80 pages • 2 hours read
Kwame AlexanderBlack Star
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter 4Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 4, Introduction Summary: “The Story of the Capture”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, including enslavement.
Nana shares a story about foreigners and invaders coming to Africa. They tried to fight the white people, but they had resources like guns. Soon, they stole people and put them on slave ships. Nana and his cousin, also named Kofi, were on the same ship. Their ship was destroyed in a storm. Nana and Kofi had to swim in the ocean for their lives.
Chapter 4, Poem 1 Summary: “Conversation”
Charley tells Willie this story of Nana’s capture. He asks many questions and then says that they should learn about this history in school. Willie thinks that he wouldn’t have survived like Nana did.
For their team, Juju and Plum can play. They now have five members. Berry isn’t allowed since her parents don’t want her playing rough. Willie thinks it’s okay not to have Plum since they don’t need more girls. Charley points out that she’s a girl, but he knows she’s different and special.
Chapter 4, Poem 2 Summary: “Nana Speaks of Rivers”
Nana reads poems from a magazine. One poem describes rivers, and every time he reads that word, he smiles.
Chapter 4, Poem 3 Summary: “Training Day”
Charley’s nephews Plum and Juju come over for practice. Charley does her best to teach them, but they’re uncoordinated. She thinks they’re hopeless.
Chapter 4, Poem 4 Summary: “While Juju and Plum Sit”
During a training break, Charley reads a book. She gets an idea to write an instructional manual about baseball.
Chapter 4, Poem 5 Summary: “Charlie Cuffy’s Three Easy and Essential Steps for Juju and Plum to Learn How to Hit and Catch”
Charley writes down her top tricks and techniques about baseball. She has sections on hitting, fielding, and catching.
Chapter 4, Poem 6 Summary: “Standing in the Need of Prayer”
Her nephews interpret her instructions the best they can. Charley says to follow her steps and treat the book like their bible.
Charley goes inside and plays her flute, praying that their team stands a chance.
Chapter 4, Poem 7 Summary: “Fourth Sunday”
After the sermon on Sunday, the pastor reminds everyone about the annual Fifth Sunday picnic. Charley and Willie meet eyes across the pews, praying that they can win.
Chapter 4, Poem 8 Summary: “A House Full of”
Charley’s house is full of food and family time again. They eat, sing, dance, nap, wrestle, and more.
Chapter 4, Poem 9 Summary: “Woe”
Uncle Albert takes Charley and her cousins on a drive in his car. When they return from the car ride, the others tell Albert to hurry inside.
Chapter 4, Poem 10 Summary: “ILL”
Nana Kofi is sick. The adults speak inside his locked room about a doctor, and Momma tries not to cry.
Chapter 4, Poem 11 Summary: “Pneumonia”
Nana is diagnosed with pneumonia, a lung sickness. When the doctor leaves, Momma says that it’s contagious, so Charley can’t get too close to Nana. When she worries, Nana croaks that he’ll be fine.
Chapter 4, Poem 12 Summary: “The Black Stars”
While Charley frets about Nana’s health, Willie comes inside and begs her to come hit balls. He has the perfect name for their team.
Chapter 4, Poem 13 Summary: “Why?”
Willie chooses the name the Black Stars because it’s like the St. Louis Stars, his favorite team. The Black Line is also the name of the ship that will take Nana home. Lastly, the Black Star of Freedom is a symbol of Black history. Charley knows that their school lessons said it was the North Star, but she doesn’t correct him. She loves the name and hugs Willie.
Chapter 4, Poem 14 Summary: “Friends”
Henry is busy working at the store, so Charley and Willie play alone. They practice and pretend to be the famous Black Stars for their invisible crowd. While walking home afterward, Willie says that he’s glad they’re friends. Though she’s still worried about Nana, Charley feels better.
Chapter 4, Poem 15 Summary: “Bedtime”
Charley says goodnight outside Nana’s door. She dreams of the big game. When she wakes up, she can’t remember who won.
Chapter 4, Poem 16 Summary: “The Next Day”
Every Monday night, the Colored Women’s Club meets at the church. Charley usually reads, but tonight, they have a special guest speaker: Mrs. Mary Bethune. Mary is well-dressed, proper, and connected to the president.
Chapter 4, Poem 17 Summary: “Everything That Comes out of Her Mouth”
Mary speaks with eloquence and power. She’s so articulate that she mesmerizes the crowd. Charley is in awe of Mary’s communication and leadership skills.
Chapter 4, Poem 18 Summary: “After the Standing Ovation”
During question time, Charley raises her hand. Mary calls on her.
Chapter 4, Poem 19 Summary: “Conversation With Mrs. Mary Bethune”
Charley wonders if girls and women can do anything they want. Since Mary runs an all-girls school, she believes that women can do anything meaningful, like teaching or farming. Momma wants Charley to stop pestering Mary. Still, Charley asks about sports, explaining that sports can give people joy and offer an escape from the world’s darker realities.
Mary applauds Charley for her confidence and ambition. She thinks that everyone should follow their dreams like Charley. She also states that Charley would make a great teacher.
Chapter 4, Poem 20 Summary: “Before She Leaves”
Mary speaks with Momma about Charley’s potential. She invites Charley to join her at her all-girls school in Florida. Momma is honored.
Mary tells Charley that the Black team was called the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens and that they were very talented. Mary advises her to study her racial and cultural history.
Chapter 4, Poem 21 Summary: “Thinking”
At home, Charley tells Nana all about Mary’s lecture, her mission, and the Dolly Vardens. She asks questions about his health.
Chapter 4, Poem 22 Summary: “All the Important Things”
Charley asks a myriad of questions, such as if Nana is feeling better, if he can watch the big game, how kings were chosen in Africa, if she could be a teacher, and why he fought in the Civil War when the US mistreated him.
Chapter 4, Poem 23 Summary: “While I Sit Outside His Room”
Nana doesn’t respond to Charley’s questions, so she wonders if he’s all right or sleeping. Just when she’s going to leave, he begins a story.
Chapter 4 Analysis
Charley and Willie’s friendship provides a respite from the emotionally heavy parts of the novel. Amid scenes of racism, violence, and systemic oppression, their camaraderie and humor lighten the novel’s mood:
[W]e got this one hen who don’t ever lay eggs. She bigger than the rest, and always clucking like she the boss. You like that hen, Charley.
You calling me a bird, Willie Green?
I’m calling you special. We don’t need no more hens not laying eggs on our team.
First off, that’s just stupid talk. And second, that ain’t no hen, silly, ’cause everybody know ALL HENS LAY EGGS. What you got is a rooster. KWAAKWAADABI! (172).
Beyond their later discord, when Willie “betrays” Charley, their bond emphasizes the importance of true friendship in supporting Dreams and Determination. Charley and Willie accept each other’s dreams, talents, and feelings. They respect and support one another, whether it’s Charley’s ambition to become a baseball star or Willie’s dream of becoming a superstar singer. Their banter and teasing imbue the story with humor. These ongoing moments of joy and cracking jokes balance the novel’s heavier themes and discussion of systemic oppression affecting Black Americans.
The title Black Star carries symbolism and reflects the characters’ resilience against adversity. Willie chooses the name for their baseball team, and it resonates deeply:
sounds like […]
the St. Louis Stars,
and […] that’s the name of the ship
Nana Kofi’s gonna take home, and
[…] our teacher taught us
that the Black Star
is always the way to freedom (189).
The name connects to his favorite team, a symbol of Black excellence in sports, and to the ship that Nana awaits as his safe passage to Africa. This dual significance ties the team name and the novel’s title to the theme of Generational History and Self-Discovery Through Family Legacy. While Willie misinterprets the North Star of hope as the Black Star from their school history lessons, Charley’s choice not to correct him demonstrates her shared belief in the name’s power. It represents their dreams, the struggles of Black people, and a broader cultural history. The team name and book title, Black Star, encapsulate their mission as baseball players and individuals who possess Courage Against Racial Injustice, particularly the desire to fight against discrimination.
Alexander shows Mary Bethune’s eloquence and inspiring influence on other characters through literary elements of punctuation and short stanzas. The frequent use of periods mirrors Mary’s deliberate and articulate speech:
I shall say to you. Today.
That the true. Worth.
Of. A society.
Is measured.
By the opportunities.
It offers. Its children (196).
Because Mary is articulate and enunciates every word, the text follows her precise speech pattern. The many periods make the words stand out with short, sharp sounds and intentional pauses to fit her dialogue. The formatting reflects her eloquence, showcasing her as a motivational speaker whose rhythm and phrasing demand attention. These writing choices convey Mary’s intelligence and charisma, demonstrating how Charley hears her voice. Meeting Mary is a pivotal moment in Charley’s life, as Mary’s encouragement reinforces Charley’s dreams and determination. Through both content and form, Mary’s character becomes a source of inspiration, leaving a lasting impact on Charley.
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By Kwame Alexander
