Grounded: A Novel

by Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors

When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he’d rather be writing a poem that’s good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the airport—and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying. Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he’ll miss the karate tournament that he’s trained so hard for. And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos. These kids don’t seem to have much in common—yet.

Told in alternating points of view, Grounded tells the story of one unexpected night that will change these kids forever.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Adventure, Muslims, Mystery, Friendship

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2023

Reviews

[Aisha Saeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly feel like I need to pinch myself that I had the opportunity to work with three other AMAZING writers to weave this story together. This is a story with unapologetic Muslim rep, it's a story about a missing cat and airport shenanigans, and four unlikely kids who come together on one fateful stormy night. This story made us so cozy, warm, and joyful as we wrote, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. xx-- Aisha

[h i n d]

Four kids
airport
one stormy night changing their lives forever
Muslim MCs

I am waiting very patiently

[Kirin]

Over the years I've read to a lot of kids, with a lot of kids, discussed books in classrooms, and in book clubs, so when reviewing I often share what kids think or what I imagine kids will think, and I usually acknowledge when I'm being overly critical as a reviewer, but this book I will tell you, I did not read through the intended middle grade lens, I read it as a 42 year old seasoned reader.  I know this because I cried during the entire second half, and the book is not sad.  It is fast paced, joyful and adventure filled.  I cried at the ownership of identity, the pureness of friendship, the acceptance of the flaws and strengths of those closest to us, the love of family and that this book is written by four incredible Muslim women authors for Muslim kids to be seen and for non Muslims to see Muslim kids in action in a fantastic, non preachy, authentic, powerful engaging story.  In short I loved it.  I love that the voices are different, but polished and seamless in conveying a fictional story with universal themes through a variety of Muslim characters without talking down or over explaining anything. From the maps to the crossover character Hanna from S.K. Ali books, the poetry from they young lyricist to the representation and discussions of Muslims not being a monolith, and the sprinkling of a Hadith or Quranic ayat here and there (I wish there was more), the book tugged at my heart strings.  For kids third grade and up, some of those themes might resonate, or it might just be a book about a lost cat in an airport and a hodgepodge group of strangers, turning friends, stranded in an airport searching for her while dodging security and exasperated parents. 

SYNOPSIS:

The end of the MONA  (Muslims of North America) Conference has lots of families at the fictional Zora Neale Hurston heading home.  Tired parents and restless kids lead Feek's little sister Ruqi to go missing and Feek to blame.  As he searches for his little sister he meets Hanna, a girl looking for a lost cat, not her lost cat, just one she has heard about from her animal activist group that is missing at the airport.  As they search for Ruqi, Sami gets dragged along even though he'd rather be mentally keeping his anxiety in check as he prepares for the Karate competition he is heading to.  Luckily Nora, Congresswoman Najjar's daughter, finds Ruqi and the five strangers are brought together.  When all flights are grounded because of weather, the group goes in search of the missing cat, Snickerdoodle, finding leads, security, secret corridors, self confidence, friendship, and skills along the way.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I knew the book would be good with the authors' names on the cover and their ability to tell a good story, but I was still blown away by how real the characters were fleshed out and their "problems" articulated.  The emotional connection to each character facing their insecurities and supporting one another's' vulnerabilities was reflective and insightful. I love the diverse inclusion of showing Muslims that don't speak Arabic or don't know if they are Muslim enough, of Black Muslims and Black culture, of being an only children and struggling with siblings, understanding parental expectation and finding your voice to speak up to those you love.  The surface story is paced well and entertaining and sufficient, but the details and the story beneath the surface, really is powerful.

Again with the reviewer lens- I did wish in the middle there was a tiny bit more inclusion of a Bismillah when following a lead or an AstugfirAllah when breaking a rule or a quick prayer when running from authorities, the beginning and end was Islamically rooted, but as an Islamic School Librarian, I must admit I'd like a few more mentions during the "adventure" parts.

FLAGS:

The kids are dishonest, they break rules (possibly laws), they lie, and do some damage, they sneak and kind of talk back to their parents, nothing is normalized or accepted though and they are called to account.  There is a birthday that is celebrated with everyone singing, and possible triggers of talking about a deceased parent.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Even though the book is meant for middle grades, I think younger middle school readers would enjoy the book and find plenty to discuss as they see themselves and others in the characters, imagine what they would do in such a situation, and get swept up in the ride.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, heartwarming, hug of a middle grade book featuring a rag tag group of young Muslim kids who get stuck at an airport during a storm and band together to help find a missing cat. I absolutely loved all five of these characters. Each one is dealing with some heavy family issues that were so relatable and well written. Young readers are going to cheer as the group thwarts airport security and solves the case. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital copy of this unique, multi-authored book you don't want to miss!

[Ele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could't recommend it more. Very cute story, highly recommend!
----
Every time there’s a new S K Ali book announcement, my life becomes ever more complete

Goodness I can’t wait

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grounded by Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, and S.K. Ali is a heartwarming, fun, and moving airport adventure. This exceptional middle grade book blends all four writers' strengths, creating unique and relatable protagonists that readers will be rooting for all the way. It also goes a long way to show that diversity exists even within the Muslim community and is a great read for anyone looking for middle grade books by Muslim authors.

Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/ground...

[Amani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to be gifting this to younger cousins/ friend’s kids for future Eid gifts or birthdays 🥰 This was such a wholesome and fun book. My favorite characters were Feek, Sami, & Hanna. Nora/Noora definitely grew on me. Hanna’s grown up SO much since Love from A to Z and I love that she has her own story. The family dynamics added depth to it. Even if you’re not a kid I highly recommend picking up Grounded!! Will update with spoiler chat after release date!

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Grounded: A Novel" is a newly released lower middle grade book by four lovely Muslim authors - Jamilah Thompkins-Bigalow, S.K. Ali, Huda Al-Marashi, and Aisha Saeed.

Four Muslim tweens - Hannah Chen (Adam's little sister from Love From A to Z!), Feek Stiles (and his little sister Ruqi!), Nora Najjar, and Sami Iqbal - are all returning from a large Muslim conference with their families, when a storm hits and all flights are grounded. While each child struggles with something of their own, they end up an unlikely band of friends in search of a missing cat.

I really appreciated the gentle way that the authors addressed issues of family, anxiety, and Muslim identity (or lack thereof) with each character. This story is 100% halal and wholesome - a massive relief given how many problematic "Muslim rep" books are out there these days. I especially loved Feek's chapters, which were imbued with such heart and will undoubtedly resonate with many kids.

As an adult reader, I found the book a bit slow to start, but it's definitely a nice, chill summer read. Muslim parents will be thoroughly relieved that there's nothing to worry about in the haraamness area (or insidious subtle normalization of certain types of haraamness).

3.75/5 🌟 for storytelling, 5/5 🌟 for halalness and wholesomeness!

#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MyMuslimShelfSpace #MuslimMG #Muslimfiction #MuslimKidLit #bookreview #WeNeedDiverseBooks #OwnVoices

[MandM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun book about a cat that escapes this cage in the airport and the kids, all strangers to themselves, and of course become friends, try to rescue the cat. And of course high jinks entail, ventures into off limits areas possibilities of missing their flights, worried parents,and just a whole lot of fun. Differently good 7-8 year old readers and up to maybe 99+.

[aforestofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually really cute. I wish I had books like this one growing up. It would have been nice to see a bunch of Muslim kids going on an adventure and becoming friends. Also adventure involving finding a missing cat 🙌🏼

Each character was very unique and they were all dealing with different problems in their personal lives. I liked how all the kids got together to discuss what was going on and how to address it. And I also love how communication was the main factor, and seeing their parents actually communicate was refreshing because it’s definitely something not a lot of us grew up with, but something I hope the younger generation gets to experience.

I’m biased but Hanna was obviously my favourite. And I want to see more of her so badly. But I also really related a lot with Sami and his anxiety. It was nice to see him realizing that his anxiety isn’t always a negative thing and how he can use it to help himself and his friends. And also just seeing him become more confident in himself and speaking up!

Definitely a book I would have liked as a kid and would recommend to all the Muslim kids who want to see themselves in a book. Also, while airport anxiety is a think that is briefly hinted at in the book (with the kids being Muslim and all), this book doesn’t focus on Islamophobia and how Muslims are treated at airports, which I really appreciated because it felt like just a bunch of normal kids at an airport, doing things they shouldn’t, but no stress about them getting actually arrested and harassed and violated. Muslim kids are allowed to have fun after all.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this one! It's got 4 Muslim kids stuck at an airport due to a storm and one lost cat to find. All four kids have their own stuff going on but they band together to find this lost cat and develop a friendship along the way. This book does so many things well. It's got a character with anxiety, a character with a single parent, a character who doesn't feel Muslim and is kind of learning what that means for her, and a character who idolizes his dad and learns that his dad isn't quite the idol he believes he is, Plus an adorable little sister who both wreaks havoc and bonds this group.

My single solitary itty bitty complaint is that I wish the end had been more developed with each character getting their own resolution with their parents. It felt a little bit rushed to me and I wanted just tad bit more. As it was though, this is a wonderful and exciting collaboration and the audiobook is fantastic. Highly recommend.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. This is a delightful middle grade novel about five kids (including little Ruqi!) coming together to search for a missing cat while all planes are grounded at a large international airport. But don’t let the whimsical synopsis fool you. This book has a lot of heart and some deeply emotional moments.

[Wardah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, full of adventure, but also make you want to cry. More review soon.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really cute. I like reading about how people living in America and Europe practice Islam because it’s very different from how it’s done in my country, Iran.

Living under the rule of Islamic Republic and the way IRGC has twisted Islam into their own cruel and savage version has given me a lot of religious trauma. people literaly get tortured and killed here in the streets and prisons because they don’t agree with the government’s barbaric rules and other horrible stuff that’s been going on for the past 44 years.

I still respect muslim people, my trauma is not their fault, it’s IRGC’s fault 100% and I’m glad that muslims in western countries practice a kinder and happier version of Islam and young kids are not traumatized like I was.

[آية · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read middle grade, but of course I had to make an exception for SK Ali. SK Ali is on my instant buy/read list (actually I think she's the only one on that list lol) and after reading this book, her place on it is still secure! As expected!

I really don't know how 4 writers managed to write such a cohesive story. Like, seriously, who would've thought I would call a book about a group of twelve-year-olds (plus a 4yo little sister side kick) playing Sherlock to look for a lost cat at an airport page-turning? Not me. But it was, because of the internal conflict driving the story. The four POV characters were each so unique and yet their personalities and internal conflicts worked so well together. They each confront deep truths about themselves - about their different relationships to Islam, their Muslim identities, childhood trauma, and their parents. Their arcs were so well done, and you can tell how the personalities all complemented each other as each one confronted their deepest insecurities in the middle of the night in an airport.

I love the diversity of the cast. One girl was an Arab American social media star struggling with an absent mother and identity issues and friendships at school. One boy was African American aspiring lyricist struggling with older sibling responsibility and an absent father. Another was a South Asian karate martial artist struggling with anxiety. And, of course, for fans of LFATZ and LFMTM, Hanna Chen, animal rights activists, struggling with her relationship with her father.

Not only does the racial and hobby diversity reflect your typical group of American Muslim adolescents, but the cast also nicely represents differences in birth order and how it affects personalities and internal conflicts. I, of course, related most to the eldest sibling of the quad. But there is also a single-child and younger siblings, each of them with different family dynamics, and as a story about internal conflicts relating to family relationships and identity, this was really well portrayed.

All in all, this is a great read for adults, let alone the middle schoolers it was intended for!

(Also, if SK Ali thought she'd satisfy us with this story about Hanna, she was wrong. Now I need a whole other sequel about her. Preferably with a lot more appearances of Mr. Chen and Adam and Zayneb. IMMEDIATELY. Please and thank you.)

[ileftmybookshere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ini novel middlegrade yang cocok buat dibaca semua kalangan, seru abis!! 🤩👊🏻

｡𖦹°‧⭑.ᐟ

Konvensi Muslim tahunan di Amerika Utara selesai, dan ratusan peserta kembali ke rumah mereka lewat bandara Hurston. Namun, badai petir menghentikan semua penerbangan. Feek terpaksa mengasuh adiknya, sembari ia menulis puisi. Sami cemas akan melewatkan turnamen karate, Nora tertekan sebagai putri anggota kongres, dan Hanna menghindari pembicaraan tentang ayahnya yang mungkin menikah lagi. Keempat anak ini terjebak di bandara, tak terduga, mereka berpetualang mencari kucing Himalaya hilang, Snickerdoodle, yang akhirnya jadi kenangan tak terlupakan.

｡𖦹°‧⭑.ᐟ

Buatku, 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 yang disuguhi di buku ini tuh menarik dan simple! Menitikberatkan pada petualangan kecil antara 5 orang anak yang awalnya gak saling kenal tapi seiring berjalannya waktu, mereka malahan membangun persahabatan yang seru! 🤩 Selain soal persahabatan, di buku ini disorot tentang hubungan orangtua-anak yang we know that sometimes gak mudah dan seringkali banyak salah paham terjadi🤏🏻 Karena buku ini diperuntukkan untuk middlegrade jadi konflik-konfliknya gak begitu berat dan mudah buat dipahami jalan ceritanya, buat yang udah older than middlegrade, mungkin buku ini bisa jadi bacaan ringan!

𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗿nya gunain alur maju dengan flow yang rapi dari awal sampai akhir, aku enjoy dengan switching POV antara 4 tokoh utamanya yang masing masing memperlihatkan bagaimana karakter mereka dan jujur, 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗸𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻 mereka tuh unik-unik dan masing-masing digambarkan memiliki struggles gitu jadi secara gak langsung kasih 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 kalo everyone has their own battle✨ Grounded ini termasuk fast paced di aku ya mungkin karena ceritanya ringan dan ukuran fontnya juga pas, gak terlalu besar dan gak terlalu kecil, pokoknya cocok buat adik-adik yang lagi beralihan dari buku cerita bergambar ke novel karena di Grounded ini ada beberapa ilustrasi juga jadi gak gampang bosen xixixi😁

Oiya Grounded ini aslinya novel berbahasa Inggris dan jujur, terjemahannya okay banget menurutku. Gaya bahasanya gak kaku sama sekali dan 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶nya kerasa kesan fun nya gitu lho, pokoknya memanggil innerchild-ku wkwkwk😭☝🏻 asli bikin flashback ke bacaan masa kecilku. Selain itu, ada dibahas juga soal agama di buku ini jadi bisa nih jadi pengenalan ke adik-adik kalian karena buku ini tuh novel islami ya jadi ada 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 soal agamanya juga!

Overall, it’s a nice middlegrade book! Kalo kalian suka buku ringan bergenre petualangan, you should give this book a chance!🤩 Yang punya adik, boleh nih kenalin buku ini ke adik kalian!

[Tia Ayu Sulistyana (tiareadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.3/5⭐️

Bagaimana jadinya jika badai petir, bandara, dan seekor kucing hilang menyatukan 4 anak Muslim yang tak saling mengenal dalam satu malam yang mengubah segalanya?

Feek, Hanna, Sami, dan Nora terjebak di bandara Zora Neale Hurston akibat cuaca buruk.✈️⚡️ Di tengah kekacauan, mereka justru terlibat dalam misi tak terduga: mencari Snickerdoodle, si kucing Himalaya yang hilang.🔎🐾

Di balik pencarian Snickerdoodle, tersimpan lapisan cerita yang jauh lebih kompleks. Feek harus mengurus adiknya hingga tak punya waktu untuk dirinya sendiri. Hanna terus menghindari ayahnya yang berencana menikah lagi. Sami dihantui kecemasan akan melewatkan turnamen karate dan tak mendapat pengakuan orang tuanya. Sementara Nora, masih mencari jati diri di tengah ekspektasi besar sebagai putri seorang anggota kongres.

Seiring malam berlalu, bandara bukan lagi sekadar tempat singgah, melainkan titik balik yang mengubah segalanya. Awalnya, mereka hanya berbagi cerita karena keadaan memaksa. Namun ternyata, permasalahan mereka yang berbeda-beda saling bersinggungan, membuka ruang untuk berbagi, memahami, dan diterima apa adanya. Grounded bukan sekadar petualangan mencari kucing hilang, tapi kisah hangat tentang pencarian identitas sebagai seorang Muslim, persahabatan, keluarga, dan kehangatan yang muncul dari pertemuan tak terduga.💖

Tbh, this novel is beyond my expectations! Aku kira ini bakal jadi novel middle-grade yang ringan, tapi semakin dibaca... gelombang emosi menghantam tanpa ampun.😭 Apalagi ketika setiap karakter menemukan resolusi atas permasalahannya. Dari tawa hingga air mata, perjalanan mereka terasa nyata dan menyentuh. Gak heran novel ini memenangkan The 2024 Walter Honor Award for Younger Readers!🏆

Ditulis oleh Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, dan S.K. Ali, Grounded adalah novel middle-grade yang seru, hangat, dan penuh kejutan.💫 Sekilas, ceritanya tampak sederhana, tapi makin dibaca, makin susah untuk berhenti! Gak heran novel ini berhasil memenangkan The 2024 Walter Honor Award for Younger Readers—karena emang sebagus itu!🏆📖

All in all, I highly recommend this novel!❤️‍🔥 Meski ditujukan untuk pembaca 15+, orang dewasa pun bisa menikmatinya! Cocok untuk orang tua karena menghadirkan sudut pandang anak dan orang tua sekaligus, membuat ceritanya semakin kaya dan relatable.✨Bacaan hangat dan penuh makna untuk semua usia!📖✨

#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews

[aynsrtn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini tidak hanya sekadar buku middle grade tentang 4 orang anak yang terjebak di bandara sehingga penerbangan mereka beserta keluarganya menjadi tertunda, lalu ada satu anak dengan gigihnya bertekad ingin mencari keberadaan kucing bernama Snickerdoodle—dan menyeret 3 anak lainnya untuk bergabung bersamanya, tetapi lebih daripada itu.

Buku bercerita tentang relasi anak dengan orang tua. Tentang anak yang lelah dianggap anak kecil, tapi di satu sisi ditumpuk beban layaknya seorang ayah. Tentang anak yang ingin membanggakan kedua orang tuanya, lelah dicap sebagai anak yang penakut. Tentang anak yang populer tapi sebenarnya yang dia butuhkan adalah ibu yang hadir di kehidupannya dan sahabat yang tulus kepadanya. Serta, tentang anak yang menolak ayahnya mencari pengganti ibu baru untuknya, dia ingin dilibatkan, bukan keputusan pencarian ibu baru terletak sepenuhnya dalam kendali ayahnya. Semua pusara konflik dan friksi itu ada di dalam buku ini.

4.5⭐

Buku ini ditulis "keroyokan" oleh 4 orang. Uniknya, saling berkelindan. Uniknya lagi, setiap karakter narator di buku ini sesuai dengan jumlah penulisnya: Feek, Noora, Hanna, dan Sami. Aku curiganya keempat penulisnya kebagian satu-satu pov atau malah digarap barengan? Yang bikin kaget plus gemasss adalah pov si kecil Ruqi. Lucu banget deh pov dia. Kalau tulisannya typo-typo itu bukan kesalahan penulis atau editor, tetapi emang anak kecil ini ngomongnya masih cadel, jadi ketikan pov dia pun kebawa cadel *cubit pipi Ruqi.

Banyak ilustrasi, bab-nya pendek-pendek, bahkan ada 1 bab isinya cuma panggilan mereka di bandara dan puisi karya Feek. Buku yang cocok dibaca segala usia. Apalagi buat orang dewasa agar bisa memahami sudut pandang dari anak kecil yang beranjak remaja.

Luvv.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by receiving this copy.

I'm going to start this out by saying that I thought this book was a graphic novel when I requested it, and I was disappointed that it wasn't. The cover art is beautiful and I really thought it would look fabulous as a graphic novel (and after reading the story I think this would work well as a graphic novel as well).

Now that disclaimer is out of the way, I thought this book was so so. I loved the representation within this book, the full Muslim cast and that none of them look the same to show there are variations of 'normal' within all groups of similar people (which is also a theme throughout the book). However, the kids themselves are so... badly behaved? I'm hesitant to say that because they are being just kids and I recognize that, but they were breaking the law, and most of them knew they shouldn't have been doing what they were doing. And as Nora's mom pointed out, they're Muslim in an airport- that's a really bad place for them to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I HATE that this book has made it normal for children to have such bad technology addiction. I get it, it's normal these days. But can we please have a book without TikTok (knock knock or whatever), iPads, and Facebook shoved down our throats? This book didn't need any of these things to move the plot along, even Nora's storyline could've been accomplished without their TikTok equivalent.

Call me a boomer, I don't care. But kids these days are so obsessed with their devices can we at least get books where they're not.

[Rido Arbain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kisah novel ini berpusat pada empat bocah muslim—Feek, Hanna, Sami, dan Nora—yang terdampar di bandara Hurston karena badai petir menghentikan semua penerbangan pesawat mereka.

Pada awalnya keempat anak itu tak saling kenal, meskipun sama-sama baru saja menghadiri konvensi muslim tahunan di Amerika Utara. Namun, insiden hilangnya kucing himalaya bernama Snickerdoodle di bandara itu malah menyatukan mereka dalam sebuah misi pencarian tak terduga.

Masing-masing dari mereka memiliki latar belakang dan kepribadian yang berbeda: Feek, anak seorang rapper terkenal dengan impian besar; Hanna, mengaku sebagai aktivis hewan yang penuh semangat; Sami, yang sedang bergulat dengan kecemasan berlebih karena takut melewatkan turnamen karate; dan Nora, putri anggota kongres yang terobsesi ingin membuktikan diri lewat video NokNok (mungkin pelesetan TikTok).

Keputusan mereka mencari Snickerdoodle pada akhirnya memicu serangkaian petualangan seru—menjelajahi lorong-lorong bandara, mengelabui petugas keamanan, dan menghadapi ketakutan pribadi mereka sendiri. Di tengah kekacauan itu, mereka pun belajar tentang kekuatan pertemanan, keberanian, dan pentingnya saling mendukung satu sama lain.

Ditulis dengan narasi bergantian dari sudut pandang masing-masing tokoh sentral, novel ini menawarkan kedalaman emosional yang kuat dari keempat penulisnya. Setiap penulis menghidupkan karakter dengan suara yang unik, membuat pembaca mudah terhubung dengan pergolakan batin yang mereka alami.

Saya pikir, Grounded adalah bacaan ringan yang menghibur untuk setiap rentang umur. Apalagi, ini cocok untuk orang tua yang ingin mencarikan anak-anaknya cerita tentang representasi muslim modern yang jarang ditemukan di literatur anak.

[Yaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Grounded, by four Muslim kidlit powerhouses is so much fun!
-The plot was a little overwhelming at first, but I eventually just rolled with the chaos of it all. I like that it didn't actually get too dark.
-I thought keeping track of four kids' viewpoints would be a bit of a handful, but they each had distinctive voices and their own unique families and outlooks. (thought I'll admit I came here for S.K Ali and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and was most engaged by their characters).
-There obviously isn't a plentitude of Black + Muslim characters anywhere, but Feek was the most realistic one I've come across so far. His love and care for his little sister was super cute and his frustration of being the promoted-to-parent eldest was real.
-I loved seeing the absolutely infectious Hanna Chen again. (I will always love S.K Ali's crossover characters in all her books). Passionate characters are always so entertaining. I have an inordinate amount of love for glasses-wearing main characters, so I hope she gets her glasses in the finalized cover!
-The characters have a range of cultures and backgrounds - Chinese + Finnish who lives in Qatar, Lebanese American, Black American, and South Asian. There are also plentt of levels of faith: some are quicker to remember Allah and make dua, others less so, one unsure of the label of Muslim because her family isn't practicing.
-I had only a single quibble about the Muslim rep at the very end of the book. I was kinda unhappy for it to end with a singing and dancing birthday party since many Muslims (like me) don't celebrate them.

[Mare Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aku bakal garisbawahi apa aja yang bikin hati hangat. Novel ini membahas soal pencarian jati diri anak-anak, identitas muslim, hubungan orangtua-anak.

Soal identitas muslim yang berkaitan dengan Nora memang tantangan tersendiri bagi muslim yang berada di negara minoritas. Namun tetap relate dengan kita yang tinggal di negara mayoritas. Pengalamanku sebagai guru, terkadang suka menemukan wali murid yang menganggap semua anak muslim tumbuh kembang di keluarga yang menerapkan islamic value. Tapi nyatanya ga, dan terkadang empati itu kurang ada, empati bahwa setiap orang itu tumbuh di lingkungan yang berbeda. Alih-alih kita mendukung atau merangkul, tapi menganggap orang-orang yang ga sama ritmenya seperti noda yang bisa merusak pergaulan anaknya. Dan aku senang dengan sikap Hanna, Feek, dan Sami dalam menanggapi masalah Nora. Aku rasa novel ini bukan hanya untuk anak-anak, tapi buat kita orang dewasa juga supaya kita bisa sebijak anak-anak yang lucu ini.

Aku suka banget sama catatan kasus Hanna sampe ada ilustrasinya! Feek dengan rapp-nya dan Ruqi yang ucul banget, haha. Sami dengan karatenya, dan Nora dengan NokNok-nya.

Semua konflik di novel ini relate banget untuk novel middle grade, dan seperti yang kubilang bagus untuk orangtua juga untuk memahami permasalahan anak-anak.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a solid middle grade in that it has a zany plot (kids running around an airport when all the flights are grounded in order to find a cat that's been missing for a week in the airport) and humor but the positivity of friendships that develop and the deepened connections with family that endures once the kids have the courage to lean on one another and step up against their family.

All told: one is kind of ignored by her Congresswoman mother, another is trying to live up to a dad that raps, one is trying to get over their dad looking for a new wife at the Muslims of North America conference that they were all just attending and what it means to be one (though that's not even really mentioned more than a few times), one is going to miss out on a karate tournament, one is disappointed in not visiting Chocolate World to gain more followers on social media, one has to apologize for being a bad friend once she returns home, one is on a quest for justice for animals being tranquilized unknowingly before being put on flights. It's all just a bit *too much* yet provides the humor, adventure, and heart that's at the core of any fast-paced middle grade.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many things I really like about this book. First, I love the bringing together of 4 Muslim authors and having characters that reflect different degrees of practicing their religion. The characters were fun and unique, and any story that involves searching for a lost cat is a good book. I definitely would have included this on class reading lists and in an elementary and middle school library. My only complaint/suggestion is that it would be nice to have an explanation of some of the words and religious practices. While I know quite a bit about what they were saying and doing, I doubt a young reader who was not a Muslim would understand. After all, books need to be mirrors (which it would be) and windows (it needs a bit of help with this) and sliding glass doors (I think it successes in this.)

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unapologetic Muslim MG book with amazing representation by 4 awesome authors!
⚡️
Feek, Hannah, Sami and Nora are stuck in the airport overnight when bad weather grounds their plan returning from a huge Muslim convention. When a cat gets loose the four kids band together to help find it, while also each dealing with issues of their own.
✈️
Fans of The Breakfast Club and other anthologies with one overarching storyline & alternate points of view will love this novel by @skalibooks @aishacs @authorjamilah @huda.almarashi I can’t wait to get this in my school library and book talk it to death! The perfect Eid gift or for ANY child! Loved it.

CW: death of a parent (discussed), anxiety

4.5 ⭐️ just bc it took me a while to get into the story

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vik Loses sister in airport while they wait for MONA Muslim American conference
4 story lines, looking for cat while stuck at airport during weather stoppage
Find scary medical office type room, hear people talking about the airport in LA where they do something not nice with lost animals
Strong animal rights vibe
Security guard B White - lol
Seems like it could end at the security desk part chap 35
Light intro to Muslim culture from kids of different backgrounds and family situations, love how the side stories work out, as well as the major cat rescue plotline.
4 authors, 4 audio performers, great job
Reminds me of a smaller scale You Are Here

[yun with books · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We have to be ourselves and tell people about who we are, and if they don’t accept us, we know they weren’t our real friends to begin with.”

An easy read with Muslim main characters is ALL IN for me! The story followed around Sami, Feek, Nora and Hanna (+Ruqi) unexpected adventure to search a missing cat at (Snickerdoodle) the airpor. Each one of them have "parents problems" that resolve unexpected in the middle of their cat-searching adventure.

I love Sami's strength.
I love Hanna's determined personality.
I love Nora's honesty.
And I love Feek's patient.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there were more books with this kind of diversity and modern elements. This is the most ‘real’ book I have read in awhile where it actually references social media and young teens. I love the boundaries (or lack of) by the parents and kid’s relationships. Great family book and also celebrating the differences in families from the same culture. I am hoping these authors collaborate again! Great middle grade novel!

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations to Saeed, Al-Marashi, Thompkins-Bigelow, and Ali for this delightful sleuthing romp through a darkened airport terminal in search of a missing cat. Four children with different personalities become a team of friends as they look for the lost pet. Each child’s emotional personality is revealed chapter by chapter as they race through terminals searching for clues or sighting of the elusive feline. It’s a very satisfying adventure told by the cooperating four authors.

[Arisha (Free Palestine 🇵🇸) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so well done especially for a book with four authors

Every single character was so loveable and you couldn’t help but feel for each and every single one of them. And the writing style was so cohesive? Even though there were four different authors? Who all write completely different types of stories?? AND THE LOVE FROM A TO Z REFERENCES?? And the poetry too?? Omg this ate in so many different ways