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Abdel-Fattah, Randa
6 Reviews
(4)
YA
Afghan Australian teen Mina earns a scholarship to a private school where she faces daily macro- and micro-level racism and where she meets Michael, a white fellow student whose family vehemently opposes Muslim immigration into Australia. Fans of All American Boys will recognize the alternating-narrative structure and a crucially timely topic, though the author's own voice occasionally drowns out those of her characters.
Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins
(4)
4-6
Lara (The Friendship Matchmaker) has hung up her matchmaking hat, but she keeps seeing people she can help. The arrival of a Sudanese refugee student shakes up the middle-school social scene in unexpected ways, and Lara is forced out of retirement. But will her sneaking around ruin her new best-friendship with Tanya? Though occasionally heavy-handed, Abdel-Fattah's tackling of prejudice and cultural difference is admirable.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
(4)
4-6
Seventh grader Lara prides herself on her ability to help others make friends (even though she doesn't really have a friend herself). When new-student Emily arrives boasting the same skill but with different methods, Lara's status as Friendship Matchmaker is in question. The book occasionally veers into after-school-special territory, but Abdel-Fattah demonstrates understanding of middle-school struggles.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(2)
4-6
Hayaat's Muslim family lives in a small apartment in Israeli-occupied Bethlehem. When her grandmother, Sitti Zeynab, falls ill, Hayaat embarks on a mission to bring back a jar of earth from her homeland. The long journey to Jerusalem through numerous checkpoints is vividly depicted, along with the trials of occupation and the extreme fortitude of the people living under it.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2011
(4)
YA
Wanting to be part of the in-crowd, Jamie (a.k.a. Jamilah) hides her Lebanese Muslim heritage behind bleached-blond hair and blue contacts. When her Arabic-music band is invited to play at a school dance, she fears her secret will come out. Themes of identity and self-image will resonate with teen readers, though the delivery is, at times, heavy-handed.
Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett
(2)
YA
Eleventh-grade "Australian-Muslim-Palestinian" Amal debates the pros and cons of wearing the hijab (Muslim head scarf) full-time. She is supported by her friends, and their IM chats and discussions, peppered with references to fashion, music, pop culture, and Amal's crush, also explore practices of Islam while dismantling stereotypes. The girls' thoughts and dreams are authentically adolescent, providing a bridge between cultures.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2007
6 reviews
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