"An emotional tale of a family's grief and healing, full of courage and hope" —Kirkus

"Faruqi renders this tender story of loss with a deft hand, employing vivid details surrounding Adnan's Pakistani Muslim identity . . . and nuanced characterizations to present a tear-jerking ode to family." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A realistic, moving exploration of family, loss, and healing." —Booklist

"Faruqi takes on the difficult subject of family loss with beauty and grace in her gentle lyrical style. She allows Adnan, a young table-tennis enthusiast, to go through grief while holding not just sadness, but love and joy, in an honest and nuanced story that is ultimately filled with hope."—Veera Hiranandani, Newberry Honor author of The Night Diary

For fans of Planet Omar and The Ethan I Was Before, award-winning Pakistani author Reem Faruqi of Unsettled...]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:50:56 +0300 https://library.land/reem-faruqi/633499-golden_girl.html https://library.land/reem-faruqi/633499-golden_girl.html

From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah's Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what's right isn't always easy. For fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Clean Getaway, this is a heartfelt, soul-searching story with laughter, hope, and lessons learned.

Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her—she's drawn to pretty things and can't help but occasionally "borrow" them.

But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn't committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the...]]> Sat, 09 Jan 2021 22:35:52 +0200 https://library.land/reem-faruqi/633500-anisas_international_day.html https://library.land/reem-faruqi/633500-anisas_international_day.html

From the award-winning author of Unsettled, meet Anisa, the adorable Pakistani American heroine of this irresistible younger middle grade novel about a girl who introduces her class to the art of mehndi for International Day. Filled with fun black-and-white interior art, recipes, and activities in the back matter and perfect for fans of Meet Yasmin!

"Genuine, sweet, and relatable. Anisa problems solves her way out of more than one sticky situation with sometimes unexpected—and joyful—results." —Maleeha Siddiqui, author of Barakah Beats

Anisa is super-excited about International Day and can't wait to share her mother's samosas with her class. But when someone else has the exact same idea, Anisa is crushed.

Going to her aunt's dholki party gives her an idea for the perfect activity instead—mehndi! There's only one problem: Anisa's best friend doesn't seem to like the idea. She doesn't even seem to like Anisa...]]> Sun, 09 Jan 2022 22:35:53 +0200 https://library.land/reem-faruqi/591751-unsettled.html https://library.land/reem-faruqi/591751-unsettled.html

For fans of Other Words for Home and Front Desk, this powerful, charming own voices immigration story follows a girl who moves from Karachi, Pakistan to Peachtree City, Georgia, and must find her footing in a new world. Reem Faruqi is the ALA Notable author of award-winning Lailah's Lunchbox.

"A lyrical coming of age story exploring family, immigration, and most of all belonging." —Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound

"This empowering story will resonate with people who have struggled to both fit in and stay true to themselves." —Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor author of The Night Diary