Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler

This award-winning poetic biography captures the life of Octavia Butler, who was born to poor black parents, grew up in post-WWII US, and aspired to be an author in a world of white authors and in a genre—science fiction—that pushed the boundaries at the time. Butler persevered, overcame adversity, and was influenced by events around her, including the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, and is credited as the mother of Afrofuturism, which blends Black history and culture with sci-fi. Suitable for a class read-aloud, literature circle, or poetry unit, it explores identity, culture, belonging, equity, resilience, and racial segregation and migration during the 1930s-1950s.