The Star Outside my Window by Anjali Q. Rauf (Middle Grade Audience)

The Star Outside my Window by Anjali Q. Rauf

I became a big Rauf fan after I read The Boy at the Back of the Class (ask me about the time I read it aloud and bawled like a baby in front of students). Her stories are full of heart, real characters and EMPATHY.  Anjali Q. Rauf is founder of Making Herstory, an organization which encourages men, women and children to work together to create a fairer and more equal world for women and girls. 

Children from all backgrounds need to see their lives reflected in the books they read, even when that reflection is a difficult one to understand. The Star Outside my Window takes on the heavy topic of domestic violence, which we rarely see in middle grade books. 

Plot: Aniyah and Noah are in foster care after their mother leaves and they have to play “hide-and-seek” from their father. Aniyah is convinced that she has turned into a star, especially when she learns of a new star in Earth’s orbit that captivates everyone around the world.

In a competition to name the star, Aniyah sets out to stop them- which involves running away to London where the event is being televised: The Kronos Gala Dinner.

Heart-stopping ending. Not only does Aniyah learn the truth about her mother, but she does something courageous that will have you holding your breath right up to the last page.