The Garden of My Imaan

by Farhana Zia

It's hard enough to fit in without also having to decide whether to fast for Ramadan or wear the hijab.

Aliya already struggles with trying to fit in, feeling confident enough to talk to the cute boy or brave enough to stand up to mean kids—the fact that she's Muslim is just another part of her life.

But then Marwa, a Moroccan girl who shares Aliya's faith if not her culture, moves to town. Marwa's quiet confidence leads Aliya to wonder even more about who she is, what she believes, and where she fits in.

In a series of letters to Allah she writes for a Sunday school project, Aliya explores her dreams and fears, hoping that with hard work and faith, something beautiful will grow in the garden of imaan—the small quiet place inside where belief unfolds, one petal at a time.

This award-winning novel from author and educator Farhana Zia captures the social and identity struggles of middle school with a fresh, new voice.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Religion, Friendship, Islam, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Farhana Zia grew up in Hyderabad, India. She is a retired elementary school teacher and the author of picture books and novels. Her stories blend humor and tradition, memories and contemporary moments. She lives in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Savindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover Gushing Worthiness: The cover of The Garden of my Imaan is one of the most adorable covers I've seen this year. The little girl’s smile is so cute and the cover works for a cute book :).

Review: I came across this book via netgalley. There have been a lot of works looking at Teenage Muslim girls or Muslim women in their adulthood and of course on the controversial topic of women wearing the Hijab. So when I saw this book on netgalley I was really interested in reading a book about a Muslim girl attending Elementary School. The final verdict: I’m really glad I discovered this gem!

Taking place post-9/11 TGomI follows the story of Aliya, an American-Indian Muslim girl as she tries to navigate the treacherous waters of Elementary School while trying to not stand out because of her religion. However Aliya is confronted with her faith as Marwa, a Moroccan Muslim girl who wears the Hijab joins her school. Suddenly Aliya’s world is turned upside down with nagging questions about her faith, fasting for Ramadan, election campaigns and a surprise visit from Choti Dhadi.

I think kids are so interesting when they’re around 6-10; they start to ask questions with so much innocence and it’s wonderful. But there’s a darker side to childhood when tragic events like 9/11 happen. Ethnic groups become labeled and kids tend to say things they overhear from adult conversations without knowing the consequences of their actions. At the same time kids from different Ethnic backgrounds may not even understand why there are so many antagonistic feelings towards them. One of the things that really impressed me with this book is, how it did not tip toe around discrimination against the Muslim community in the United States. An example of such is seen very early on in the book when Aliya’s mom is driving her and Zayd (Aliya’s little brother) to Sunday school and a collision almost happens.

Do you want to kill someone? the driver screamed out her window. Go back to the desert moron! Drive a Camel!

Afterwards Zayd, Aliya’s brother asks a question from their mom, who answers.

And what did she mean drive a Camel? No one drives Camels. They ride them, don’t they?

Ignorant woman! She thinks we’re Arabs.

I truly do admire Ms. Zia for not shying away from including discrimination in this book, despite it being written for a younger audience. I think understanding discrimination has become quite important now more than ever.

I really enjoyed the plot of TGomI a great deal. It’s quite refreshing to read about an Elementary School Muslim girl who is curious about wearing the Hijab, Islam, boys, self-confidence; ultimately finding one’s self. The way so many factors were incorporated into this story impressed me and I enjoyed the multiculturalism. Another great strength of this book was how it portrayed the diverse practice of Islam. I know personally when I started to study Islamic History in my second year of University what surprised me the most of how the practice of Islam stretched not only across the Middle East, but in Africa, Asia and even up to Uzbekistan. I don’t think many people realize how diverse the Middle East is as a region. The struggles Aliya faces between adhering to tradition and embracing Western culture is also an interesting point in the book. Identity is something that I struggle with a lot as well and I think it’s intriguing to look at it from the perspective of an eight/nine-year old. I only have one complaint about the book and that is I felt things between Josh and Aliya were unresolved. I wasn't really sure if they became friends or not in the end.

This story had a band of great characters; from Aliya’s family to Winnie her best friend, school mates and friends from Sunday school. Sometimes Aliya could be an incredibly frustrating character because she could be judgmental and self-absorbed. At the same time her flaws are what made her a great character. We follow Aliya’s journey on fasting for Ramadan, preparing for school council elections and standing up for herself. By the end of the book Aliya definitely developed as a character. Winnie, Aliya’s best friend was a really great character. I liked how comfortable she was with her mixed heritage and I thought she was a great best friend when she stood up for Aliya a few times. Marwa, who is kind of like the second protagonist since most of the story revolves around her and Aliya’s interactions was an awesome character. I truly admired how strong she was for a kid, how she stood up for herself when Austin made a comment about her wearing the Hijab. I really enjoyed this conversation between Marwa and Aliya about the Hijab.

Well are you ever embarrassed to wear this thing at school?

Why should I be? I wear hijab on my head and sneakers on my feet for PE. It’s pretty simple.

It’s not the same thing. Nobody notices sneakers. But a hijab…it’s way out there.

It’s in everyone’s face right?But without it I’d probably feel the way you’d feel without sneakers for PE.

But…

This is who I am Aliya and I’m okay with it. Really

It’s quite something to see kids who are so sure about themselves and comfortable in their own skin. There needs to be more people like this in the world. Apart from Marwa, I also admired Aliya’s friends from Sunday School who were so comfortable and proud to wear the Hijab. Kids aside, I adored Aliya’s grandma, great-grandma and her Choti Dhadi. It reminded me of growing up with my grandma and my great aunts. Growing up with your grandparents truly is a wonderful and inspiring experience and Aliya’s relationship with grandmothers was beautiful. Her grandma was definitely a good influence on her. Choti Dhadi too reminded me of my great aunts who I miss from Sri Lanka. Life is never dull when they’re around! Aliya’s parents too were great characters. Her parents seemed like polar opposites, but in a good way because they both made Aliya see things from a different perspective.

The ending was a bit of a sad one for me, I would have liked it to have been a bit different. However those are my personal thoughts.

Oh and another which is awesome about this book: It has a GLOSSARY with Arabic Terms! Seriously you guys have no idea how excited I was when I saw this!! So many books written about the Middle East sometimes fail to include glossaries for Arabic terms and I was so grateful that this book had one! For those who are unfamiliar with certain terms the glossary is like a godsend!

Overall, The Garden of my Imaan is a cute story. The perspective of Aliya is an interesting one and the characters are great as well! Other than that one unresolved issue this was a great read!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Would I recommend it? Yes

I had the opportunity to ask Ms.Zia a few questions about the book and you can read her answers here.

The Garden of my Imaan is published by Peachtree Publishers and will be released on April 1, 2013. This ARC was provided by Netgalley. Thank You Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. .

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book is not particularly well-written and the characters lack dimension, it is one of the few I've encountered that stars an American Muslim child. Aliya is likable enough; although much of the book reads like a child's guide to Muslim traditions and the diversity within the Muslim population, she struggles with her first Ramadan fast in a realistic way.

I am puzzled by the cover photo, though; Aliya is supposed to be Indian, but the girl on the cover does not seem to reflect this heritage. Maybe the photo is supposed to be of Marwa, who is described as having light hair and eyes, but it edges too close to whitewashing for my comfort.

[Omar Zia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many things to like about gardens. Once you get past all of the work (well, you never really do), you find that they provide beauty, nourishment and a reflection of one's self. "The Garden of My Imaan", by Farhana Zia, does all three. My 2 favorite things about this book are 1) the humor and sensitivity with which the author treats the subject and 2) that there is no singular cultural viewpoint or agenda being pushed here. On one level, it's the engaging story of a month-in-the-life of a pre-teen girl. On another level, it may be one of the most important "post 9/11" books ever written.

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliya has always been shy and she doesn’t want to call attention to herself. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t wear a hijab in school or fast much during Ramadan. You see, Aliya is Muslim, but her family isn’t strict with following the Muslim rules (her mother believes that Muslim woman can still be modest without wearing a hijab). Then Marwa came to Aliya’s school. Marwa is the exact opposite of Aliya. Marwa has tons of courage, always wears a hijab, and fasts for the whole of Ramadan. Marwa has a lot of confidence in herself. Aliya has been asked to help Marwa out at school because she is new. Aliya isn’t sure how she can help Marwa, who is so confident.

This was a great multi-cultural book. I liked learning new Arabic & Muslim words that were scattered through-out the book. I like how this book talks about two things – it doesn’t matter if you fit in and how bullying effects people. Aliya and Marwa are bullied for being Muslim, and Aliya doesn’t want to stick out at school as being Muslim. Ms. Zia covers both topics wonderfully. I like how Marwa has a simple, but great, way of saying things. She could be a scholar. :) I think a lot of kids can learn from this book.
**NOTE This book was a gift

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth grader Aliyah loves her family and her religion, but she feels uncomfortable enough about her own place in the school's pecking order to be able to openly embrace her Muslim faith and cultural identity. In fact, when the school principal suggests that she befriend Marwa, a new girl from Morocco who is also Muslim, she avoids the girl as much as possible. Over time, though, as she works on a project for her religion class and watches how comfortable Marwa is with her own self-identity, she begins to speak up for herself and what she believes too, taking risks and embracing the possibilities that come her way. Bullying comes in all sorts of forms, from an adult shouting ethnic slurs at her mother for almost causing an accident to classmates who seem only to see the hijab worn by Marwa and not the girl beneath the scarf or those who lump all Muslims together. Certain to prompt healthy discussion about the dilemmas faced by Aliyah and Marwa, this is an honest, appealing approach to issues that many boys and girls Aliyah's age must face, and while the issues are serious, the book also contains many humorous passages.

[Gloria Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This coming of age narrative proves once more that no matter what faith, ethnicity, or geographic location, adolescents all face the same challenges. They struggle to find their place in the world. Aliya stands astride two worlds........the traditional Muslim world of herb family and the world she faces each day at school. Aliya strives to balance her desire to "fit in" while she makes such important decisions as whether to wear hijab and fast for Ramadan. When Aliya must develop a project in her religion classes, she writes letters to Allah about her life and her dreams. My favorite quote is from one of these letters when she refers to wearing hijab, "It's not what's on your head that matters-it's what's in it." Beautiful thought!

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the cultural context and the perspective, but the characters felt a little bit flat and the plot didn't really do much for me. This IS a children's book,so maybe the plot was just age appropriate and I'm not in 5th grade.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been searching for a book like The Garden of My Imaan for a while now. Aliya attends a public school where she is the only Muslim. Soon after we meet her Aliya's mother accidentally cuts off another woman in traffic. She yells at them to "go back to the desert and ride a camel!" The angry woman takes no note of the fact that family is from India--where there are NO deserts; and she doesn't care. The entire episode frightens Aliya, who sees a stranger screaming in anger because Aliya and her family are different...because they are Muslim.


Aliya is confused about aspects of her own Muslim faith and how much of her life and her family's traditions she wants others to know. She attends classes in Islam on the weekends and her teacher gives Aliya's class a project: use Ramadan to find a way to improve on themselves. Aliya must determine an area within herself which she feels needs improvement, decide on a course of action to accomplish it, engage in that action and then write an essay about it. The entire idea sounds vague and ridiculous to Aliya. After talking with her great-grandmother she decides she will try writing letters to Allah in addition to praying in order to talk with him in more detail about her life and her feelings.


A new student arrives. Marwa is also Muslim. Her family was originally from Morocco and, unlike Aliya, Marwa wears the hijab at school. A hijab is the covering Muslim women wear over their heads. At first Aliya doesn't want to be associated with Marwa. She is afraid of looking or acting differently from what she perceives as the norm. The more Aliya watches and gets to know Marwa, however, the more she comes to understand who she truly is and how to have the courage to be herself--whatever that involves.


This story is primarily about Aliya and the ways in which she begins to identify who she is, realize she likes many things about herself and that it is okay to share those things with others. The narrative voice in The Garden of My Imaan is genuinely that of a young pre-teen girl. She IS preoccupied with the way she looks to others and what others say ABOUT her. She is terrified of being different, standing out, of NOT belonging.

All of us feel like that at Aliya's age. What makes this story unique is the fact that its main character is Muslim at a time in the United States when many people often make no distinction between Muslims in general and the specific individuals responsible for 9/11. This atmosphere and attitude definitely provide another dimension to Aliya's life that we don't often talk about outside the context of politics.

I, personally, do not have a lot of knowledge about the Muslim faith and I was excited to learn about some traditions--particularly in connection with Ramadan and daily prayers through Aliya's story. I firmly believe the more we learn about each other as people the more we realize both how alike we are and how to appreciate our differences--as opposed to fearing what we don't know or understand.


I had hoped to find a book with a main character who was also Muslim to read aloud in the classroom but due to some specific details about girls maturing, The Garden of My Imaan is not a good option for that particular environment. (There is NOTHING inappropriate in the book; it refers to biological developments that would be cause for embarrassment in a classroom for girls and boys.)The Garden of My Imaan is a great independent reading choice, or perhaps a good bedtime story where other conversations about differences and commonalities can happen naturally. Aliya is an engaging young girl on an inspiring journey of self-discovery. This is an absolutely worthwhile and enjoyable read!

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of "The Garden of My Imaan" by Farhana Zia. It fills a gap in the Young Adult Tween market. Since we have many Muslim students at the school in which I work, the lack of books featuring Muslim protagonists is marked. However, though I wanted to like this book, I found the book disappointing.

Fifth grader Aliya, who is of East Indian heritage and Muslim, has her faith tested ins the midst of the arrival of Marwa a Morroccan girl also of Muslim faith, bullying both in school and in public, and the arrival of her very traditional and strict "Choti Dahdi."

Let's begin with the cover of the book. Though the protagonist, Aliya, is East Indian, and chooses not to wear a hijab, the character on the cover is wearing a hijab and does not appear to be East Indian. In addition, I did not find the character of Aliya particularly likable. She is self-involved and a whiner. Though this seems age appropriate, it made it difficult to empathize with her and care about what happens to her. Yes, Aliya does grow and change, but by the time this happens, the reader may lose patience with her. In addition, the dialogue (and writing in general) seemed artificial and stilted. I had to make myself keep reading. I will say that it was refreshing to see many whole, good, present adults in the lives of the tween characters.

I appreciated the important lessons about religion, culture, acceptance, bullying, how to lose with grace, etc. However, in the author's effort to expose the reader to these lessons, the book becomes very didactic. Lots of telling and preaching, rather than showing. Though the following examples are important lessons, they could have been revealed more gracefully:

p. 106 - "'My dad says it makes things clearer in people's minds when they have the right information and that can only happen when there is a conversation.'"

p. 127 - "'My dad says one never thinks of loss until it happens and then one deals with it. And anyway, if I lose...I'll never know unless I try, right?'"

p. 129 - "'People are afraid of what they don't understand, Aliya,' Baba said. 'They say and do stupid and-' 'And the innocent get hurt!' Mom interrupted, pointing at me. 'It's the people who simply go about their daily lives who get to feel the brunt of their anger.'"

p. 152 - "'Sometimes things like this will go away if we don't make a big fuss.'"

p. 181 - "'We must own up to our mistakes. I'm afraid that takes courage but it is the right thing to do. Do you have the courage...?'"

p. 200 - "What's wrong with making someone feel good? It's only a teeny white lie and it's not hurting anyone."

p. 212 - "'...but Dad said everyone has a good side.'"

p. 217 - "What's in our head can do more harm that what's on it."

Finally, I felt that the metaphor of the mango seed, on which the book was based, was a stretch.

Again, I appreciated what the author tried to do here, but was disappointed in the result.

[Marina Minina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to talk about this book in the context of another one "The Great Wall of Lucy Wu". They both tell readers about two girls (Lu, the main character of "The Great Wall of Lucy Wu" and the main character of the book ‘The Garden of my Imaan’, Aliya) who struggle with self-identifying with their heritage. Their families’ attitudes to their cultural self-identity are different – Lu’s family pushed her to attend Chinese school, Aliya’s family seems to be more liberal (for example, they were against her fast). They both have facilitators who encourage them to seek an answer to who they are culturally. Aliya has Marwa, a Moroccan girl, who is devoted to her religion, while Lu has her sister Regina who called her “a banana, a Twinkie”, because she is “yellow on the outside, white on the inside” (p.18). And Lu also has her great-aunt Yi Po who helps her to discover a Chinese-half of her personality. The books discuss an interesting and relevant topic for bicultural children who were raised in the U.S. and absorbed the American culture having other different values and traditions in a family. Such children as it is shown in the two books have inner conflict and it is very important for them to identify themselves in the books and read examples of solving this conflict in multicultural literature. That is why I think the books are worth discussing in the classroom.
Moreover, I like the metaphor of the title ‘The Great Wall of Lucy Wu’ and how it relates to the Great Wall of China. Lucy’s wall that she built by herself to divide a room in two parts presents her mental state – she is resistant to her Chinese great-aunt as to her Chinese part of personality. It is a very good comparison that I really liked. As for the authenticity of the books, I have found some stereotypes (for example, such topics as food, hijab, fast) about Muslims and Chinese in them, but they could be become the issues for discussion and students can also ask a native Chinese or a real Muslim about the stereotypes in the books because I am not an insider of both books and it is hard to me to evaluate the authenticity. Besides, books discuss common topics of every teenager – both girls have a crush on a boy; that make the plot more appealing to teenage girls. Overall, they are good books for middle-school students especially girls.

[carrietracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friends, boys, religious identity, The Garden of My Imaan is just the thing for middle-school readers who are figuring out who they are and how they fit in.

Like many tweens, Aliya just wants to fit it. She doesn’t know how the girls in her religion class can be so calm and certain about wearing a hijab. Such a visible sign of your religion would make you a target for sure.

When a new girl, Marwa shows up at Aliya’s school wearing a hijab, Aliya doesn’t quite know what to do. The principal wants them to be friends, but Aliya doesn’t get it. Why should she have to be friends with Marwa just because she’s Muslim too? Being associated with Marwa would just make her seem more different. Will she ever get comfortable with her own identity?

The more I read, the more it becomes clear that I just don’t have patience with the whining exhibited by many fictional preteens and Aliya is no exception. Luckily for me, Aliya’s mother has little patience for it either. With a family that challenges, encourages and supports her and friends that show her how to be more comfortable being herself, Aliya grows up a lot over the course of the book.

Age Recommendation: This will resonate most with students in Grades 4-8.

On Friendship: Aliya has lots of good friends, but like most kids, she also experiences being left out, being teased and being bullied. While some of these issues resolve in a satisfying way, it’s also the case that some of them end up a bit cliche like the boy who’s a terrible bully but really might just have learning issues and need a friend. I’ve been loving the recent spate of books that tell it like it is and don’t end with everyone all chummy, so this was a bit of a disappointment in that regard.

For any possibly objectionable content, see full review at: http://bit.ly/1eOJ5fK

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book the first time when I was 15 and rated it three stars then, probably because I found the characters lacking in depth.

A few things critiques about the book:
Winnie. She is Aliya’s best friend and has been over to her house many times. She is familiar with Aliya's family, as evidenced by her easy interactions with Badi Amma. Yet, she is very ignorant about a lot of facets of Islam and what Aliya does, which is a little strange, but I understand that Winnie acts as the ignorant reader so that things can be explained in simple terms. I wish there was more sharing of cultures between Winnie and Aliya in the book. I know that the book focuses on Muslims and what it means to be Muslim in America, but at the same time it is exploring how America is multicultural. Winnie is half Korean and half Jewish, they make their school project on Aliya's Indian Muslim experience and Winnie's two cultures. However, there were no real interactions on them working on their project other than allocating the workload. Everything was very superficial, and it felt more like they were working on their parts individually rather than it being a collaborative effort. Furthermore, while Aliya explains certain muslim practices to Winnie, but she has never invited her to an iftar. Marwa tries to invite her white friends as well but they don't show up. I think it would have been nice for there to have been an actual exchange of culture at the end.

[Sarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by my librarian probably because it's a Muslim book, and it's written by a Muslim author. I'm a Muslim, so i was kind of like, "Cool! A relatively Muslim book!" But as the days drew on and I read other books, came across and said, "I don't really want to read this," I finally came at a stop sign, and because I had stopped, I looked at this book once more and thought, "Oh well! It can't be that bad." All this because I thought it was going to be like those high school books where they always complain about not getting the boy, oh my god he's so cute, and all that other jibber jabber, but this book exceeded my expectations. It was a really good book.

Main character Aliya is lukewarm in her faith and belief as a Muslim, choosing when to fast, wanting a boyfriend, etcetera, but when her principle introduces her to a new student, Marwa, it sort of flips her ideals. When she gets stuck with an assignment on how to better herself for Sunday school and a project on how to include different things that make a nice colorful fruit bowl, she doesn't know how to deal. this book shows amazing character growth, in belief/faith/iman and personality as well. This book is also multicultural, including not only Muslim/Arab customs but also Indian customs as well. This exceeded my expectations, and I am really glad I read this book and hadn't set it aside.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aliya is a shy kid. She mostly just wants to go along, not sticking out too much or drawing too much attention to herself. Then a new girl comes to school, Marwa, who is Muslim like Aliya. Only Marwa wears a hijab. Marwa doesn’t seem to care one bit about what anyone thinks or her, but it makes Aliya uncomfortable. Why doesn’t she try to fly under the radar more? Now people will think Aliya is weird too. At religious school, Aliya’s class gets assigned a Steps to Success assignment. They're supposed to figure out how to makes themselves better human beings. No one has any idea what to do! So Aliya begins writing letters to Allah, hoping she’ll stumble across something. Certainly, there are things she’d change about herself if she could. Not being so scared to speak up, for starters. Maybe Aliya could actually learn a thing or two from Marwa, starting with how to stand up for yourself.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I was, if necessary, ready to excuse all sorts of faults in order to like this book.

When a more devout Muslim student begins attending her school, Aliya questions who she is and her identity. Reading that summary, don’t you want to like this book too?

But my goodness. This book is a clunky mess. The writing is mediocre. The plot is spastic. The characters are dull (and I’m pretty sure this book features my first encounter with a Muslim version of the Magical Negro stock character … not surprising, it’s just as offensive here as when said character is black).

When even the worst of Full House’s special episodes is saying, “Dude, tone it down,” it’s time to backtrack on the preachy soap boxing. This is one of the most disappointing children’s books I’ve read in years. Not recommended.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aliyah wants to fit in at school and with her friends, but also begins to question her faith and whether she should begin to take on some of the adult practices such as fasting for Ramadan and wearing hijab. When a new girl, Marwa, arrives at school, Aliyah does not understand how she can be so confident wearing hijab and being so different while Aliyah wants to fit in.

I appreciate the struggle that Aliyah went through, making poor choices but having to come to terms with herself, and the people she hurt through making her choices. I think that many upper elementary girls could relate to the Aliyah's questioning of her beliefs and culture, desire to fit in, and bringing new friends into an already established circle of friends.

The writing is simple, and the story straight forward. This is a good read for children in 3rd-6th grade.

[Radhika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aliya a fifth grader, a fiesty young girl trying to fit in the various roles at home an at school. She is trying to find out how she fits into this melting pot where she is born. Another girl Marwa who is a recentMuslim immigrant from Morocco seems so put together and confident of herself that she makes Aliya wonder who she is an how comfortable she is in her own religion.

There was a good perspective for kids to be comfortable for what they are and where they come from but it is not so easy as this book suggests because the real world is so difficult to navigate for the children with so much prejudice and hate because of not knowing and understanding different cultures .

[BiblioBickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were many things about this book that were good - great, in fact: portrayal of Islam as a religious faith shared by people of many cultural backgrounds, coming-of-age theme including wrestling with one's faith in light of prejudice, humanizing Muslims. However, the book is so didactic, and the characters are so flat that it was really disappointing. While I think it's adequate for children who are interested in learning more about Islam or seeing themselves in fiction, I look forward to finding more books with the positive attributes of this one but that are great stories on their own apart from their "issues." Great message, poor messenger.

[Octavius · Rating 3 out of 5]

What i think about this book was it was good and i didn't like it that much because they were talking about the same thing in the book a little. And it was most drama and the book because over Carly didn't invited Aliay to her party and just invited Ellen and Tracy in this is drama because Aliya invited Carly to all her parties. the part of this book that i like was that when Aliya explores her dreams and fears in letters to Allah, hoping that with hard work something beautiful will grow in the garden of her Imaan. because she working hard for people and talking about what she thinks about people.

[Mohammed Rasheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short and cute book that contains many themes relevant to the life of any late elementary or middle schooler. Characters are little flat but live enough for the age group this book is intended to. may be 8-16 . Realistic, sweet, and satisfying with a happy ending as Aliya discovers and embraces who she is as the story progresses.Rich with positive advises, this book also tried to face indeed a very dangerous situation of islamophobia in US and other western countries in a casual way.
Score. 4 / 5

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, it was a little difficult to get into. I read the book for a class and ultimately saw the message (about diversity) but found the main character to be grating and difficult to deal with. As I continued to read, however, she more likeable and I found myself enjoying the book. I suppose her transition ultimately aids the story's content and its message. A worthy read in the end!

[lucien alexander “sasha” · Rating 3 out of 5]

not the least choppy plot or most compelling writing i've ever encountered, but the main character is engaging enough. i think i read it too hot on the heels of amina's voice, which was a little jazzier and more relatable. i had a lot of interiority/exteriority thoughts while reading thanks to my anthropological training, but i'm guessing the target audience hasn't read politics of piety. so yeah, my degree was in Making Everything Less Fun.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

We bowed, kneeled, and prostrated together according to our tradition.

Get your head out of the clouds and take a peek at the real world, please?

Ramadan isn't a punishment, only a challenge to be met.

He says that outsiders should stay out of his country's politics.

Fasting is one of the five important practices of Islam and a solemn duty for Muslim.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked her journey with faith and I love her family (I love the glossary in the back and that Badi Amma translates to big mother, because Bigmother is what we always called my great grandma growing up) but this was on the slow side. Not a terrible book but I'm not sure I ever got fully invested.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a good book because it tells us how Aliya faces so many challenges and faces them in a good way and how she was not always positive but most of the time and she stood up for herself so voice was heard.

[Laurie]

ARC from Midwinter, publication date 4/2013.
5th grade girl, some nice parallels to Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

girls, muslim, growing up, finding out who you are and what matters to you, ages 9-12

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute & multicultural, but not amazing.

[Kimberly B]

I was reading this for my Middle School Teachers Reading Club. I could not finish. The main character is too young for any of my 8th graders to relate to, and I just couldn't get into the book.

[Dotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story from a perspective not familiar with. I liked seeing Muslim lifestyle from a variety of cultures.