A Pocketful of Stars
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By Aisha Bushby
avg rating
40 reviews
A magical middle grade book about family, friendship and finding out who you are, full of emotion and a secret fantasy world to discover. Perfect for 10 year olds and fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Ross Welford, Kiran Millwood-Hargrave and The House with Chicken Legs. From a rising star of children’s books.
This place is magic … but it’s not the sort of magic that comes from wands and spells … Can piecing together the past help you change the present? Safiya and her mum have never seen eye to eye. Her mum doesn’t understand Safiya’s love of gaming and Safiya doesn’t think they have anything in common. As Safiya struggles to fit in at school she wonders if her mum wishes she was more like her confident best friend Elle. But then her mum falls into a coma and, when Safiya waits by her bedside, she finds herself in a strange and magical world that looks a bit like one of her games. And there’s a rebellious teenage girl, with a secret, who looks suspiciously familiar … ’Bushby’s debut is poignant and atmospheric’ Guardian ‘A gorgeous story of friendship and growing up’ Cathy Cassidy ‘Moving and heartfelt’, Anna James, author of Pages and Co Aisha Bushby was selected as one of only four previously unpublished authors in the Stripes anthology for BAME writers, A Change is Gonna Come, alongside writers such as Patrice Lawrence, Tanya Byrne and Nikesh Shukla. The anthology was awarded a YA Book Prize Special Achievement Award. A Pocketful of Stars is her debut novel. TweetReviews
Beautiful and splendid definitely recommend to others. I can't put the book down I want to read it all over again
This book also moved me to tears on occasions as it moved through the story and the layers unfolded. I was carried away to Kuwait and could smell the smells and even feel the warmth. A very moving story written sensitively. I would certainly recommend.
An unexpected find and such an addictive read. It really took you along for the ride and pulled your emotions in every direction and you looked back into the mother daughter relationship of two generations.
It was very nice but I wouldn't recommend it for young children.
Loved this book, couldn’t put it down and highly recommend this for all ages not just children. I love the fact it turned and went completely into a 360 read
The front cover was very pretty and the blurb seemed interesting, but the book itself wasn't that great and was quite sad which I hadn't expected.
This was a great book that will really engage many young readers but there will need to be clear understanding of the children and any family circumstances as well as being ready to support children’s reactions to the emotions around dealing with illness and death.
I thought it was good but it was disappointing when you discover that your goal can't be reached.
Really emotive
I liked that it had all these amazing adventurous memories in Kuwait. I also liked how it had a sad ending. Even though it has a sad ending, at least the main character got to meet her aunt and mum's friend. I absolutely loved how there were Japanese movies mentioned in this book. And I absolutely love Japenese films. It was inspiring that the book had Arabic words and references!
Strange plot and very sad ending. Didn’t enjoy it but something did make me want to finish it
This is about a girl who enters a magical world in order to save her mum. I would recommend this book for magic and gamer lovers.
It was a good book with a sad ending. I liked the mum and found her life interesting. I would recommend it to older ages because of the sadness.
I thought it was a great book about family and friendship.I thought it was great because they was a great story to it. It was a fiction and my favorite character was Safiya because she was different to the other characters like her mum.I would recommend this book to someone who likes sad but action packed storys.
This book was really good....it kept me reading from start to finish. I thought it was cleverly written in a way that would appeal to 11 and 12 year olds. It tackles many different types of relationships but mainly the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother. Spoiler alert: It has an emotional ending.
Utterly beautiful. A Must read! All characters where so truthfully outlined that you felt that you already knew them
It was such a good book, heartfelt and emotional, I loved it.
One of my absolute favourites
Beautiful absolutely gripping book that left me with a lump in my throat. Emotional read that deals with grief and loss.
This is a heartfelt, stunning story about a girl called Saff. Her mother- whose name is Aminah- has a stroke and falls into a coma. Saff mysteriously then has multiple memories of her mother's childhood in Kuwait when smelling her mother's magical perfume. Suddenly, Saff realises it's a game and she has to win the game to save her mother before it's too late...
This book is fiction and I like it because it has a very lovely moral so I would recommend this book.My favourite character is Safia (Saff).
THIS WAS THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!I feel really sorry for Safiya when Aminah(her mum) had a stroke and was in hospital and she thinks playing the game in her mind might help save her mum by the house looking good.
A wonderful story about a young girl who learns to appreciate the sacrifices and love of her mother. This was an incredibly emotional story which sensitively handles the issues of loss. Would definitely recommend this book as a must read.
I really liked this book, I think it is one of the best books that I have ever read. My favourite person I’d Safia because I think she is really brave and kind and she has been through a lot. I would defiantly recommend this book to someone else!
I absolutely loved this book because it made me want to read on and on and on. This book made me feel sorry for the main character but also happy for her at the end.
This is such a good book and I would recommend this book to game lovers!
I loved this book! It was sad , happy and really good it had some worrying bits and relieving bits all together it was so good there our lots of people I would recommend this to!
not very inventive
It thought it was a brilliant book as it told you that you should always be grateful for your parents and family members as you never know what their past has been like. It was fiction and my favourite character was Aminah as she loves acting and shows like me. YES!
It is a great book. It takes you on a magical adventure of dreams and reality. Reccomended for ages 10 and up.
