Category Archives: middle grades

Aug31

Sisters Alone by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

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Sisters Alone by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

It is known from my public postings that I am friends with the author and I love this book, (see previous posts to read my gushings about the process, the challenges, and the fact that I think it should win the Newberry) so I will try and write an objective review, but I’m clearly biased.

This novel in verse told from two perspectives is best targeted for mature middle grade readers and up that can handle grief, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, survival situations, and injury.  The lyrical writing, quick pace and normalization of Islam into the characters make the pages fly by and it impossible to put down. Do not let the sparse words on the page make you assume the story is simple, the crafting of this book, is nothing short of spectacular. The numerous entry points allow the story to work on the surface, and I can promise you each reading will provide new details and connections to be discovered. From the color motifs, the weight of tragedy, the devastation of loss, the desperation, the self doubting amplified by the past, their girls’ ages, and their present predicament, are expertly balanced with the relatability of friend troubles, school trips, grades, comparisons, expectations, and family dynamics.  The heaviness is felt, but the pacing keeps the themes from bogging down the story and allows it to flow effortlessly. The only thing difficult about this book is: one: not spoiling it, hence the minimal amount of inside pages being shared, and  two: not staying up late to read it in one sitting.

This book would work wonderfully for a book club reading, even for middle school, and allow intuitive discussions about mental health to take place.  The personal backmatter into the author’s relationship to both a storm and intrusive thoughts and worries normalize that help is available, that talking to people about our challenges is not weakness, and that understanding and empathy for our ourselves and others are important skills to develop.

Aug30

Minecraft: Battle of the Block by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

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Minecraft: Battle of the Block by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Before I ever opened the book and read the first words, this book in my heart had already accomplished so much. Not only is it an official Mojang studios official product written by a Muslim woman of color but the characters are unapologetically Muslim, neurodivergent, and burgeoning activists battling gentrification and noise pollution. I must confess I have not read a lot of Minecraft IP literature, so I don’t know where the requirements and parameters start and stop or even overlap with the author’s own style and vision. I mention this because the Islam at times feels a little overly explained, which is not typical of the author’s other work, the heartfelt cathartic release at the end though, is very much all the feels that you would expect if you are a long time fan of the author, or a sweet surprise tug-on-the heart if this is your first read of hers.  I do worry that many kids might not get to the climax though, as the pacing of this 268 page middle grade read is very slow. Perhaps the lack of movement is meant to add to the tension, and build relatability to Nzinga’s feelings of isolation and need, not just enjoyment for Minecraft, but for me it ultimately made it feel like a lot of telling and not showing, frustration with the side characters, and annoyance at inconsistencies. Yes, I contradict myself a lot in the above sentences, and I own that, I loved the ending and to get there all the threads throughout must have been intentional. I loved the Islam but felt at times it was over explained, I’m reviewing a book in a specific genre that I have not read before, focused in a world I only know about through a movie, and listening and watching my kids interact with, so this review is probably useless. Maybe the only worthwhile take away is: the book is clean, it has amazing messaging about activism, community, and speaking out, and if your kids want to read it, let them, if they can finish it they will be better for it.

SYNOPSIS: Summary taken from publisher’s blurb:

A young girl learns how to make a difference both in the real world and in the world of Minecraft in this exciting original novel!

Ever since her family moved to the suburbs and Nzinga started middle school, she’s been really lonely. Her only consolation has been working on Phantasy Philly, a special build she and her team will present at a huge Minecraft convention in just a few weeks. Nzinga, her brother Samir, and her cousin Jannah have decided to recreate and reimagine a blocky version of their old Philadelphia street. Now that summer is here, Nzinga can’t wait to return to the old neighborhood and finish their build.

But when Nzinga and Samir arrive at their grandmom’s house, things aren’t how she pictured. Jannah, usually a design whiz, seems distracted and unwilling to work on their project. Incessant drilling can be heard all hours of the day as new apartments are constructed, replacing beloved parts of their street. The constant noise makes it hard to think straight, let alone get anything done.

Nzinga sees how noise pollution and redevelopment are hurting the street, but what can she do about it? And how is she supposed to fight that battle while also inspiring her team to build their ideal Minecraft neighborhood? As Nzinga struggles to answer these questions, she may just learn how even the quietest voices can have the biggest impact.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I love a lot about this book, even aside from just the positioning and all mentioned in the opening paragraph.  I love the perspective of  the protagonist, Zing, a neurodivergent character that isn’t steeped in pity or woe is me, she offers really great insight for readers to see themselves and/or have some understanding for those around them.  Same for how Mir’s autism is presented as who he is and part of the story, not his whole identity and the point of the book.  I also love Grandmom and her modeling how the systems work to have your voice heard, to speak at a city council meeting, how to fight and get through the red tape and how exhausting that can be.  The imam is also pretty great, which is great rep to see.
I don’t like Jannah, I don’t find her arc redeeming, I don’t know why, but I just found her pretentious and mean. Her mom and Grandmom needed to sit her down and have a good conversations with her and Nzinga and help them sort through their issues as soon as they all realized that Mir and Zing have come back to the neighborhood and the two cousins are not spending time together, at all.

I think ultimately for me the problem with the characters and the pacing came down to telling not showing aspects which seemed to reveal inconsistencies as well.  Why does Nzinga want to come back so bad, all the stories of connection and community are non existent when she returns, the kids are mean to her or ignore her, the neighbors seem distant as well, and I get that it is to show the effects of the noise pollution, but it makes it feel like a huge disconnect, is she just being extra in her memories?

The Minecraft elements as well seem a bit far fetched in why Zing so desperately wants to do well at Phantasy Philly, wants to have a crew, but seems consistently waiting for someone to tell her what to build or green light her builds, at some point she should show off her abilities. We see her ability to destruct, we see Jannah and Mir’s skill, but to cheer her on, the reader needs to know what we know she is capable of, and then see her rise up.  I didn’t really feel her understanding of the noise pollution and the gentrification was properly explained either, she truly was in agreement at one point with the developers and the transition was a bit too quick. I think she needed to see the manipulation and thus the readers could also grow in their understanding of how the systems and corporations position themselves to harm society  while making the image and messaging seem like they are doing something beneficial.
FLAGS:
Lying
*Disclaimer I read this book months ago and was unable to write up a review while memories and thoughts were fresh, hence the condensed review. Forgive me for any errors.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I think the political and activism threads about gentrification and community is incredible to start discussions about, I also think the idea of Phantasy Philly could and should become a reality.
May31

The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan

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The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan

I’ve been trying to get through this middle grade 304 page book for well over a year, and it has been a struggle. I think the emotional release by the end is well done, but the journey to get there requires enduring pacing issues, truncated plot threads and scenes, magical realism, and some really forced positioning of characters and scenarios that I don’t feel warranted the time and page space to add anything to the key points of the story. When the storytelling was at its peak though, it was enjoyable and heartfelt, and the pages flew by, unfortunately though making the difference in writing more jarring and difficult to get through. I love that the book sticks to the colonizing British being the “villains,” but the individuals themselves on all sides being seen in shades of gray. No easy feat, no doubt, to feature such a wide and diverse casts of Britishers, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, etc., and to keep from villainizing or glorifying any one group. I don’t know that I understood the point of the magical realism, though, of the no named village, the banyan tree, the kids all being born on the same day, it seemed unnecessary and distancing when trying to connect to the characters and their very real partition of the subcontinent. I love the idea of the book, we need more partition stories that encourage critical thinking, and aren’t all rosy and neatly tied up. I just don’t know that a middle grade reader will be able to immerse themselves in the time and environment with the often choppy breaks in events, and locations, and abandonment of scenes with no context or tie backs provided. There are a lot of names and religious identities that muddle together, and with all characters celebrating each others holidays and partaking in community without delineation, it makes for a lot going on in the beginning, that I think will be difficult for the target audience to digest and get through to appreciate the remainder of the tale.


SYNOPSIS

Told from Jahan’s perspective the book focuses on three kids born on the same day, to families with ties to an unnamed village that can never be on a map. Their births are recorded by a banyan tree and the Muslim Jahan, Hindu Ravi, and Muslim Aisha who is nicknamed Lakshmi, grow up as intertwined as the tree’s roots. The village raises them collectively as Nanas and Nanis and Dadas and Dadis all become elders to the children, at least that is the way I decided to take it when keeping track of all the relations (and I speak some Urdu) got a bit too confusing. As they journey back and forth between the village and Lahore prior to partition, we see the kids and the near utopia that the village represents of all faiths living together and respecting one another. Jahan is becoming a hafiz, and wakes for fajr regularly, Ravi plays his instruments and goes to Temple. As partition looms we see the effects that carving up a country that has been occupied for so long starts to have on the families, the children, the anger and tensions that are escalated and the evil that brews in chaos, all while the characters at the center strive to keep connections and hope.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I love that the Islam is not watered down, even if at times the characters blur with partaking in each other’s rituals or considerations, I like that they believe what they believe and it is unwavering and largely uncompromised. I think the book does a good job of separating the collective labels from the individuals, to see that it was a trying time that brought out the best and worst in people of all ages. Craft wise, I just struggled with the going back and forth from Lahore to the village, the build up of planning the games and contests and pranks that had no baring on the story because they would just end and not be threaded through for a purpose or character growth or even resolved. As a result it just made the story wander and for me, at least, often lose interest. I loved when the trio was all in Lahore and thwarting the gang, solving a mystery and being the amazing clever detectives. Most of the scenes of them just being together were delightful and I wish they would have been connected better, the justification of why they were together and how their families all aligned to get them together were just unnecessarily exhausting.

FLAGS:

Violence, death, people being lost, people disappearing, angry mobs, ghost trains, birthdays, girl boy friendships, celebrating each others holidays, lying, boys dressing as girls to sneak in to a gangs hideout, lying, sneaking, anger, riots, music, talk of possible reincarnation, magic.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think this book would be a great supplemental assignment to a lesson on colonization or partition. If read in a small group I think a lot discussion would be needed to help shed light on the politics and ongoing repercussions that still persist and would make for a great conversation and critical thinking exercises. I would not be opposed to shelving the book, but I think once the topic and tempting cover have been exhausted, most middle school or even middle grade readers will lose interest before the story gets good, so to speak, and I can’t see many kids reading this independently to its completion, although I do hope I am wrong.

May11

Hidaya: Wira and the Spiritual World by Fahem & Hamid illustrated by Fahem

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Hidaya: Wira and the Spiritual World by Fahem & Hamid illustrated by Fahem

First published in 2024 I have been anxious to get ahold of this Muslim manga, and curious why no commentary reviews seem available for the book that recently released in the United States. After reading the book, I think I know, readers, myself included, aren’t quite sure what to make of it: does it skirt the line, really close, to being shirk or cross it? Does it take an Islamic concept and just twist it for fictionalized exploration? Is it a Sufi read, and thus not palatable to those that don’t practice that way? The book is just an introduction, it leaves off on rising action and so much of the aforementioned questions are left very vague, with nothing to back up any argument one way or another. As someone not familiar with Karamat and walis (other than in wedding environments), I felt uncomfortable with the premise of the book, and despite my 5th grader asking about it, I did not hand it over. The art is fantastic, I love the concept of going to a different realm to battle nafs, but again we don’t see how it is developed to know what results from that thread. The book does mention Halloween when costumes appear, presumably there is an error as it has Wira having a female pronoun on one page, when he is a boy, but it could be indicative of something more to come in the future, and there is bullying, dishonesty, and very choppy scenes, which perhaps are manga style, admittedly a genre I’m not familiar with as well. As a result, please look through the inside pages I am sharing, and decide for yourself if it is a good fit for your family or not, clearly this review is indecisive based on my own limited knowledge of manga and karamat.


The book follows Wira, his sister Hiba and some cousins as they train in martial arts, deal with bullies, and play video games. Wira, additionally dreams of being amazing like the Prophets, being a wali, and having powers. When he encounters a hermit in the jungle who has unworldly abilities and a retinue of animals that serve as spies, he and Hiba are whisked away to the Spiritual World of the Hearts. Once there they lose Master Rashmad and meet Master Hikmah. The book abruptly ends with promises of volume two to come.

The buildup is rather disjointed at this point, it is unclear why bullies and video games and a martial arts tournament and money woes have been presented. I don’t know if I will follow up with a second volume to get answers, but I did feel that even with my own lack of knowledge, just putting some thoughts out there and some inside pages, families could be better equipped to decide if the book is a worthwhile investment.



May5

My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle

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My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle

It has been a minute since I have read a refugee story, and was glad to see a new middle grade title published as the timeliness of immigrants and empathy is as critical as ever. I will admit though I was skeptical upon starting when I saw it is not OWN voice, and while grateful that a photojournalist source is named in the backmatter, through the lens of an Muslim book reviewer though, I can’t help but feel like the richness of having lived experiences reflected in the narrative or child immigrants researched to draw upon, left the Islam nonexistent and the cultural details and specifics weak. That is not to say that I wasn’t cheering for Samim, or that the craft of the book as a whole was not well done, it was. I was invested, emotional at the end, and Samim will stay with me for a while, but the protagonist is positioned as being a Shia Hazara, and for much of the story why he believes his family was killed, and yet even as he is facing repeated horrors and challenges, there are no Bismillahs, or crying out to Allah swt during a horrific series of events, no acts of worship, or relationship to faith. Nearly every time religion was mentioned I took a picture, so what you see is the religious rep nearly in its entirety not a sample. Similarly, there is some cultural foods dropped in, and awareness of gender differences once he is in the West, but honestly aside from the countries he passes through along the way, it could be a refugee from any war ravished country fleeing. Perhaps that is the point, if so it isn’t a terrible one, I just feel inclined to point it out. It is also worth nothing that this isn’t a juxtaposition story of life in Afghanistan to life in the United Kingdom, or political commentary aside from the initial premise of the Taliban wanting Shias out, it is really just a spotlight on Samim and his journey and what he, and so many go through when home is no longer safe. There is hardship, abuse, death, violence, transgender rep, bullying, human rights abuses, assault, drowning, persecution, stereotypes, bombings, displacement, theft, cruelty, violent death, loss, guilt, regret, etc. The book is not overly graphic, but the subject matter and commentary about Samim’s journey and the characters along the way may not be suitable for all children.

SYNOPSIS:

Samim is forced to leave Afghanistan when his entire family, save one uncle, are killed at the hands of the Taliban. With his uncle, and his best friend, Zayn, who has also lost everyone, a perilous journey to the United Kingdom is taken.  Once he arrives, alone, the story of how he got to the UK is shared with the readers as he seeks asylum and makes his case to stay.  His retelling of the journey is interspersed with him starting school and dealing with the stresses of uncertainty, bullies, grief, and anger.  Samim is shaped by his experiences and the people he meets, those whose stories he wants to ensure live on, and those that he longs to forget.  He is a wiz at chess, he knows 230 digits of pi, and he is carrying more, and been through more, than any child ever should.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I love that there is a map, that a source is named and that the book has a lot of heart, you really can’t help but feel for Samim. I would have liked more Hazara rep, or Shia rep, their plight is under represented in children’s literature, but I recognize I’m looking at that with adult eyes, and the target audience is probably not as critical.  I also would have liked to see more raw emotion regarding the loss of his family, and stories tying him to them.  I didn’t feel the weight of who this lone uncle was, and what his loss meant other than on the journey at hand.  Some backstory and fleshing out of family and connection would go a long way to showing additional heart and humanity for those dealing with grief and loss that would hopefully connect with young readers. And yes, I think it could have been stronger without changing the direction and purpose of the story.

While some of the exploration of themes is subtle, the commentary on gender and gender identity is not.  The reader is introduced to to a female refugee character dressing as a boy on the journey for safety, and highlights how Samim and Zayn grapple with that reveal.  And then Samim meets Rence, a trans character in the UK, who becomes a close friend, and thus shows the continuation of that normalization while also highlighting stereotypes about women and identity in both the Afghan and Western cultures.  The author also seems to be quite deliberate in showing good and bad, kind and manipulative, cruel and generous people throughout so as not to have a single character’s religion, or culture, or gender, or ethnicity shoulder the stereotype of more than just themselves in that moment.  It keeps the book from perpetuating assumptions as Samim meets and interacts with such diversity on his journey.

FLAGS:
There is hardship, abuse, death, violence, transgender rep, bullying, human rights abuses, assault, drowning, persecution, stereotypes, bombings, displacement, theft, cruelty, violent death, loss, guilt, regret, etc.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

As I searched to see how authentic the book is, I did find a good article about the author’s research and expertise in the area:

https://www.thebookseller.com/trade-interviews/author-fidan-meikle-on-the-story-behind-her-middle-grade-debut

I think if you know your audience, this book could work for a class or book club read, but I think with the triggers and some of the commentary, one would need to be confident that it is a good fit.  I would be ok to shelve it on a library or classroom shelf for upper middle grade, as I think the book is clear about the contents within and readers drawn to it, should hopefully be aware that refugees endure a lot of hardships, and thus the story may be difficult at times.

Mar26

Hafsa’s Way by Aisha Saeed

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Hafsa’s Way by Aisha Saeed

It definitely helped going in to this 224 page middle grade novel knowing that it would not have any Islam, and would most likely be a cultural read at best, based on the previous two companion books. By managing my expectations, I wasn’t overly bothered that there were only two Islamic references: fajr, as a time denoter, and the mosque, as a location marker. Sadly no salaams, religious expressions as a storm ravages a city, or duas made even when a supporting characters mentions that his dad says they should pray, and Hafsa dismisses it as not being enough.  Overall, though the story flows well, the protagonist is likeable enough, and the interweaving of medicine, climate change, determination, and speaking up for what you want, makes it a feel good story from start to finish. It does manage to share some science information without getting didactic or bogged down, but I do wish, that a bit more culture was shared. It feels like it is watered down, and more often than not felt like the story could take place anywhere.  The stresses and troubles and commentary are more suited for younger MG in my opinion with everything wrapping up neatly and easily.  The book is a quick read, and I appreciated that the backmatter highlights that the elephant storyline was inspired by a real event and offers suggestions on how to learn more.

SYNOPSIS:

Hafsa is from a village outside of Lahore, and when she gets accepted into a summer camp, she has to convince her parents to let her go.  Her newly married sister, Shabnam, offers her a home to stay in and her husband Sohail helps with the fees, but it isn’t until grandma says she can go, does Hafsa’s father reluctantly give his permission.  Once in Lahore, Hafsa realizes her information is faulty and it isn’t a mini medical summer camp, to start her on her way to being a doctor, but rather a climate change program covering zoology, weather, conservation, and action.  She also quickly learns that her sister is busy helping her new mother-in-law with a hospital fundraising gala, and doesn’t have much time to spend with her.  Add in the camp kids teasing her for bonding with an elephant, a storm that floods and knocks out their power, and Hafsa trying to figure out why Shabnam has not started culinary school, and it is a busy four weeks for Hafsa, who is determined to make the most of it all.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I grew up in Utah visiting the zoo yearly as a child, and don’t recall thinking too much of it.  On a trip to Pakistan one summer that changed. I visited the Karachi Zoo, and now 30 or so years later, I am still bothered by the chain I saw on the elephant’s leg, the kids sneaking in to the enclosures, and the trash in the animals’ water sources.  This book brought it all back and mirrored my own sentiments in incredible accuracy, and thus deepened my connection to seeing Gulab, the elephant, getting attention.

The author does a good job with the pacing and bringing in different threads, but it would have been nice to add a little more depth. Showing Hafsa pushing to get her way, not just saying she got to ride a bicycle after pushing back on her father, talking about the wedding, sharing some of the cultural words, clothes, values, fleshing out the characters and their relationships, getting to know the classmates a bit more, seeing why this is a challenging and sought after summer program.

FLAGS:

Animal neglect

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I don’t know that I would teach this book, nor that there is much to discuss, but it will round out the series nicely (Amal Unbound &  Omar Rising) on the shelf and anyone that picks it up I think would enjoy the story contained within.

Mar15

Hail Mariam by Huda Al Marashi

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Hail Mariam by Huda Al Marashi

In 188 pages, this middle grade book packs a lot in: immigrant children expectations, the similarities and differences between Catholics and Muslims, Sunnis and Shias, culture and religion, all while sixth grader Mariam is starting a new school, a Catholic one- as a Muslim, having her first period start during church, and handling her sister’s health crisis.  Throw in Ramadan, Bibi coming to visit, family dynamics, friendships new and old, and a school Christmas play, and phew, just writing all that out seems exhaustive, yet somehow the book doesn’t get bogged down in the heaviness of it all.  It stays relatable, funny even, interesting.  The book’s short chapters, Mariam’s voice, and the author’s ability to make this Mariam’s story, not an expectation or explanation of how all Muslims, or Iraqis, or immigrants, etc., should be, really is well done. Written first person through Mariam’s perspective, allows even her lens of comparing what she is seeing at her Catholic school with her Muslim upbringing, to not come across as critical or overly agenda filled, it is just a girl leading with her heart and making sense of life.  A lot, according to the backmatter, is based on the author’s own life, and readers should know they may or may not agree with her conclusions, and her families practices, but I think this book has a lot of potential to be enjoyed on the surface, and start dialogue and understanding if one chooses to look deeper.  I additionally think with Ramadan and Christmas aligning again in a few years, that this book will continue to have wide appeal and be a great resource to remind us that we often have more alike than we think. Just one scene really bothered me, but, I’ll delve into that more below.

SYNOPSIS:
Mariam is the eldest daughter of two Iraqi immigrant physicians, and she has been informed that she is starting a new school, a Catholic one. She would love to discuss this with her mother, but her mom doesn’t seem to have time for her, only her younger sister, Salma, nor understand why a more rigorous school isn’t a good thing. Mariam is expected to be able to handle everything, and for the most part does, to be the best example of Arabs and of Muslims, and to be a great big sister.  But idols of Nabi Isa around every turn and being chosen for the part of Mary in the school play, has Mariam confused about what is ok and what is not, and how to handle it all.  When Salma’s health starts deteriorating, the weight of Mariam’s decisions escalate in her head and she doesn’t want to mess up.  When she learns her Aunty Sawsan is Catholic, her Mom is Shia, and Dad is Sunni, she is even more determined to find common ground, to keep those closest to her happy, her sister healthy, and Allah swt pleased with her.

WHY I LIKE IT:
There is a lot of Islam in the book, and while Mariam sorts through what she thinks is right and wrong, I didn’t feel there was internalized Islamophobia or that she was ashamed of her faith. She doesn’t necessarily have all the answers about how to navigate the situations at hand, but she doesn’t hide her religion, or question the core of it. It is  something she values and believes in.  She does get a little hard on her mom’s accent and culture gets a little confusing, but even when she questions her grandmother’s prayer recipes, I didn’t feel that it was insulting or disrespectful.

The only scene I felt was off was when at the end the family put up a Christmas tree, I get craft wise that it was perhaps to highlight the religion vs culture thread, but I took it as undermining so much of Mariam’s battles at school.  By the family partaking in a clearly Pagan based Christian adopted practices when not prompted by any environment or outside expectation, I felt it was a bit forced in perhaps trying to justify that it is something a lot of Muslims do.  Mariam through much of the book was trying to be respectful to her school and their practices while staying true to herself, the family got gifts for the Christian “family,” and they brough Eid gifts to them, so blurring the line when it wasn’t needed, seemed like so much of Mariam’s stress was for not.  I feel the conversations about culture and religion were sufficient.

FLAGS:
Mariam has a crush on a hospital volunteer, religious discussions, period starting, lying, impersonating her mom in school emails, jealousy, medical worry, illness.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

No tools are needed, just read, and the discussions will happen

 

I read and listened to the audio, both were great.

 

Feb27

Nadia Islam on the Record by Adiba Jaigirdar illustrated by Avani Dwivedi

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Nadia Islam on the Record by Adiba Jaigirdar illustrated by Avani Dwivedi

Having not liked the author’s YA books, I was on the fence about reading this, but when I saw it at the library I could hardly resist a Ramadan book about a girl visiting Bangladesh, wanting to be a journalist, and learning about climate challenges.  And alhumdulillah, the 304 page middle grade book is clean, Islam centered, and flag free.  Not so great though for me was the story craft itself.  I think it tried to do too much from a 3rd grade protagonist voice which resulted in a lot of telling, very little showing, and no connection to the characters.  My 10 year old read a few chapters, but couldn’t be persuaded to pick it up again as the plot is rather weak, journalism isn’t an exciting field to kids these days, there is no back matter explaining climate concerns, or flooding, or even a map of Bangladesh, and even he couldn’t understand why the book kept using the phrase, “first Ramadan,” even though it was just her first time fasting. I wanted to cheer Nadia on in her endeavors and her growth, the arc was there, I just never felt I got to know her.  Unfortunately, her voice and characterization were underdeveloped, resulting in her not being particularly relatable and likeable.

SYNOPSIS:

Nadia is planning to fast her first Ramadan with her best friend Yasmin, but a quickly decided trip to Bangladesh has her heading to her parents’ homeland for the first time to meet family members over her summer holidays.  Luckily her journalist aunt is going with them, and with Nadia’s sights set on being the editor-and-chief of her school paper, she is looking forward to learning what she can.  Her Khalamoni is working on a story about the flooding in the area, and Nadia tags along to interview a family that is helping care for the displaced families.  When she sees that even a kid not much older than her can make a difference, she is determined to spread light on the unreported environmental problems happening and their devasting effects.  All this is happening during Ramadan, and the heat of Bangladeshi summer, the length of the days, and the secret race Nadia and her cousins are battling in to fast the most amount of days, allows for Nadia and the reader to learn that Ramadan is more than just fasting.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT:

I really like that the story shows praying and reading Quran threaded in with the fasting, even if it is mostly just from the adults.  The arc of Nadia learning about self control and intentions is also nice to see.  It seems a little off that she has never even fasted a half day or part of a day before and that she has made being 8 years old and her first Ramadan such a landmark event.  In insolation, all of the story lines and the rep (see the pictures I’ve enclosed), sound great, but for some reason it just felt like it was too much and thus nothing resonated. So many concepts meant surface level details were all that the pages could address, and if it went deeper it felt like info dumping, resulting in no character connection between the fictional characters, or with the reader.

FLAGS:

Clean

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
The book would be a solid teachable book so that the discussions could be fleshed out and understood with relation to climate change and the environment, geography, and news cycles.  I would love to see a kid pick it up and see it through to the end, but ultimately I don’t know what there is enough pull to keep most kids reading to see how the story pans out for Nadia if it wasn’t a required assignment in a classroom.

 

Dec12

Aya and the Star Chaser by Radiya Hafiza illustrated by Kaley McKean

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Aya and the Star Chaser by Radiya Hafiza illustrated by Kaley McKean

Most people probably don’t read as much Islamic rep fiction as I do. Add in I’m an adult reading MG, who consistently shares thoughts on books that fit a slim criteria, and the result is I’m nitpicky and hard to please.  But, because I read a lot of a very small niche genre, the stark contrast to books with Islamic representation done well, compared to those done poorly or somewhere in the middle is hard to ignore. This 213 page book has an all Muslim cast, but has very little Islam, and what is there is terribly presented. It has one Assalamualaikum, one mention of salat, a reference to shoes worn on eid, and the mother sings Quran.  Yes the characters wear hijab, but it is only ever called a headscarf, so while the pieces are there they don’t add up to much, which I predict leaves Muslim readers disappointed and non Muslim readers chalking it up to more pointless details that serve as filler, and provide no real fleshing out of the characters on the page. I forced myself to read it, the desire at page 12 when stars and meteors are used interchangeably to dnf was strong, and to the book’s credit, I was mildly rewarded with the last 65 pages or so being slightly better written. The plot holes, repetition, inconsistencies, the reliance of the mother simply refusing to answer the daughters questions, and overall surface level of the book makes it regrettable, but can I see young readers that love quirky characters, balls, royalty, and happily ever afters enjoying the read? Yes. And being there is nothing blatant in the book that would warrant you not letting them dive in, you can take my criticisms with a grain of salt, or stardust.

SYNOPSIS:
Aya and her mother, who is “stern with a big heart” live in kingdom of Alferra.  Her father has been gone for seven years, she doesn’t even know his name, as Aya and her mother, Jannah, have a strained relationship. Aya loves the ocean and the night sky and dislikes school, the only friend she has is Naznen, and on the night of the Perseids meteor shower the two girls meet in the middle of the night to watch the sky.  One star (is it not a meteor?) hits Aya and give her powers: she can shoot fire and cry flowers. Desperate for answers Aya and Jannah head to the Somerfest Ball at the palace to meet a seer.  When they do they learn of a prophecy and the remainder of the book is Aya and her mother running away to avoid the prophecy, before Aya reluctantly has no choice, but to face the villain, and thus see the prediction through.  I don’t want to spoil spoil it, but there is an Evil queen and demons of sorts with red eyes referred to as bhoots, and a battle that takes place in true fairytale format before the happily ever after occurs.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I do like that Aya is strong and determined, her strength however, is undermined by her sickness, sleepiness, and lack of determination to find the answers her mother refuses to give though, which is unfortunate.  The biggest problem with the book is the writing quality just isn’t great.  Even the religious representation aside.  Why have a whole conversation about wearing matching clothes to the ball between Aya and Naznen for Jannah to gift Aya a gown of a different color and no mention of wanting to match with her friend revisited. Why have Naznen sneak through the window just to have Aya go through the door using the spare key under the mat? Why mention a strange lady at school dismissal, that is never explained? Why is everyone scared to be out because people are missing, just to have Naznen alone, show up with Aya’s homework? I could go on and on, the book brings things up and then dismisses them using them to be page filler it seems. So many details do not provide insight in to the story or the characters or the setting, they are just random fleeting observations.

I didn’t like that the prince is described as having a “lover,” there are better less abrupt identifiers that could have been used, or perhaps in British vernacular it isn’t as pointed as it is in the US.  I also didn’t love that they bowed down to the Evil Queen Abnus. This highlights a place where an Islamic lens would have fleshed out that the characters are Muslim, not wanting to bow, as we bow to Allah swt alone, but perhaps being struck and forced.  Other easy inclusions of Islam would be seeing the meteor shower and saying SubhanAllah, being so sick from the star hitting you and asking Allah swt to heal you, asking Allah swt for strength in a dozen scenarios the book presents.  Duas before leaving the house with people going missing, it really seemed blaringly absent given the nature of the book to not have little sprinkles woven in, yet it halts the story early on to have those labels noted. It definitely could have used some polishing to make it part of the story or characters or taken out all together.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book for your school, library, or home book shelf, but if you have it, there is no need to remove it.  There is not enough Islam nor literary value.  There is not even enough character development or details to show the change in the mother-daughter relationship to foster conversation.  One page they claim they have no secrets when the mother and her secrets is the bulk of the backstory, to the next page where the mother simply discloses all the letters and answers that Aya needs to move forward.

FLAGS:
Lying, sneaking out, scary evil villains, disowning, abandonment, disobeying parents, death, killing, prophecy, fortune tellers/seers, magical powers, abuse, imprisonment,

Oct31

A Tariq Twins Mystery: Murder for Two by Niyla Farook

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A Tariq Twins Mystery: Murder for Two by Niyla Farook

I don’t know what I was expecting, but woah once the actual crimes started piling up and the sleuthing began, I was invested in Riri and Ani working out their differences, solving the case, and freeing their accused dad.  At 336 pages, a full on murder, attempted murder, arson, thieving, and arrests all taking place, the book is definitely for older middle grade readers. The premise and dual points of view of 11 year old twins being reunited after 3 years apart by their divorced parents, getting to know how their OCD, ADHD, and autism factor in to their personalities, learning about TUSC, the town of Castlewick, and the side characters that will turn suspects, result in it taking the story a while to get going.  But if you can get through it, and can suspend belief, the book is a fun mystery that takes on heavy topics, and crime, but somehow keeps it light and consumable by the intended audience. The twins are Muslim, one wears hijab, and there are Islamic references, but once the identity is established, it really doesn’t play a role, or shape the characters’ view of the world or approach to dealing with their grief, anxiety, and obstacles they face.  There is mention of halal marshmallows and hijab, but they never say a quick dua or pray, and by the end is not really even shown to be a big part of their daily lives.  I have no idea if the neurodivergent rep is accurate, but the tone and approach is very positive and normalizing.  Parents may want to know that the book starts on the last day of school and the teacher is non binary, referred to as Mx Henderson with they/them/theirs pronouns. The character is mentioned a lot in the first nine pages, and then never again.  Pronouns for other characters are listed on their profile cards.  There is teasing of a girl having a crush on a boy, a few couples dating, a character being born out of wedlock, and a male character being in a relationship with someone named Toby that is mentioned a few times, but only on the final mention in the last few pages of the book, does it clarify that it is a boyfriend.  The book seems to be intentionally diverse in ethnicities, religions, identity, and orientation, but the story is a murder mystery, and a family reconnecting, and the mentions in passing are not detailed, or overly explored.  I mention all this for adults to determine what is best for their children.

SYNOPSIS:

Supersleuth Imani Tariq aka Ani lives in Castlewick with her father, Abderrazzak and spends time at Cafe Vivlio with Mrs. Kostas.  The small town is Ani’s stomping grounds for sleuthing and carrying out the cases her TUSC (Tariq Ultrasecret Supersleuth Centre) organization takes on.  She knows everyone, and everyone knows her, and she is not looking forward to spending the summer with her “evil twin” visiting from California.  Riri short for Noori, lives with her mom and is heading to the UK so her mom can set up a new office for her company, and the twins can reconnect after being apart for three years.  There is a lot of animosity in the former family of four, but the girls slowly start to rely on each other when they find Mrs. Kostas’ dead body in the secret garden, alibis not checking out, relationships coming to light and their dad being arrested for the murder.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I naively thought it would be a murder of a distant side character that the girls tried to solve, or maybe a trick and it looked like a murder, but ended up not being one, so I was really kind of shocked that in fact a murder occurred, that the girls found the body, and that the story of lies, deceit, art theft, secret identities, relationships, and webs of coincidences and manipulation was just getting started. The girls’ voices are distinct, but as they pop around doing what they do, the reader is often just expected to go along with it an not over analyze. I kind of liked that the ending spelled it all out, like a good villain in cartoons the culprit gets their moment to detail and confess what they did, how they did it and why.  In full disclosure though, with about 30 pages left in the book, I was genuinely still curious who the guilty person would be.

The book balances very real mirroring threads with absolutely bonkers ones.  The girls get counseling for grief, talk about their OCD and ADHD.  They also run circles around the police, unravel the plot through research, interviews, crime scene analysis and get the murderer to confess to only them.

The Islamic rep at the start really got me excited, but it stopped rather abruptly and there was no longer even any Assalamualaikums or walakumsalams after about the first 40 pages or so. The characters are of Pakistani decent, but I have never heard “hudafiz” as a farewell before, Allah hafiz and KhudaHafiz, yes, but never with an H.  It appears a few times in the book, and even the internet, for whatever it is worth, says it is probably a mistake.

FLAGS: (Things parents might want to know the book contains):

Murder, attempted murder, assault, framing, deceit, lying, arson, teasing, close boy/girl friendships (Muslim characters), hetero and lgbtq+ relationships, romantic interests, child out of wedlock, jealousy, revenge, name calling, parents are divorced, therapy/counseling, ADHD, anxiety, grief, abandonment, loss, OCD, autism, unemployment.