A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts! Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents’ encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space. This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination.
About The Author
Roda Ahmed is a Norwegian author and columnist born in Hargeisa, Somalia. Roda is the bestselling author of Forberedelsen (The Preparations) and in 2018 she published her first bestselling children’s book Mae Among the Stars with HarperCollins. An Amazon Best Book of the Month. Now in 10th printing! She can speak five languages: Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English, and French. Roda is the Founder and CEO of Hightree Publishing. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.
Read Aloud Tips
- Introduce the book, author and illustrations.
- Ask the students what they know about ants and how they behave.
- Throughout the read-aloud, ask students to describe what they see.
- Have students draw pictures of their homes and neighborhoods. Ask them to include places that adults or outsiders might be too big to notice.
An enchanting, inspirational account of [Mae] Jemison’s early life that illustrates the importance of encouraging and supporting children’s dreams. – Kirkus Reviews