In 2018, Roda Ahmed published Mae Among the Stars — the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space. In the short time since then, the book has inspired countless children and taught them to always follow their dreams.
Roda Ahmed is the author of Mae Among the Stars, the critically acclaimed children’s storybook which is a selection on Mrs. Bush’s 2020 reading list for kids.
Born in Somalia and raised in Norway, Roda speaks five languages — and has now founded her own publishing company. We talked to her on Zoom from her home in Oslo this summer about about why she wrote Mae Among the Stars, and how important representation is in children’s literature. We also discuss challenges she herself has had to overcome, and how she felt when she finally met Mae Jemison.
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- Mae Among the Stars: Barnes and Noble / Amazon
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- The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries — grant applications now open
