

so it's not really about me"), and her journal entries reveal her growing self-confidence. Lena often reaches out to God, too ("Help me to remember that people all over the world will see this movie and will learn about you. At this and other junctures, her father offers comfort and advice through a combination of prayer and scripture. Before heading to Los Angeles with her parents and sisters to shoot the movie, Lena begins to have doubts about leaving her friends behind and stepping into the spotlight. Narrator Lena Daniels, an 11-year-old African-American girl, submits a video audition that lands her a leading role in a movie about a family learning to trust God the film also stars Lena's favorite singer, Mallory Winston.

The power of prayer and the importance of trusting in God dominate this novel, first in the Lena in the Spotlight series, inspired by the life of the 12-year-old author, Alena Pitts, writing with her mother. If you enjoy Hello Stars, check out the other books in the Lena in the Spotlight series:

And she knows her faith and family will keep her feet on the ground and her eyes on the stars. Lena tackles tough choices, learns the value of perseverance, and keeps her hopes high. And now that she's gotten her wish, Lena finds that being in the spotlight is harder than it sounds. But when her best friends Savannah and Emma tell her about an audition, she knows there's nothing else in the world she'd rather do. Headstrong and determined, she has her life planned out to the minute. In Hello Stars, eleven-year-old Lena Daniels never thought she'd get the chance to star in a movie.

is perfect for young fans of realistic fiction.This fiction story will appeal to young girls who have big dreams, and is a reflection of Alena's own life experiences as she reaches for the stars and keeps faith, family, and friends in balance. Hello Stars is book one in the Faithgirlz series Lena in the Spotlight, written by Alena Pitts, star of The War Room and tween blogger of For Girls Like You, and cowritten with her mother, editor and author Wynter Pitts.
