Starminster /

Astrid longs to see the stars, but is forced to stay inside the confines of the rhubarb shed with her Mama - until one night a stranger with wings takes Astrid to a secret city in the sky Astrid has lived in the rhubarb shed her whole life. The outside world is dangerous, Mama explains; she will understand when she's older, but she cannot set foot beyond the door. Astrid longs to see the world; to meet other children; to live in the farmhouse with Mama. But what she longs for most of all is to see the stars.
Then one night, a stranger unlocks the shed: a stranger with wings. She has come to take Astrid to a secret city in the sky called London Overhead, far above the highest peak of the Shard. For Astrid, like her, is a Librae - and will soon grow wings of her own...
Astrid is swept into a breathtaking and magical world of new friendships, sweeping adventures and unimaginable discoveries at the ancient, beautiful school for Librae students: Starminster. But quickly she learns that all is not well in the glimmering city. And when rumours abound of missing children in London Underfoot, she begins to realise that Mama may have been right about the dangers waiting for Astrid all along...

Young People.

9-11.

9-12.

KS2 KS3.

Book band Dark Red (Year 6).

Megan Hopkins is a Northern Irish writer who grew up in Belfast, Stuttgart, Chesterfield and Nairobi. She now lives in Kent with her husband and two young children. She is a secondary school English teacher with an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the Open University. She is a member of the Sevenoaks Bookshop Writing Group and was longlisted for WriteMentor's Novel in Development Award 2022. Megan has always dreamt of flying. STARMINSTER was her opportunity to live that dream and share it with everyone who longs for endless skies.