Tag Archives: 2024

Oct26

The Boy and his Sand Castle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara

Posted on by
Standard
The Boy and his Sand Castle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara

img_7416-1

This 213 page memoir is sad, so very sad. I don’t have the ability to review it, it is personal, and raw, and not to be forgotten. But “what” it is, is not so easily defined. It is poetry, prose, humor, reality, dreams, heartache, loss, vulnerability, redemption, introspection, faith, advice, hope.  From the introduction written by his sister, to the photographs of his childhood scrapbook, if nothing else, the pages are filled with humanity and a situation that is so unique, illuminated with threads that all readers will see at times themselves in. The book is not excuses, pointing fingers, rage filled or defensive, it transcends that to a place of true reflection and rediscovery through poetry.

SYNOPSIS:

The poetic introspection of the author touches on his marginalization, radicalization, and 17 year imprisonment. It has pieces inspired by events occurring in his life as well as pieces for his daughter, dreams, analytical pieces, and humorous coping anecdotes.  After reading the book, I don’t feel I know the facts about the case, the methods of the radicalization, the other 17 members, the judicial process experienced, or the daily struggles, but I feel some of the lessons, the humanity and surrendering are shared.  The book isn’t linear, it is snapshots of a variety of emotions, that leave the reader feeling similarly vulnerable and humble, subhanAllah.

The book is divided into 10 parts: Desolation, Despair, Hope, Near and Dear, Meaning, Selfhood, Joy, Modernity, Surrender, and Home. There are small images on the pages, some AI, some art, some drawings by fellow prisoners.  There are also some photographs.

This book was nominated for the 2024 Muslim Bookstagram Awards and I am grateful that it was.  I’m better for reading it and I feel I will revisit it in the future, perhaps not reading it from front to back, but thumbing through it, pondering the words, and being reminded out how temporary this world is.

Oct13

The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community by Ibtikhaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali illustrated by Hatem Aly

Posted on by
Standard
The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community by Ibtikhaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali illustrated by Hatem Aly

The third and final book in the standalone series is finally out and I absolutely love that Islam, salat, and the masjid are front and center. Faizah is once again brought to life through the incredible illustrations that provide all the emotional beats and make the book memorable.  The story though is only just ok, to be honest, it is clunky and disjointed.  I have read the book a half a dozen times to myself and twice aloud and I do not understand the Eid story line.  I doesn’t fit the themes of fitting in, being a leader, being bold, it just seemed to be there to motivate a white hijab being purchased, and it was very distracting to the cadence and continuity of the story. Every time Faizah is self reflecting on her fear, suddenly a conversation about Eid with a friend named Sophie disrupts the story. Even the refrain that “Bravery grows in your mind.  But its roots are in your heart,” sounds lovely, but is never explained or developed, so what are you to water it with? What are the right reasons?  I’m sure most will be fine with the concepts and presentation and not be bothered, but this book is an auto buy for Muslims and non Muslims alike, and while I appreciate the packaging, I wish the story itself was more, well “Bold.”

The book starts with Faizah going to Jummah with her mom and sister, and loving being part of the crowd, she then goes to fencing and loves being part of the crowd, “it feels right.  I feel right,” she says.  But then the coach calls her name and she starts to worry.  She doesn’t like when people stare at her, she worries she did something wrong. The coach has already reminded her to “saber first, then move forward,” so I’m not sure why she worries after if she did something wrong, it is a class, reminders and corrections are what happen in a class.

Then on Sunday, the trio is back at the masjid for salat before Asiya’s fencing lesson.  The coach asks Faizah if she wants to come in for extra practice before the tournament.  Faizah isn’t planning on participating in the tournament though and would rather think about Eid.  Thinking about getting together in the future with Sophie to pick out Eid clothes, is more fun than fencing.  The reader doesn’t know when Eid is, or why Faizah seemed to break into a day dream when asked about fencing.  Furthermore the reader doesn’t feel the worry of being in a competition because Faizah is not shown to be worried.

Later that night Asiya teaches Faizah the moves she learned and Faizah practices alone.  There is then a two page spread that I do not understand, on one page she is saying, “When no one is watching, I ‘m the best fencer in the world,” three lines later it says Even when others are watching, I can do it.  I can be the best.”  What happened in between? I get the following line, “but it’s hard to be my best when I have to stand out to do it,” but the the line in the middle makes no sense.  What is the point of the book if she can do it and knows it at the mid point?  And no, I’m not reading an arc, I checked out this copy from the library.

The family is back at the masjid on Friday and reassuring Faizah as they head to fencing, that she can do it even when people are watching, that bravery will come.  She hasn’t been nervous at class before, and hasn’t signed up for the tournament, so why is she suddenly uncomfortable, when at the start she loved fencing class as she felt she fit in.

Then it is Saturday, and Sophie finally comes, but not to prepare for Eid, just to discuss, how they will prepare for Eid.  At least now we know it will be next week. The next Friday, I know I feel like a calendar should have been included, it is fencing class again and Faizah is called up to demonstrate.  She finds her strength and she is shy, but realizes they are not just looking at her, but looking at what she can do.  She is leading, she is helping, she is being brave.

Finally it is Sunday, and Sophie and Faizah are at the hijab shop, and Faizah picks a white hijab because it matches the fencing clothes, and she is going to the tournament.

Yeah, sorry I spoiled it, I just really am sad that the book wasn’t as great as it could have been.  It connected the dots eventually, but not in a memorable way, and for the team responsible for this book, it really could and should have been amazing.

Oct11

Auntie Aisha Answers: The Tween Muslim’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Up by Aisha Hussain Rasheed illustrated by Magdelena Zareba

Posted on by
Standard
Auntie Aisha Answers: The Tween Muslim’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Up by Aisha Hussain Rasheed illustrated by Magdelena Zareba

Kids have questions, and in today’s world it is easier than ever to get answers, however parents need to parent and help provide CORRECT answers for their children. This 100 page book is a great resource to facilitate conversation, hand to tweens to read independently, or just have on the shelf for when a child is curious and knows the internet might not be the best resource.  For boys and girls, this book takes a conversational tone of answering questions that tweens are thinking about, and maybe some that they should be thinking about.  I love that it is not just a body or maturation or puberty book, it discusses boundaries, emotions, hygiene, wellness, it weaves Islam in for context and reassurance and direction, and also has workbook type activities to engage the reader.  The balance of facts and conversation keep it from not being dry, or overly heavy handed, which is also quite impressive.  The text, illustrations, size, and pacing make the information available in pieces or cover to cover.  We tend to have more female focused “growing up” books for our Muslim girls, and this one really is for both.  It provides insight into one’s own body and as well as understanding and compassion for the opposite gender.  If nothing else it normalizes that changes are nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by and allows real conversation with proper terminology to be discussed in an age appropriate and Islamically rooted manner;  yeah, the Islamic references are sourced! If you have kids, go order this already, you will be glad you did, alhumdulillah.

The book starts with discussing the blessing of one’s body and moves into discussing abilities and disabilities before moving into male and female bodies.  The first section really focuses on the body: privacy, care, autonomy, healing.  The second section is called “Growing Pains” and discusses the changes the body undergoes.  Before opening the book, I for some reason, assumed it would be framed as questions and answers, and it is not, it is chapters, but the chapters have illustrations, activities, bolded words, and are visually engaging.

Ultimately I love that the book is easy.  The topic matter can seem intimidating when you are faced with discussing some of these topics with tweens, and this book really will put parents and children at ease in the way it approaches, discusses, and walks readers through concepts that Islam has provided resources and answers for in the Quran and Sunnah, in a contemporary tween friendly way. 

Oct6

My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya

Posted on by
Standard
My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya

img_7154-1

I love that this author illustrator traditionally published book shows the ways that olive trees and their fruit connect people.  The little girl, Salam, can’t wait to grow her very own tree, but it takes a while, and when it finally sprouts, it is trampled by soldiers.  Heartbroken to lose her plant, her community shows her how they are like their beloved olive trees: their roots are deep, and they are a part of the land.  The tender illustrations, the poignant symbolism, and the love and unity that radiates through, makes this book an important read for children and adults of all ages and backgrounds.  There are no countries mentioned in the text (Palestine appears only in the author’s note), nor any religion, there are visible Muslims in the illustrations, even the soldiers are unnamed, but the setting is clear.  Picture books take years to be published and that it released at this point in history, shows how long the struggle for freedom has been taking place, and how strong and resilient Palestinians are.  This book that will be read over and over, shows even in the sadness, the feeling of hope abounds.

The book starts with Salam noting how old her grandpa is, and that only the olive trees are older than Sido.  Sido then explains to his granddaughter how the olive trees connect them all: farmed, picked, pressed, oil used to cook, olives sold to eat, added to dishes, and made into soap.  Salam goes to plant her seed and be part of the connection. She waters it and waits, but it doesn’t seem to be growing.

Finally a spout, and then a little plant, and then the soldiers march into their lands and destroy everything in their path, even Salam’s olive tree.  Sido reassures her that she will plant more olive trees in her lifetime, but Sido also wants to show her that she is not alone.  Friends, family, and neighbors, come together to show her, “just like the olive trees, when they try to break us, we grow back stronger.”

A truly beautiful hopeful book, subhanAllah.

img_7144-1

 

Oct5

Esma Farouk, Lost in the Souk by Lisa Boersenand Hasna Elbaamrani illustrated by Annelies Vandenbosch

Posted on by
Standard
Esma Farouk, Lost in the Souk by Lisa Boersenand Hasna Elbaamrani illustrated by Annelies Vandenbosch

img_7161-1

This fun and silly picture book takes place in a Moroccan shopping center, where a visiting Esma Farouk, suddenly can’t find her mother.  Lost and tearful, the community comes together to help her out: from water carriers, to a man with a monkey, the acrobats, the fortune teller, the musicians, and even the snake charmer. Esma is encouraged to be brave and together they all put on a show, and reunite Esma, Mama, and Auntie Fatima.  There is no Islam, or any religion, in the text, but their are plenty of visible Muslims in the illustrations, in this OWN voice book inspired by the author’s memories of packing peanut butter and cheese on summer trips to visit family.

The book starts with Esma and her family heading to Morocco with their bags bursting with gifts, when they get there they are emptied and quickly refilled with the gifts their family is giving to them.  Esma wants to go to her favorite place, the souk, and Mama and Auntie Fatima are happy to take her.  Mama is in her new purple djellaba’ bargaining, and Esma is watching a snake charmed by music, when suddenly she realizes, Mama is not there.  Panic sets in, but Esma is quickly surrounded by kind strangers willing to help her find her family.

I enjoyed the illustrations and the love and joy and excitement that they brought to the text.  I have no way to know if the details are accurate, but I hope they are as my kids enjoyed going back and getting lost in them, even after the last page was read.  The sense of community and kindness is wonderfully portrayed and the action at the souk, makes it seem like a fantastic place that everyone should go and visit.

Sep20

All Mixed Up by Raj Tawney

Posted on by
Standard
All Mixed Up by Raj Tawney

all mixed up

The premise of this slightly biographical middle grade book is that of a very multicultural boy, Kamal, finding his voice, with the help of a Pakistani Muslim friend, Jaz, a year after the 9/11 attacks.  It brings in themes of Islamophobia, terrorism, bullying, friendship, alcoholism, immigration, refugees, “legal” and “illegal” citizens, Pakistan and India’s partition, and growing up and feeling alone over 208 pages.  The writing style seems deliberately loose in touching on very complex themes, but not preaching on them, and instead letting the reader draw on their own thoughts and experiences to form their own opinions. It is debatable if enough information is even provider for the reader to ruminate on the themes, or care to, or feel enough of a connection to the characters to want to know how all the dots connect, but none-none-the less it seems to have been done with intent, and with the middle grade POV for some it might get away with key information and the resolution going unexplored.  For me though, honesty I just couldn’t get past one line, one line tossed out with no explanation, no arc, no real purpose, never revisited even, at 16% it says “Allah is stupid.”  Yes, I debated tying the phrase out.  I don’t know why it has this line, it has no real impact on the story and could have easily been replaced for another reason Jaz received a purple nurple from a bully in Pakistan.  Later in the book there is a scene where Jaz has brought a prayer rug to school, he states he doesn’t always pray, but clearly he does practice Islam, not just maintain the label in name only.  I am not saying that the scene is not based on the author’s real life, or that people don’t say stuff of this nature, but it is hard to read in black in white in a book with no discussion.  I don’t know what the author’s intent was in including it, but I think it is a disservice to so many of the themes in the book and does not serve the target audience as a mirror, or a respectable takeaway either. For this one line, I truly don’t feel like I could have this book on my shelf, which is unfortunate.

SYNOPSIS:

Kamal Rao is half Indian, a quarter Puerto Rican, and a quarter Italian living in New York, he is relentlessly bullied at school, has no friends anywhere, and is dealing with a father that drinks a little too much most nights since he lost his job.  When a new boy, Jaz shows up at school, that can pronounce his name, a friend just might be what Kamal needs to find his voice, confidence, and place in the world.  Except Jaz has his own issues, and remains pretty mysterious about his past, his home life, even his name.  When a Halloween terrorist attack occurs, Jaz makes a run for it and Kamal has to decide what his friendship means.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I really can’t decide if I like the writing style or not. I recognize that to stay on a middle grade point of view the banter between Kamala and Jaz is often done when it is just the two of them in a scene, making sense of a world they might not know much about. Unfortunately, that also means a lot of erroneous statements, perspectives, and facts get unchecked, and possibly perpetuated.  It also means that at times the boys seem really worldly and competent: riding across town on their bikes, living pretty independently, but also being really naive about being a brown Muslim kid waving around a gun in public, even if it is pretend.  The inconsistencies often are in relation to Islam, so they particularly stood out to me, for example Kamal knows what a hijab is, but not that Muslim’s pray five times a day.  I think when a book is OWN voice and based on lived experiences, but so much of the plot pivots around someone who is so different from you, some of the details just seem inauthentic.  Admittedly, I was turned off early by that one statement, and I am not the target audience, but it was hard to relate to Jaz because it seemed so forcefully trying to present him in an almost performative way. A place of love no doubt, but overly polished to make the reader accept him and feel a kinship to him as Kamal did.

FLAGS:

Halloween, lying, terrorism, bullying, abuse, alcohol, sneaking

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I cannot encourage this to be on an Islamic school library or classroom shelf. That line even with discussion can’t really be explained, there is no point to it.  I’d like to assume that as a child he was frustrated with life and was lashing out in fear or grief or desperation even, but there is nothing in the text that would support or suggest that, it is just there.  I read an electronic ARC, and I hope that the line has been removed in the final copy.

 

Sep14

Momo & Bronty’s first book about Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

Posted on by
Standard
Momo & Bronty’s first book about Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

I’ve mentioned it numerous times over the years how few children’s books there are about Prophet Muhammad (saw), and I love that this new book by Zanib Mian is a wonderfully illustrated 14 page board book for toddlers introducing them to some of the basics about our beloved Rasulallah. Momo and his toy dinosaur Bronty are featured in the illustrations, but do not dominate the text, which keeps the focus on Prophet Muhammad (saw) being the last of Allah’s messengers sent to tell us Allah is One, that the salutation is said after his name, and that he is always smiling, truthful, and making duas for us all, his ummah. I read the book a few times to myself and stumbled over some of the short sentences, but oddly enough when I read it aloud to my kindergartner it flowed fine. I always read picture books aloud before writing my reviews, as I was taught to read my essays aloud in school before submitting them, to effectively find errors. So, I’m not sure why for this book, I stumbled when reading to myself, but not aloud, a first for everything I suppose. The last spread though I did benefit from reading beforehand, as the order of what text comes next is not clear on first look. The pictures contain a lot of accessible details and discussion points and even early elementary aged children will find themselves drawn to the book, the reminders, the messaging and the simple text.

The board book is not just a list of facts, but doesn’t have a plot either, it is somewhere in between as it stays on level and flows between ideas, keeping the readers engaged. It starts by explaining that Allah swt sent Prophet Muhammad to us, the Qur’an through him, the message he carried, and why we love him. It shows that he exemplifies what a Muslim is and gives some examples, it then highlights that “His face was more beautiful than the full shining moon” and that “he played with little ones and made them laugh.” It concludes with connecting us, his ummah, as being important to him as he knew “the message he brought from Allah,” would spread.

Sep4

If You’re Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi

Posted on by
Standard
If You’re Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi

I suggest one reads my ENTIRE review of this book before deciding if it is right for you, because just the first few lines might signal that I liked this book, and honestly it was just ok, but I really liked parts of it. The protagonist is Muslim, it isn’t something that guides her view of the world or dictates her actions, but she is unapologetic, and it is not something she is grappling with. She prays, makes duas, it mentions a hadith, so I appreciate that it is there and always just below the surface. The “romance” might not be halal, halal, but it definitely isn’t raunchy and stays close to the line even when it crosses it. The male and female character are very close friends, and spend a lot of time alone together even before SPOILER there is hugging and a kiss, it is a rom-com after all. I loved the annotations, especially reading an e-version flipping to the protagonists commentary of her thoughts and then flipping back was easy and fun. I think my favorite line in a long time in the book is her translating rice to chawal (see images). My biggest frustration though, with the book is how close it mirrors the author’s biography, Sorry for the Inconvenience, which I read just over a month ago. Truly, it was like the biography was the book and this was the movie adaptation. Sure the younger brother was switched out for a younger sister, and this wasn’t as gritty or traumatic, but the romantic literary beats were all more or less the same: childhood betrothed, falling for a friend who made a bad first impression, dad being sick, parents and their on again off again divorce, medical diagnosis, it really is two versions of the same story, which meant I was never invested in the fictionalized characters, or on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. When you have seen the behind the scenes inside scoop so to speak, it is hard to get on board with the faded carbon copy. Add in the consistent lack of communication, telling instead of showing, unlikability of the protagonist, and the non existent foundation of any of the relationships, and it made it hard to get lost in the fluff of the moment.



Side note: I had a whole paragraph rant about the cover, but when I went to post my review on Goodreads (still banned from Amazon) I saw that there is a newer cover with Marlow wearing yellow crocs. I have no idea why the illustrator and publisher would have arcs with the male lead in flip flops, but I think by now it is common knowledge there is often a lack of communication between authors and illustrators. sigh.



SYNOPSIS:
Anisa is in college, she has worked hard to get in to the all girl’s school near where her almost fiancé Isaac is already enrolled. When she takes a class on Isaac’s campus she meets Marlow, who makes a poor first impression on the very “perfect” Anisa. When Marlow and Anisa get paired up for a class paper, Marlow also offers his services as a “love coach” to help Anisa reconnect with a drifting away Isaac. The more time Anisa and Marlow spend together, and the more Anisa learns about Isaac , the more she ultimately learns about herself and what she wants out of a partner.



WHY I LIKE IT: (SPOILERS)
I’ve read a few of the author’s books, so I know she can write, which irritated me even more that this book felt so flat. Anisa and Isaac have been “together” for over six years, but know nothing about each other, don’t talk or text, and as much as the book wants to make it seem like it is an all of the sudden thing, it provides no real tangible suggestion that they have ever had any sort of connection. So why did they decide to be potentially engaged???? All the parents are on board, but how did the two of them set this into motion? With the exception of Isaac visiting her one late night before he went to school, there is so little for the reader to be emotionally invested in. Anisa has terrible communication with every character in the book, not just Isaac, even with Marlow and her family, the side characters all keep in touch just fine, and it is never addressed as a quirk, it just is accepted. If your dad was sick, or your parents divorcing, wouldn’t you be texting them periodically, or non stop? And text between characters are shown on the page, so how is Anisa texting Marlow throughout the 352 pages, but then goes MIA the last 20? It didn’t work for me clearly.

Additionally, I was so tired about hearing how perfect Anisa is, when it never seemed to show it, sure the duplicity with her outward appearance and home appearance was well done, but it never really shows up in any other facet of her life. She is unorganized, has few friends, doesn’t seem to be a very present daughter and sister, the repetitive telling and lack of showing, gave the book no foundation. I know romance-y type books often have to fudge common sense at times, but with no foundation at all, it was hard to be invested in any twists or swooning gestures. I think I just didn’t really like Anisa, and I weirdly feel guilty about it, because she so closes mirrors the author, and I liked the author’s self portrayal in her earlier memoir.



FLAGS:
Close male/female friendships, hugging, kissing, lying, “cheating,” talk of titillating role playing video games (otome) not details so much as shaming and teasing about Anisa playing them (the word porn is tossed in a few times).

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I think I’d shelve this book in an Islamic school library for high school students. I don’t think I would promote it, but I think those romance loving high school girls will enjoy and be able to handle this story. It won’t work for a book club, but it does make clear that Anisa “dates” with intent to marry, there is reassurance that she wants to marry a Muslim, that Marlow has been reading about Islam, but that Anisa isn’t going to force him, and that societal expectations and appearances aren’t impossible to push back on- which I think are good considerations for 16 and up readers to see fleshed out.

Aug13

Aisha’s Colors by Nabila Adani

Posted on by
Standard
Aisha’s Colors by Nabila Adani

img_6445-1

On first glance it seems this 32 page picture book is going to focus on colors from the perspective of a little Muslim girl in Indonesia, but it isn’t a basic color book, in fact only three colors are even explored.  The book is also not religious, aside from the hijab wearing mother and grandmother in the illustrations. And the writing isn’t really noteworthy, but yet, the book is endearing, and I can’t wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can share it with my kids and some classes for story time. The book has a plot, a little girl wishing she was spending her summer vacation seeing and going fun place like her friends.  Instead she is going to her Grandma’s house, the same place they always go.  She throws a bit of a tantrum, and then cools off and gains some perspective.  It is sweet, it is realistic, it shows growth and life lessons of appreciating the beauty around you, and not worrying about other people, all without preaching or talking down to the reader in the simple text.  It is joyful and highlights bits of Indonesian culture with beautiful images by the author-illustrator, a solid addition on bookshelves for ages 3 and up.

The book starts with Aisha bemoaning that her friends are going to fun far away places over the holidays, and she is going where they always go, from their home in Jakarta, to their Grandma’s village.  She tells her parents about her friend Jennie going to see snow this year, and imagines the cold white crispness that she doesn’t know.  Her parents respond by taking her to get es campur.  

She then laments about Dimas floating in turquoise water looking up at a blue sky, to which her father encourages her to look out the window.  When their car breaks down, and Aisha is encouraged to go cool down after her tantrum, her mom works on fixing the car, and a sky of kites shakes Aisha’s melancholy mood.  By the time they arrive at Grandma’s Aisha is seeing her own vacation in a different way, surrounded by colors, love, and family.

The book warms your heart, Aisha is grumpy, but not annoying, and the yellow warmth of Grandma is palpable.  I wish a few more colors were included and more culture shown that way, and I stumbled repeatedly over a few awkward sentences, not that they were wrong, but they just didn’t seem to flow when read aloud.  Overall, a good book. Preorder today, it releases September 3, 2024. 

Aug5

Academy Story by Naim Hammami

Posted on by
Standard
Academy Story by Naim Hammami

I dnfed this elementary aged book a few months ago, and pulled it back out feeling obligated that the publisher sent it to me and, I ought to read it.  So, I did, and it is not well-written, but since I read it, I’m writing a review, and hopefully sparing y’all the same frustration.  The cover is pretty cool, so is the idea, and the Islam is centralized and prioritized, but the story reads like an introduction, yes a 152 page introduction.  It repeats itself so often, it contradicts itself within the repeated ideas, and then moves forward at a snails place before ending.  I think it wanted to end on a cliff hanger, but because so little is accomplished up until that point, it feels like it doesn’t end at a climax, but rather the start of the action, which is irritating.  It feels like the author started telling a story orally about a family in a kingdom that when they finish primary school either continue to secondary school or find themselves in a secret academy, and no one knows how they are chosen, or what the academy is like; someone heard that much and told the author to write a book, and they did.  There is no character development, drawing the reader in, suspense, imaginative language, or refinement, it reads rough and I don’t know if it is because it is translated, or because there was never much to work with, but if you have seen this book, and were excited to see an Islam centered adventure story, sadly I’d say pass, it misses the mark.

SYNOPSIS:

The book starts with centralizing three siblings, Fatima, Suhayl, and Harun.  Fatima is the oldest and is a second mother serving her family, cooking, and apparently enjoys reading, she was not chosen for the Academy and is still bothered by it.  Suhayl is the protagonist who hates school, and Harun is the little brother who is still in primary school.  The first few chapters are the repetitive circling of anticipation and excitement for finding out who gets in to the Academy at home and talking about what little is known about the Academy, and why it is important as today is the day Suhayl will find out.  Why they had no idea about the Academy before breakfast on the day he is going to find out, is beyond me, the world building was an info dump, repeated in the following chapter when Suhayl is now at school.  His friends all discuss that they are going to find out about the Academy, only then to contradict that whole build up and wonder IF they will find out about the Academy today.  We meet the friends, find out some of them have parents that went to the Academy, but do not talk about, as they are not allowed.  The reader is not told what the benefits of having gone to the academy are either, outside of knowing all educators have been trained there.  The book then says how Suhayl doesn’t have friends and proceeds to discuss how close he and his friends are.  When the assembly starts the class learns there is no Academy announcement and no end of the year field trip, instead they will have to come up with a challenge, that is optional, to do over the school holidays.  After rounds of voting and a weird power flex, a business challenge with rules is established and the winner gets to leave school if they want. Suhayl is determined to win, he and his buddy, Yusuf, decide to make fans using the Venturi Effect to sell at their stall and try and make the most profit and win.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like the premise, the artwork, the Muslim characters, I even like the business, life-lessons and science explanation of the fan.  I don’t understand how it makes Suhayl’s fan more effective than a regular fan, but the book has bigger problems. I know for many author’s writing is figuring it out or making it up as you go, so I realize the ridiculousness of saying that this book feels like the book is being made up on the spot. It is writing quality that allows readers to get lost in a story, enjoy the words, and connect to the characters knowing that the author has control of a story and taken care of the required elements of a completed book.  The rules of the challenge and how they were to finalize the idea, seemed so scattered, that combined with the weak writing, and repetitive premise building, made the intrigue of a whispered about Academy seem like a completely separate story.

Additionally, I don’t understand the stressing of the three siblings, The book is only about one, Suhayl, and his friends, yet each have a “character profile sheet,” but they are not all together at the start, or even the end.  One profile sheet is at the end of chapter 2, one at the end of chapter 4, and then the third at the end of chapter 6.  If the point is that as the series progresses you will see the sibling more, and it is meant to garner interest, the choice assumed that readers will stick around for a series, and I don’t think the book at hand, will pull readers in to see how the series pans out.

FLAGS:
Secrets, business deception

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

If the book were donated I would shelve it, but I would not seek it out to shelve.