RULES FOR STEALING STARS

A sister story with a hint of darkness, a twist of magic, and a whole lot of hope.

Silly is the baby of the family, and she is used to feeling left out. Her three older sisters, Eleanor, Astrid, and Marla think she is too little for most things – especially when it comes to dealing with their mother’s unpredictable moods and slurred outbursts. But for Silly, that is normal. She hardly remembers a time when Mom was not drinking.

This summer, Silly is more alone than ever, and it feels like everyone around her is keeping secrets. Mom is sick all the time, and Dad is doing his best to make life seem normal when it is anything but. To start with, they have moved from Massachusetts to a big, old summer house in New Hampshire. And Silly’s sisters keep whispering and sneaking away to their rooms to be together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot: sunburned cheeks smudged with glitter, and giggling about inside jokes that Silly does not understand.

When Silly is brought into her sisters’ world, the truth is more exciting and magical than she ever could have imagined. The sisters have discovered a magical closet that gives them what they need – an escape from the darkness of their home life. But there are dark truths hiding there, too. Will the magic of the closet be able to heal Silly’s family, or will it ultimately tear them apart?

Corey Ann Haydu is the author of three acclaimed books for teens: OCD Love Story, Life by Committee, and Making Pretty. She grew up in the Boston area but now lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she drinks mochas and uses a lot of Post-it notes, habits she picked up while earning her MFA at the New School.