A Pocketful of Stars
Safiya and her mother have never seen eye to eye.
Her mother doesn’t understand Safiya’s love of gaming, and shy Safiya doesn’t think she has anything in common with her vibrant, sometimes volatile mother. But when her mother falls into a coma, Safiya’s whole world shifts. She finds herself dreaming about an unfamiliar setting and a rebellious girl who’s distinctly familiar.
Gradually she realizes that she’s experiencing her mother’s memories of her childhood in Kuwait. As Safiya unlocks these memories the way she would unlock levels in a game, she finds a path to accepting loss and embracing who she is—someone not so different from her mother after all.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
978-1-7284-5069-8
|
$14.99 | |
|
978-1-7284-9383-1
|
$24.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 5 - Grade 8 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 5 |
| Category | Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2023 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Carolrhoda Books ® |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 248 |
| Publication Date | 2023-09-05 |
Author: Aisha Bushby
Aisha Bushby was born in Bahrain to Kuwaiti-Canadian parents and has lived in Kuwait, England, and Canada. The first novel she ever worked on was a piece of fan fiction which she stayed up all night to work on when she was thirteen. She now writes magical children's books from her home in England, where she lives with her husband and two curious cats. She is the author of several children's books including A Flash of Fireflies and A Pocketful of Stars which was longlisted for the Carnegie medal and shortlisted for the Branford Boase award.
Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!
A Pocketful of Stars
Safiya and her mother have never seen eye to eye. Her mother doesn’t understand Safiya’s love of gaming, and shy Safiya doesn’t think she has anything in common with her vibrant, sometimes volatile mother. But when her mother falls into a coma,… View available downloads →
Summer Constellations: 2023 Stars So Far
By Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist It’s time to look up and celebrate the stars! Keep reading to discover which 2023 titles have earned review recognition for excellence and quality from the first six months of the year. Picture Books The Babka Sisters Grade Level: PreK – 2Age… View →
Awards
- USBBY Outstanding International Books List
- Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices
Reviews
School Library Journal
“A nearly perfect older tween, early teen tale, with best friend realignments and romance moving in from the horizon, plus mother-daughter fireworks for the ages.”—School Library Journal
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)
“This is a heartbreaking—and mending—story that will resonate well beyond the last page. Reviewer Rating: 5”—Children’s Literature
Booklist
“The scenes in Kuwait are lovingly rendered, informed by Bushby’s own childhood there and marked by her signature magical touch. Middle-grade readers will relate to Saff’s journey to newfound confidence and the joy of finding friends who love you for who you are.”—Booklist
Kirkus Reviews
“Bushby writes with nuance and skill about a mother-daughter relationship fraught with misunderstanding, and Safiya’s eventual realizations are equal parts uplifting and heartbreaking. A poignantly written novel that is hard to put down and even harder to forget.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews