Tag Archives: Muslim Characters

Oct13

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

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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.

Oct6

My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya

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My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya

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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.

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Oct3

The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf

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The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf

This 352 page young adult mystery, thriller could possibly be classified as magical realism, or speculative fiction, I’m not really sure, but I do know, that my expectations were really low, and I was so pleasantly surprised by how the story pulled me in and kept me engaged.  Told primarily by dual points of view, Khadijah and Rachel, the book offers commentary on sexual assault and believing victims.  The book starts with a trigger warning of “ghosts and monsters, some of whom hide beneath human faces. It includes discussions and descriptions of sexual assault, trauma, and PTSD,” before diving in to a prestigious Malaysian girls school full of secrets, hysteria, and a past that seems to be repeating itself.  There are no religious identity crisis or issues, the student body is diverse and it is a non-issue, Khadijah recites Ayat ul Kursi, makes time to pray, and wears hijab as she tries to figure out what is making the students at St. Bernadette’s scream, what happened to those that have gone missing, and how to overcome the trauma that has made her stop speaking.  The symbolism is solid, the book starts out with the screams, but builds on it by adding backstory to the main characters, mystery with the disappearance, and numerous red herrings to keep the reader guessing.  I told myself to get to the midpoint before calling it quits, but once I was there, I read the second half of the book in one sitting. I appreciated that the book was unique, there was no relationship side stories, the cultural authenticity heightened the reading experience, and that I understood the haunting magical elements.

SYNOPSIS:

St. Bernadette’s is an old prestigious all-girls school, but one day a chain reaction of girls screaming starts and the hysteria doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.  When Khadijah, who is dealing with her own trauma of being sexually assaulted by her step-father, starts to look into the causes, more questions than answers arise.  In efforts to protect her younger sister, Khadijah discovers not only has this happened as their school before, but it doesn’t stop with the screaming, and the shadows, last time a girl went missing.

Rachel’s life is controlled by her single mother, who is determined that Rachel is successful and a reflection of how perfect and successful they are, despite, Rachel’s father abandoning them.  When in an act of rebellion Rachel signs up for monologue competition, she plans to get into character, not to become the character.  As Rachel starts to lose her self to the girl with pink lipstick and white ribbons in her hair, she starts to notice sights and sounds around the school, but when she falls victim to the screaming hysteria herself, will anyone care enough to save her?

WHY I LIKE IT:

So often with magical realism, I honestly don’t get it, so I’m not sure if my excitement of having it all be clear means the book was a bit simplistic, if I’m getting better the more of the genre I read, or if the writing was just good.  If I’m being honest, it is probably a little bit of all of it.  Often with the author’s book, the story is really good, until it is not, and I honestly feel like this is her best book yet, with the threads coming through, the ending feeling satisfying, the pacing being consistent, and the plot not getting lost on tangents and over explanation.

I loved the symbolism of screaming and it being largely brushed aside as society’s collective apathy to victims of sexual assault.  No one at the school has answers, no one likes questions being asked, everyone just wants to carry on as if nothing is happening, and the juxtaposition of the silence and the hysteria for me was powerful. A few plot holes were the result of telling over showing such as the case of the Khadijah and her sisters relationship, but that Khadijah stayed largely silent throughout the book, did not mean she was unable to communicate or not present, and I thought it was shown in a meaningful way.

I liked that the overbearing mom, with high expectations, and lacking emotional maturity was not from the Muslim parent, at least in Western literature, that is a common trope.  But it is worth noting that presumably the rapists mentioned in the story are Muslim.  Their faith is not a factor, but I noticed, and so I do feel that should be shared.

FLAGS:

Sexual assault, ptsd, rape, kidnapping, trauma, hysteria, lying, ghosts, monsters, magic, fear

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I think this would be a great high school book club read.  The conversation about sexual assault, both in the story and in real life would be important to have in a safe space.  The triggers would require some evaluation if the book is a good fit, but I think the elements that unfold and the commentary on expectation, honesty, trauma, monsters, etc. would create incredible discussion.

Sep23

With All My Heart by Aasia Khan (Book One in the Exciting New Maren Springs Series)

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With All My Heart by Aasia Khan (Book One in the Exciting New Maren Springs Series)

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I would assume this 185 page book sets out primarily to be a wholesome halal romance and to that end it probably meets its goal and gives teen Muslim girls a sweet idyllic fluffy love story within the bounds of Islamic rules. The main couple are hinted at as being alone a few times, but they are aware of it, and there is no touching, the intent is always to marry, it is worth noting there are birthdays celebrated, females singing in front of males, some element of threat, murder, criminal activity and hinted at (not described) obscene images. So for what it is, it is a fine, but for anyone not clamoring for any and all clean halal romance books, the plot is very, very weak, the climax none existent, the lacking rising action incredibly frustrating given the premise and thus potential of the book. Even the plot holes are a bit hard to overcome, even given their propensity in the genre. Written in third person omniscient keeps the book at arms length, and further prevented me from connecting with any of the characters.  The entire path the book will take is established in the first few pages, and with no twists or turns, or emotional connection, the book drags.  The perfect wealthy family of hafizes, that have no flaws, fix and provide everything and make no mistakes, are too unrealistic for me, and I found it off-putting, which isn’t to say your 14 year old dreamy eyed daughter won’t absolutely love it, but for me it is rather forgettable.

SYNOPSIS:

Two brothers, married two sisters and each have a son, the boys are raised as brothers.  At some point a family friend’s daughter, Layla, drinks from a bottle that contains the breast milk of Asad’s mom, and thus Layla becomes his “foster” sister, but not Usmans.  The baby the milk was intended for passed away early on, and through it all the families stay in touch, but never again meet.  The children, Usman and Layla have not met since Usman was 5 and Layla 1, yet they think of each other often and don’t know why the families keep apart.   Both can sense each other, identify what they have touched, and where they have been.  When Layla’s parents are killed and Layla turns up at the family’s estate in Maren Springs, Usman knows he will marry Layla, as the family welcomes their missing foster daughter/niece home.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I honestly had to read the prologue five times, and I flipped back to it while reading at least that many more times, and the book is not long.  The term “foster” threw me off which is my own ignorance, but alhumdulillah the book does eventually explain it and my Lit Sisters helped me to understand that in Arabic it is Radhaa’a which translates to “foster” to describe when mother’s milk is shared and the relationships that result.  I don’t know that the family tree is necessary, I suppose it helps since the parents are called by their first names, but it should have been in the front if included, it was a bit odd at the end.  Similarly odd is the book claiming itself “exciting” on the cover.  Blurbs are usually from others describing their thoughts or excitement about the book, not part of the title from the author, I also don’t understand why the fictional location is Maren Springs is in the title, when the four main characters work and live 4 or so hours away in Orkney. They should just live and work in Maren Springs, I didn’t see the benefit of them commuting every other chapter for no reason, and taking up unnecessary page space detailing if they were here or there, coming or going.

I feel like the book would be better in dual point of view, the characters as written don’t stand out, and there is too much telling and not enough showing.  Layla is shown to be helpless, but told to be strong, and the brothers too overly good, there needs to be more backstory of the characters, to ground them, flesh them out, and make them more interesting.  As for the plot, (SPOILERS) had the cause of why Layla was running, the murder of her parents been a looming threat, the blackmail emails with doctored images, the witness protective program been woven in, the book would have had readers intrigued, and on the edge of their seats.  Sadly it is all glaringly absent, and thus it becomes so dry just to read page after page about everything being perfect and then when it isn’t, the brothers just take care of everything in a few sentences to resume it to being, you guessed it, perfect.  The idea of Layla being on the run after her parents’ death and finding refuge in old family friends, is a great set up, but there is absolutely zero follow through. Layla doesn’t even know where the boys work, the name of the company, the reader is never really sure what they do, what anyone’s skill or academic background is, it is very vague.  At times it is downright juvenile that the heads of the company are called “big bosses,” the magical realism connection between the couple, referred to as the “alien” or “Martian” connection. Clearly the premise of the relationships and the positioning of bringing everyone together was thought through by the author, but the execution on the page sadly doesn’t reflect it.

I know in the romance genre the plot holes are always present, but to have them so early before any character development has occurred provides little incentive for the reader to overlook them because they are invested in the story.  A love connection between a 1 and 5 year old is a pretty big leap the reader is expected to be ok with, no backstory showing how close the families were, no phone calls or Facetime sessions, just letter writing, doesn’t convince the reader that there is a foundation to revisit when tragedy strikes.  The ease in which the “climax” is resolved and minimized feels dismissive and will highlight the missed opportunity even to younger readers.

I know this reads as a harsh review, but I wouldn’t have bothered writing my thoughts up if I didn’t think there was some potential for revisions to be made. The book isn’t awful, it just really is close to being a lot better than it currently is, and I hope the author will consider revisiting the story and elevating it (the benefit of Amazon print on demand) to a book that our Muslim teens can fall in love with.

FLAGS:

Some threat, birthday celebrations, singing in the car in mixed company, murder referenced, fear

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I purchased the book and will get it to the Islamic school library, but it isn’t a candidate for a book club selection as there is nothing really to discuss.

Sep17

Growing Giddo’s Hair by Sumayyah Hussein illustrated by Milton Bazerque

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Growing Giddo’s Hair by Sumayyah Hussein illustrated by Milton Bazerque

The latest batch of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf books have arrived at my house, and this was the first book my youngest picked to have read to him.  The book is silly, over the top and an easy read. The little boy shows initiative and creativity in trying to surprise his grandfather by sneakily applying hair regrowing serum on his Gido’s bald head.  It, as expected, causes a bit of mayhem, but I think 4-8 year olds will recognize the comedic intent of it all, as the love Nuh has for his Gido comes through the silliness.  I was a little surprised that it centered a birthday, it isn’t just the setting, it is the  main foundation of the book, and I was also a little surprised that the Muslim authored, Muslim published book, contained no Islam in the text.  The only featured Islam was the mom in hijab in the illustrations.

The book starts with Nuh trying to figure out what to get for his grandfather who is turning 70 in a week.  He contemplates a 70 layer cake with candles, 70 pairs of shoes, even a 70 flower bouquet, but nothing seems right until he stumbles on a picture of his grandfather years ago, when he had hair!  Later that night he sees a TV commercial for hair growth gel, and Nuh knows just what to get and can’t wait for the surprise.  Once it arrives, the biggest obstacle is getting it on Gido’s head without him noticing.  But Gido doesn’t stay still and the hair product has unintended results as it doesn’t just grow on one’s head.

The book in all its silliness, does offer a few “teachable moments” if desired: false advertising, lying, sneaking your parent’s credit card, etc..  My kindergartner thought it was silly, and enjoyed the illustrations.  For the most part so did I, although, the page of the razor shaving the hair on the tongue definitely makes me squirm and my tongue itch…yeah, my son found that pretty funny as well.

Sep14

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

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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.

Sep10

Crestar and the Knight Stallion: The Legend Begins by Robertson, Ahmad, Jasim, Gastonny, and Robinson

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Crestar and the Knight Stallion: The Legend Begins by Robertson, Ahmad, Jasim, Gastonny, and Robinson

This new comic book series combines a lot of exciting elements.  It is a comic book and soon to be live action movie, it is both action and comedic,  it features Desi (Pakistani) and Arab (Iraqi) representation in the title roles, as it is in part written and created by the “characters” themselves. There are Muslim hijabi side characters, cultural Islamic phrases, and a whole lot of saving the day in a plagued Dearborn, Michigan setting.  I admittedly am still very much an outsider to comic books, what all goes in to them, their target audience, and what norms and expectations they carry.  So, I say what I am about to say from a very non critical, simply informative stance, when I say it has what I would consider mature content for elementary aged kids.  The comedy found in the offhand comments, the profanities that are substituted with symbols, surprised me. I anticipated a level of violence and killing, and appreciate that this book doesn’t have the near naked females being shown as many comics do, but I don’t think it is appropriate for younger audiences, probably more middle school and up.  I have not seen the live action, in a different format it might hit different so to speak, but I’m sharing some pictures of the text so that families can decide if the comic books are a good fit for their readers or not.

I love the idea of Muslim rep superheroes, that one is an Iraqi immigrant having to find himself in American society and accept himself, that Crestar is mysterious and his background and motives not known, the cultural and religious infusions, and matchmaking stresses are all amazing subplots to the evil that is destroying the community.  Theft and killings are the norm, Crestar is fighting back, when he discovers Ali has survived an explosion, he begins testing him with the hopes he will join him as the Knight Stallion. The first book is an introduction to the characters, the setting, and the protagonists meeting, it ends hinting that Crestar and the Knight Stallion will be working together, which isn’t much of a surprise given the title of the series, but it sets the stage.

I am not going to write a full review, because I can’t. I just really don’t know if the superhero parts are new and unique or tired and tropey because I don’t know enough about comics to have a valid opinion.  There are trailers online and the first two comic books available are top industry quality in terms of graphics, binding, length etc.

Sep4

If You’re Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi

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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.

Aug5

Academy Story by Naim Hammami

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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.

Jul28

Game Changers: Stories of Hijabi Athletes from around the World by Charlene Smith illustrated by Natalya Tariq

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Game Changers: Stories of Hijabi Athletes from around the World by Charlene Smith illustrated by Natalya Tariq

This 80 page compilation of hijabi athletes from around the world focuses on 13 women that the author interviewed first hand.  Featuring athletes, sports and even countries that might be relatively unfamiliar to the targeted middle grade audience, the book will appeal to both boys and girls, Muslims and non Muslims.  Many included were the first to play with hijab, or the first female to play in their country, but each journey and experience is unique.  Each hijabi athelete and their sport is introduced to the reader over four pages with beautiful artwork, and pulled quotes.  A common issue I have with these types of books is wondering how those featured were chosen, and while this book doesn’t articulate it clearly, at least it sets some parameters in the forward and introduction, that for me at least, allowed me to appreciate the book that much more.  The book ends with four pages of “More Hijabi Athletes” that could have been included, as well as information on perseverance, hijab, modest sportswear, a glossary, resources, index, and acknowledgements.  There are real photographs included at he beginning and end of the book of various featured athlete in action. 

  

I can’t really review this non fiction book in my normal style, so I will simply say that the writing is clear and easy, at times details seemed overly vague, but to keep the continuity of the tone, and the reader engaged, I understand why specifics perhaps were not included.  In the first feature, I wish the infamous photograph would have been shared so the reader could see for themselves what the text was discussing.  Overall, this resource to inspire our Muslim girls is much needed and beautifully done.  I absolutely love the artwork. LOVE IT. The women are beautiful, strong, and the artwork conveys that for each of the 13 athletes.

The athletes featured:

Egyptian beach volleyball player Doaa Elghobashy
UAE hockey player Fatima Al Ali
Basketball player Fitriya Muhamed
Afghani soccer player Hajar Abulfazl
Syrian-American runner Rahaf Khatib
Basketball Player Kiandra Browne
Pakistani weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah
Parkour Sara Mudallal
Downhill Mountain Bike Racer Sumayyah Green 
Iranian Triathlete Shirin Gerami
Kenyan Archer Shehzana Anwar
Wrestler Latifah McBryde
Skateboarder Nadeen Alhamad