Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books > A Pocketful of Stars

A Pocketful of Stars

Book Synopsis

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 …

Our Review Panel says...

Pocketful of Stars is a magical, tear-jerking tale of a young teenager dealing with the sudden illness of her mother. Thirteen-year-old Safiya struggles to feel like she fits in with the world around her and, being a gaming enthusiast, prefers instead the alternative world in her favourite game, ‘Fairy Hunters’. The story starts with Safiya and her best friend Elle visiting Safiya’s mum. Even in this situation, Safiya is the one who feels left out: she feels she has nothing in common with her own mother. Soon after the visit, Safiya receives a devastating phone call, informing her that her mother is in a coma after a suspected stroke…

This book is available on these booklists:

Support independent Bookshops

Booklists you might also like...

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments