty. I know it’s not the same as exploring the stars, but we could have so much fun exploring the city together. I can teach you everything I know.”

Before I can tell her how wonderful that sounds, Chloe adds, “Plus, my uncle lives outside the city. You can come with us next month, if you want, and show me everything YOU know. About the real stars.” 

I smile. “I’d love to.”

She walks me out to the elevator and says, “Thanks again. I never looked at math that way before.”

“Thank YOU!” The elevator arrives and I step in. “Goodnight, Chloe.”

“ ’Night, Mara,” she says with a smile and a wave.

Hearing Chloe say goodnight is almost like hearing it from Eta. Except more real. I know Eta is still out there. But until I see her again, I get to explore the stars below me with a new friend. 

How cool is that? 

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

My breath catches in my throat. I knew the elevator was going up really high, but I didn’t realize what a difference it would make. Tiny lights glitter beneath us in every direction, in every color of the rainbow. They’re like a million stars, but I’m seeing them from above instead of below. “It’s . . . it’s amazing!” I say, exhaling.

“Over there,” she says, pointing to the left, “is Central Park and the natural history museum. It has an amazing planetarium. And over there is the Statue of Liberty. And there’s the Empire State Building. I know it’s not the same as exploring the stars, but we could have so much fun exploring the city together. I can teach you everything I know.”

Before I can tell her how wonderful that sounds, Chloe adds, “Plus, my uncle lives outside the city. You can come with us next month, if you want, and show me everything YOU know. About the real stars.”

I swallow hard. “I’d love to.”

She walks me out to the elevator and says, “Thanks again. I never looked at math that way before.”

“Thank you!” The elevator arrives and I step in. “Goodnight, Chloe.” “’Night, Mara,” she says with a smile and a wave.
Hearing Chloe say goodnight is almost like hearing it from Eta.

Except more real. I know Eta is still out there. But until I see her again, I get to explore the stars below me with a new friend.

How cool is that?

PAUSE AND THINK: What do Chloe and Mara plan to do together? 

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you are Mara at the end of the story. Write a letter to Eta, telling her why you might not see her for a while and how you feel about that. 

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you are Mara at the end of the story. Write a letter to Eta, telling her why you might not see her for a while and how you feel about that. 

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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Teach This

Mara’s interest in astronomy might have inspired your students to do their own star-gazing. Send them over to NASA’s Space Place, where they can learn about constellations, watch a video about exoplanets (like the one where Mara’s friend Eta might live), and more.

Teach This

At the end of the story, Mara looks out on the dazzling New York skyline. What makes up this spectacular view? Your students can discover fun facts about the city’s tallest—and most famous—buildings at the site Skyscrapers of New York City.

From the Storyworks 3 Archives

Introduce your students to Mia from “The Ghost of Specter Elementary,” found in the October/November 2018 issue. Like Mara, Mia is a young girl who is unhappy about her family’s move to a new town. Ask your students to compare and contrast the stories of these two girls.

More About the Article

Content-Area Connections

Science: astronomy

Social-Emotional Learning: self-awareness (identifying emotions, examining biases, growth mindset); self-management (stress management, taking initiative); social awareness (concern for others); relationship skills (positive relationships, seeking/offering support)

Key Skills

how a character changes, text features, vocabulary, supporting details, character, compare and contrast, cause and effect, inference, plot, interpreting text, narrative writing

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

Preview Text Features

(10 minutes)

  • Direct students to look at page 14. Direct their attention to the title, subtitle, and illustration. Ask: What is the main character, Mara, holding in her hand? What do you think she’s looking at? Have students make a prediction about what the story will be about.
  • Then direct students to study the two illustrations on pages 16-19 and describe what they see. Ask them to compare the illustration of the two girls (Mara and Chloe) on pages 16-17 with the one on pages 18-19. What can you infer about what the girls might be feeling in each picture? 

Introduce Vocabulary

(15 minutes)

  • We have highlighted in bold six words that may be challenging and defined them on the page: glowing, frantically, beaming, astronomy, lobby, and planetarium.
  • Preview these terms by projecting or distributing our Vocabulary Skill Builder and completing it as a class. You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow, with audio and images that help students with pronunciation and comprehension. Both are available in your Resources tab.

Set a Purpose for Reading

(5 minutes)

  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read and Think and Write boxes on pages 15 and 19. These prompts and the Skill Builders support the story’s featured skill, how a character changes.

2. CLOSE READING

Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • First read: Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Editor Read-Aloud (available in your Resources tab).

  • Have students identify story details and vocabulary they don’t understand. 

  • Second read: Project, distribute, or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions (available in your Resources tab). Discuss them as a class, rereading sentences or passages as necessary. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck, which contains the questions as well as other activities from this lesson plan and a link to the story.)

  • Pair each student with a partner to discuss the Critical-Thinking Questions. Then ask pairs to share their answers with the class.

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

  1. Read the first section. How does Mara feel about living in the country? Which details help you understand her feelings? (character/supporting details) Mara loves living in the country. She appreciates its “wide-open spaces and the big piles of hay.” She likes growing pumpkins and looking at the stars with her telescope.
  2. Compare Mara’s feelings about moving to New York City with her mother’s feelings about the move. (compare and contrast) Mara and her mother feel very differently about the move to New York City. Mara’s mother is happy to move back to the city she grew up in. She’s so excited about the move she’s “practically glowing.” But Mara doesn’t want to go. She likes living in the country. And she’s worried that she’ll have a hard time making friends. 
  3. Read “Surrounded by Buildings.” Who is Eta? Why is she important to Mara? (character) Eta is Mara’s imaginary friend. Eta is important to Mara because Mara feels that Eta is always there for her, and Eta accepts Mara for who she is. 
  4. Why does Mara become upset when she’s on the balcony of her family’s New York City apartment? (cause and effect) Mara is upset because the New York City sky is too bright. She can’t see any stars through her telescope including the one named Eta, which is near the planet where Mara’s imaginary friend lives.
  5. Read “ ‘I Can Help.’ ” What can you infer about Mara’s feelings after first meeting Chloe? Explain your answer. (inference/supporting details) You can infer that Mara feels unhappy and uncomfortable after first meeting Chloe. Mara’s cheeks turn red because she’s embarrassed that Chloe knows she likes astronomy. She could be worried that Chloe, a city kid, won’t want to be her friend because Mara likes looking at the stars. Chloe leaves quickly, and Mara assumes this is because Chloe doesn’t like her.
  6. Read “From Above.” How does Mara and Chloe’s relationship change in this part of the story? (plot) Mara and Chloe help each other and start to become friends. Mara shows Chloe easy ways to remember math formulas, and Chloe helps Mara by showing her what New York City looks like at night.
  7. What does Mara mean when she says that “tiny lights glitter beneath us in every direction, in every color of the rainbow. They’re like a million stars . . .”? (interpreting text) Mara thinks that the glittering lights of New York City at night look like a million stars. But these bright lights are below her instead of in the sky above. 
  8. Read “How Cool Is That?” Mara won’t be able to see Eta for a while because the lights of New York City are too bright for Mara’s telescope. How does Mara seem to feel about this? Why do you think she feels this way? (inference/character) Mara seems to feel OK about not being able to see Eta for a while. Mara knows that Eta is still out there. Maybe she’ll get to see her when she goes with Chloe to visit Chloe’s uncle. In the meantime, Mara has a new, real friend to talk to and spend time with.

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

  1.  How does the way Mara feels about moving to New York City change from the beginning to the end of this story? (how a character changes) In the beginning of the story, Mara is unhappy about moving to New York City. She loves living in the country and is worried that she won’t make friends with kids in the city. At the end of the story, Mara has made a new friend, Chloe. Chloe shows Mara how the lights of New York City look like stars. Now, Mara is excited to explore New York City with her new friend.

3. SEL FOCUS

Adjusting to New Situations

In the story, Mara feels anxious about moving to New York City. Adjusting to new places and new groups of people can be challenging. Like Mara, we often make assumptions about what these new experiences and people will be like. Looking at new situations with a fresh perspective (as Mara did when she looked at the “stars” below her from Chloe’s balcony) can help us appreciate what’s good about these big changes in our lives. Ask: What helped Mara feel better about her move? Have you ever experienced a big change in your life? Maybe you moved to a new town or home, switched schools or sports teams, or got a new family member. What helped you adjust to your new surroundings or situation?

4. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING

Featured Skill: Plot

  • Distribute or digitally assign the How a Character Changes Skill Builder (available in your Resources tab) and have students complete it in class or for homework.  

  • Ask students to write a response to the prompt in the Think and Write box. Remind them to use the pronoun I since the letter is written from Mara’s point of view.

GREAT IDEAS FOR REMOTE LEARNING

  • Our Learning Journey Slide Deck (available in your Resources tab) is designed to make your life easier. Have students move through at their own pace or assign smaller chunks for different days. You can also customize the Slide Deck to your liking.

  • Have students complete the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions (available in your Resources tab) together in a video chat or on a shared Google Doc.

  • Our new Choice Board (available in your Resources tab) is perfect for remote learning. It offers nine varied activities for students to choose from. Students can do one activity or as many as they like, working at their own pace. Most of the activities on the Choice Board can be done away from a computer. 

Differentiate and Customize
For Struggling Readers

Students might be confused by Mara’s friendship with Eta, an imaginary girl named after a star. To help them, together read the parts of the story that talk about Eta (the first four paragraphs in “Surrounded by Buildings” and the second-to-last paragraph of the story). Then have a group discussion about who Eta is, why she’s important to Mara, and why Mara doesn’t need Eta as much by the end of the story. Afterward, have students form pairs or small groups to work on the writing prompt on page 19. 

For ELL Students

Mara’s experience may reflect one that many English language learners have had: moving to a place that’s completely different and feeling unsure about fitting in. Invite students who are newer to the United States to share how they felt when they first came here (if they were old enough to remember it).

For Advanced Readers

Have students research a star in our solar system. Then have them pretend they have an imaginary friend who lives on a planet near that star (like Mara does with her imaginary friend Eta). They should give their new imaginary friend a name and write a letter to them.  Offer these instructions: In your letter, introduce yourself and tell your friend what you learned about the star they live near.

For School or at Home

At the beginning of the story, Mara describes the countryside and what she likes about living there. Invite students to write a paragraph about the place where they live. Remind them to include a description of where they live along with details about why they like (or don’t like) living there. (If they prefer, students can do this exercise using a place that’s important to them, rather than the place where they currently live.) Ask students to create a drawing or collage to illustrate their writing. You might share these illustrated works online in a virtual classroom exhibit.

Text-to-Speech