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Dahling If You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile
Zainab is a thirteen year old facing a LOT of problems that threaten to overwhelm her: manipulation, bullying, the sexual exploitation of a friend and eventually an attempted suicide.
But when a teacher offers her the opportunity to direct a school house league play, Zainab thinks it might be the chance she's looking for.
If she can bring the most popular bully in school, in line, maybe she can prove she fits in.
Maybe...
Winner of the 2001 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Honor Award
Nominated for the 2000 Ruth Schwartz Award
Nominated for the 2000 Red Maple Award
But when a teacher offers her the opportunity to direct a school house league play, Zainab thinks it might be the chance she's looking for.
If she can bring the most popular bully in school, in line, maybe she can prove she fits in.
Maybe...
Winner of the 2001 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Honor Award
Nominated for the 2000 Ruth Schwartz Award
Nominated for the 2000 Red Maple Award
200 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 2, 2014
Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile? is the first published novel by Rukhsana Khan, a Canadian Muslim writer. Targeting young tween and teen readers, the story revolves around 13-year-old Zainab. Her older sister Layla is bossy, judgemental and quick to find fault in her – which is all too easy when Zainab is already struggling to fit in at school, where she’s the only Muslim girl and one of the very few ‘brown’ kids.
The issues Zainab finds herself faced with are many and darker than what most adults would ever suspect their young teens to be confronted with. Manipulation, bullying, the sexual exploitation of a friend and an attempted suicide are all disturbingly common in the eighth grade.
Desperate to belong, Zainab is trying hard to figure out how to let her Islamic values guide her actions and decisions. How can she help her friend Jenny, who adoringly seeks the attention of the most popular guy at school despite his predatorial behaviour? How can Zainab become popular enough that being brown won’t be a matter of shame? How can she improve herself as a Muslim when her sister Layla insists that she is too flawed to ever be a good enough Muslimah?
Wisely observing Zainab’s dilemma, her teacher Mr. Weiss gives her a challenge: putting Zainab in charge of the school play. Hoping to use her new position as a way to become more popular with the other kids, Zainab discovers that her new role is more difficult than expected. As she faces new obstacles and navigates through greater conflicts, Zainab learns what it really means to become a brave, responsible Muslimah - standing up for what’s right even when it seems impossible.
Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile? is a teen novel that I found surprisingly darker and deeper than expected; yet, because of this, I appreciated it even more. Rukhsana Khan doesn’t beat about the bush when it comes to broaching these sensitive topics and her characters reflect a realistic and compassionate understanding of what it means to be a young person facing difficult situations.
I highly recommend this book for the 11-16 age group, especially for kids who are attending state schools and have almost certainly been exposed to these issues already. This novel is a great way to foster discussion between Muslim parents and teens on how to deal with difficult and serious subject matter.
Reviewed for issue #58 July 2014 SISTERS Magazine by Zainab bint Younus, a young Canadian Muslimah who has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She’s constantly on the hunt for new (and old) novels written by Muslim authors and is already looking to replenish her rapidly dwindling collection. Zainab blogs at http://www.TheSalafiFeminist.blogspot....
The issues Zainab finds herself faced with are many and darker than what most adults would ever suspect their young teens to be confronted with. Manipulation, bullying, the sexual exploitation of a friend and an attempted suicide are all disturbingly common in the eighth grade.
Desperate to belong, Zainab is trying hard to figure out how to let her Islamic values guide her actions and decisions. How can she help her friend Jenny, who adoringly seeks the attention of the most popular guy at school despite his predatorial behaviour? How can Zainab become popular enough that being brown won’t be a matter of shame? How can she improve herself as a Muslim when her sister Layla insists that she is too flawed to ever be a good enough Muslimah?
Wisely observing Zainab’s dilemma, her teacher Mr. Weiss gives her a challenge: putting Zainab in charge of the school play. Hoping to use her new position as a way to become more popular with the other kids, Zainab discovers that her new role is more difficult than expected. As she faces new obstacles and navigates through greater conflicts, Zainab learns what it really means to become a brave, responsible Muslimah - standing up for what’s right even when it seems impossible.
Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile? is a teen novel that I found surprisingly darker and deeper than expected; yet, because of this, I appreciated it even more. Rukhsana Khan doesn’t beat about the bush when it comes to broaching these sensitive topics and her characters reflect a realistic and compassionate understanding of what it means to be a young person facing difficult situations.
I highly recommend this book for the 11-16 age group, especially for kids who are attending state schools and have almost certainly been exposed to these issues already. This novel is a great way to foster discussion between Muslim parents and teens on how to deal with difficult and serious subject matter.
Reviewed for issue #58 July 2014 SISTERS Magazine by Zainab bint Younus, a young Canadian Muslimah who has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She’s constantly on the hunt for new (and old) novels written by Muslim authors and is already looking to replenish her rapidly dwindling collection. Zainab blogs at http://www.TheSalafiFeminist.blogspot....
March 26, 2016
I've read so many YA problem novels that I cannot appreciate any that are too similar to those from past titles. This is a little different because the heroine is a Canadian-Muslim girl. However, I worry that with all the bad attitudes toward Muslims due to terrorists, young, misinformed readers will actually come away with more bad feelings toward them due to the obnoxious behavior of the older sister.
November 23, 2015
I read this book as a kid and couldn't remember the title so I have been trying to find it for y e a r s! I loooooved it when I first read it in school and I'm so happy I found it! Talented writer and a good story to tell.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews