Dear Stardust Paperback by Shannon Hugman

Product Details

• Publisher: White Arrow Books (2026-10-27)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 232 pages
• ISBN-13: 9789370897953
• Item Weight: 170.1 grams
• Dimensions: 19.05 x 13.0 x 1.42 cm

Discover a heartwarming coming-of-age story about growing up, finding your voice, and embracing the magic of being yourself. Dear Stardust follows twelve-year-old Sunny on an unforgettable summer journey filled with family secrets, first crushes, self-discovery, and the beautiful challenges of becoming a teenager.

Sunny's world feels complicated. With a strict mother, an absent father, an estranged older brother, and a home filled with silence, she struggles to understand where she belongs. Everything begins to change when her quirky, loving grandmother Neppy introduces her to the wonders of cosmic wisdom, the moon's cycles, and the importance of trusting her body and believing in herself.

Told through Sunny's honest narration and heartfelt journal entries, this empowering coming-of-age novel for young readers explores friendship, family relationships, body changes, and the excitement of a first crush. As Sunny grows closer to Zolt, the dreamy boy from the music store, she discovers new feelings while learning valuable lessons about self-care, confidence, and self-acceptance.

With warmth, humor, and emotional depth, Dear Stardust celebrates the extraordinary bond between grandmothers and granddaughters, the power of female relationships, and the courage to embrace change. Perfect for readers who enjoy heartfelt middle grade fiction, empowering stories for girls, and books about growing up, this inspiring novel reminds us that everyone carries a little stardust within.

Why should readers pick this book?

• Relatable Coming-of-Age Story: Follow Sunny as she navigates the emotional and physical changes of growing up.
• Empowering Message: Encourages body confidence, self-love, individuality, and finding your own voice.
• Heartwarming Family Relationships: Celebrates the wisdom of grandmothers, family connections, and meaningful conversations.
• Engaging and Emotional Storytelling: Blends journal entries, first-crush excitement, humor, and self-discovery into a memorable reading experience.

Key Themes

• Self-Discovery and Personal Growth: Learning to embrace individuality, change, and inner strength.
• Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance: Building confidence and developing a healthier relationship with oneself.
• Family Bonds and Female Empowerment: Exploring love, understanding, and intergenerational wisdom.
• First Crushes and Growing Up: Discovering new emotions, relationships, and the courage to be yourself.

About the Author

Shannon Hugman is a writer, professional astrologer, and ocean lover who believes the universe is always talking—we just have to listen. Inspired by teaching yoga to young girls, she wrote Dear Stardust to help coming-of-age readers learn to love themselves. When she isn’t at the beach or chasing the moon, she helps people listen to their intuition and live cosmically.