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Mayhem Mission
Yusuf's older sister is getting married. He's ready for the delicious food, the fun with his cousins and the many presents but he s NOT ready to take her place as the responsible one. His only option: cause some chaos and ruin the wedding. The first book in the hysterically funny MY LAUGH-OUT-LOUD LIFE series will have you crying with laughter!
- GenresMiddle Grade
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 31, 2021
Yusuf lives with his older sister, his mum and his grandma. When his older sister starts to prepare for her wedding, Yusuf realises that he must become ‘the man of the house’. However, when he looks into the responsibilities that this entails, he knows that he is not yet ready for the role. So he sets about trying to prevent his sister from getting married so that she will stay at home and continue to take on responsibilities.
The series title for this book is ‘My Laugh-Out-Loud Life’ and, as soon as you start reading the book, it is clear why. Yusuf and his cousin Aadam get into all sorts of bother as they try to sabotage everything to do with the wedding, from meal preparation to the wedding outfit. The harder they try to cause problems, the more trouble they get into. And as they go about causing mayhem, they have to contend with the formidable Amma (Yusuf’s mum) and Nanu (Yusuf’s grandma).
This is ultimately a book about family and the bonds that hold them together. Through the story, the reader learns a lot about life in a Muslim family and their cultures and traditions. Yusuf always has a side note to explain Bengali words and phrases that are used throughout the story.
The illustrations by Farah Khandaker really help to bring the story to life and to capture some of the mayhem that Yusuf causes.
This is a great book to have in classrooms or a school library. The style would appeal to readers who feel daunted by pages of text, as the side notes and illustrations help to break up the words on the bag and make it feel less daunting. It is also ideal for bringing more diversity into class bookshelves, whether for children to see themselves represented in books or for them to learn more about other cultures.
Thank you to Books For Topics for this review copy. www.booksfortopics.com/blog
The series title for this book is ‘My Laugh-Out-Loud Life’ and, as soon as you start reading the book, it is clear why. Yusuf and his cousin Aadam get into all sorts of bother as they try to sabotage everything to do with the wedding, from meal preparation to the wedding outfit. The harder they try to cause problems, the more trouble they get into. And as they go about causing mayhem, they have to contend with the formidable Amma (Yusuf’s mum) and Nanu (Yusuf’s grandma).
This is ultimately a book about family and the bonds that hold them together. Through the story, the reader learns a lot about life in a Muslim family and their cultures and traditions. Yusuf always has a side note to explain Bengali words and phrases that are used throughout the story.
The illustrations by Farah Khandaker really help to bring the story to life and to capture some of the mayhem that Yusuf causes.
This is a great book to have in classrooms or a school library. The style would appeal to readers who feel daunted by pages of text, as the side notes and illustrations help to break up the words on the bag and make it feel less daunting. It is also ideal for bringing more diversity into class bookshelves, whether for children to see themselves represented in books or for them to learn more about other cultures.
Thank you to Books For Topics for this review copy. www.booksfortopics.com/blog
March 22, 2021
Here is a book with great and well-written characters that show diversity. I love reading about other different cultures from my own and I felt this in the story. However, I did not get the humor in this book. Maybe I'm too old for the intended audience or maybe I am a scrooge when it comes to laughter with this one? I did enjoy the journey of the main character, Yusuf he runs around the pages and feels so alive to read. I felt empathetic feelings and family moments that will be loved by all readers. The book cover is brilliantly done by Farah Khandaker. I wanted to love this more, maybe the next one.
December 10, 2021
🎉New alert on my 10 year old son’s favorite new series!!!!
For fans of Planet Omar who have wished there were more funny Islamic books with a young Muslim boy as the main character, this book is for you!!!!
Yousuf Ali Khan is a mischievous outrageous hilarious cute young boy assigned a Summer journal assignment by his 5th grade teacher. He details that his sister is getting married and relates a hilarious series of events on how HE tried to stop her marriage from happening. After all, he doesn’t want to be left alone as the “man” of the house, something she is just so much better at. As details of Yousuf’s life emerges, the reader is given a glimpse of life through this young boys eyes: a single mom, grandma, and older sister being the family of young Yousuf.
Yousuf makes one mishap after the next, making me gasp and laugh as I read (like when he sprays HENNA cones allll over his sisters wedding dress!!!) His funny commentary on everything from food recipes to family drama is genuinely funny and cute! I def feel bad for his mom and grandma by the end of the book, but you can see that all his antics are really just rooted at missing his Affa too much when she leaves with her husband esp since he doesn’t have a dad.
Some of the stuff was confusing for my son (like the mummy thing they did for Yousuf’s eczema, my son though it was just a game), but it genuinely all comes together at the end as a fun book to read!
Me and my son both enjoyed this book and we just couldn’t stop reading!! It is absolutely laugh out loud (just like it promises) and many parts of it also had me emotional and feeling my heart move with the protagonist.
One of my most favorite things was that ISLAM was everywhere!!! It was in the characters’ lives seamlessly; they lived it authentically and it was part of their identity! The mother, grandma, and sister wear hijab, they pray and make duaa, use dhikr beads, talk about Islamic morals and hadith, and just show how awesomely normal Muslims are!
I just can’t wait for more books in this series!
For fans of Planet Omar who have wished there were more funny Islamic books with a young Muslim boy as the main character, this book is for you!!!!
Yousuf Ali Khan is a mischievous outrageous hilarious cute young boy assigned a Summer journal assignment by his 5th grade teacher. He details that his sister is getting married and relates a hilarious series of events on how HE tried to stop her marriage from happening. After all, he doesn’t want to be left alone as the “man” of the house, something she is just so much better at. As details of Yousuf’s life emerges, the reader is given a glimpse of life through this young boys eyes: a single mom, grandma, and older sister being the family of young Yousuf.
Yousuf makes one mishap after the next, making me gasp and laugh as I read (like when he sprays HENNA cones allll over his sisters wedding dress!!!) His funny commentary on everything from food recipes to family drama is genuinely funny and cute! I def feel bad for his mom and grandma by the end of the book, but you can see that all his antics are really just rooted at missing his Affa too much when she leaves with her husband esp since he doesn’t have a dad.
Some of the stuff was confusing for my son (like the mummy thing they did for Yousuf’s eczema, my son though it was just a game), but it genuinely all comes together at the end as a fun book to read!
Me and my son both enjoyed this book and we just couldn’t stop reading!! It is absolutely laugh out loud (just like it promises) and many parts of it also had me emotional and feeling my heart move with the protagonist.
One of my most favorite things was that ISLAM was everywhere!!! It was in the characters’ lives seamlessly; they lived it authentically and it was part of their identity! The mother, grandma, and sister wear hijab, they pray and make duaa, use dhikr beads, talk about Islamic morals and hadith, and just show how awesomely normal Muslims are!
I just can’t wait for more books in this series!
December 10, 2021
A group of our children were lucky enough to receive a copy of this book to keep via The Reading Agency's Chatterbooks site. Here are their opinions.
My favourite bit was when the sister keeps saying 'quack'. I think my brothers would like this as we all like interesting books and this is very interesting. MS
I think everyone will like this especially the bit where he put poo in the tea and everyone said it was the best they'd tasted. AM
I would recommend this to my friends and family as it's very funny. I loved the bit where he thinks he's sabotaged the masala chai. DA
I think even younger children would like this because it's entertaining and funny especially the bit where he thinks he's putting poop in the tea. SA
I loved how Yusuf wanted to sabotage his sister's wedding and his first idea was to make the worst chai ever but everyone loved it. AP
It's a great funny adventure and even people who don't like reading might like it. RR
It made me laugh. I like that it's written like a diary. I think someone might enjoy reading it to younger siblings. JLL
My favourite bit was when the sister keeps saying 'quack'. I think my brothers would like this as we all like interesting books and this is very interesting. MS
I think everyone will like this especially the bit where he put poo in the tea and everyone said it was the best they'd tasted. AM
I would recommend this to my friends and family as it's very funny. I loved the bit where he thinks he's sabotaged the masala chai. DA
I think even younger children would like this because it's entertaining and funny especially the bit where he thinks he's putting poop in the tea. SA
I loved how Yusuf wanted to sabotage his sister's wedding and his first idea was to make the worst chai ever but everyone loved it. AP
It's a great funny adventure and even people who don't like reading might like it. RR
It made me laugh. I like that it's written like a diary. I think someone might enjoy reading it to younger siblings. JLL
January 3, 2022
Mayhem Mission is so funny and heartfelt and silly and FAST. If you picked up Stuntboy in the Meantime when I recommended it a few weeks ago, go ahead and grab Mayhem Mission too because I think the pair go together so well.
Yusuf's older sister is getting married, but that means that he's going to be the responsible one in the house and boy does he not want that!! His only option: cause some chaos at every step of the way and ruin the wedding, even if there's going to be lots of good food and fun. If his sister doesn't get married, he won't have to step up? A genius idea, right?
I loved the family relationships in this book and honestly howled out loud at the moment where he's being wet-wrapped with eczema cream and bandages because boy did that bring back intense childhood cream! A Pen Licenses!
Brimming with Bengali culture and hilarious fun, it's also the first in a new series, so you can be sure of more to come from Burhana Islam and illustrator Farah Khandaker. I'm definitely looking forward to more!
Yusuf's older sister is getting married, but that means that he's going to be the responsible one in the house and boy does he not want that!! His only option: cause some chaos at every step of the way and ruin the wedding, even if there's going to be lots of good food and fun. If his sister doesn't get married, he won't have to step up? A genius idea, right?
I loved the family relationships in this book and honestly howled out loud at the moment where he's being wet-wrapped with eczema cream and bandages because boy did that bring back intense childhood cream! A Pen Licenses!
Brimming with Bengali culture and hilarious fun, it's also the first in a new series, so you can be sure of more to come from Burhana Islam and illustrator Farah Khandaker. I'm definitely looking forward to more!
April 2, 2021
Extremely Enjoyable, Genuinely funny and well written book. The story has a well developed main character, who feels real and is easy to connect with as a reader. Burhana does an amazing job portraying the little things that a 9 year old (9 and 3/4 as Yusuf would say) would worry about and it gives the character that much more depth. Personally I'd completely forgotten the fact that most Primary school kids write with pencils and the way it's described as to how happy he is that he has a "Pen License" brought back a part of my child hood. Yusuf also mixes up the meaning behind things he'd googled for info in his short "updates" throughout the book adding to the comedic affect of the story.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
March 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
Glad I stuck with the book and it is truly an excellent title since Yusuf’s shenanigans are quite something! 😩
Poor Yusuf wasn’t ready for his sister to get married coz it meant she was leaving and so he tried to sabotage the wedding...Cue MAYHEM MISSION!
Tbh it kinda made me sad coz eldest daughter being the mum etc and Nanu’s ‘how to be the perfect wife’ nonsense 🙄 sigh
But the ending was good and hopeful and fun although idek the wedding dress accident was quite something...😩😭🤦🏽♀️
I’m sure this will be a fun read for plenty of kids! 👏🏽
Glad I stuck with the book and it is truly an excellent title since Yusuf’s shenanigans are quite something! 😩
Poor Yusuf wasn’t ready for his sister to get married coz it meant she was leaving and so he tried to sabotage the wedding...Cue MAYHEM MISSION!
Tbh it kinda made me sad coz eldest daughter being the mum etc and Nanu’s ‘how to be the perfect wife’ nonsense 🙄 sigh
But the ending was good and hopeful and fun although idek the wedding dress accident was quite something...😩😭🤦🏽♀️
I’m sure this will be a fun read for plenty of kids! 👏🏽
April 19, 2021
I may be giving this three stars personally, but I absolutely see this easily being five stars for the target age range! This book has a very lively and believable voice in Yusuf, and the mischief he gets up to is certainly amusing. The little asides to explain language and cultural specifics are both funny and informative, making this very accessible for anyone to read.
If you or any kids you know are fans of books full of shenanigans and kids being kids then you should definitely check this out!
If you or any kids you know are fans of books full of shenanigans and kids being kids then you should definitely check this out!
July 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this, lots of laugh out loud and chuckling to yourself moments. The main character is very funny and engages with the reader really well. I love to read and learn about other cultures. This is going straight into the classroom.
April 24, 2022
I’m not going to rave over this book, but I did enjoy it and look forward to reading the next.
May 15, 2022
this is exactly the kind of book i wish i had when i was younger
i love the way that the halal humour was so effortless - if i ever was to write a book, i'd want it to be like this
i love the way that the halal humour was so effortless - if i ever was to write a book, i'd want it to be like this
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews