Star Outside my Window

(2019) ‘I’ve always wanted to be a Star Hunter. But I don’t want to be the kind that looks for old stars that have already been burning for millions of years. I want to find the brand new ones – the ones that have only just been born and are searching for the people they’ve left behind…’

Following the disappearance of her mum, 10-year-old Aniyah suddenly finds herself living in foster care. With her life in disarray, she knows just one thing for sure: her mum isn’t gone for ever. Because people with the brightest hearts never truly leave. They become stars.

So when a new star is spotted acting strangely in the sky, Aniyah is sure it’s her mum, and she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to make sure everyone else knows too — an adventure that involves breaking into the Royal Observatory of London, a mischievous scurry of squirrels and the biggest star in Hollywood…

Told through the innocent voice of a child, this is a story that explores the subtle faces and endless impacts of domestic violence, and celebrates the power of hope and resilience, from Onjali Rauf, the award-winning author of The Boy at the Back of the Class.

*Parental guidance recommended: issues relating to domestic abuse included*