Skip to main content

Amina's Voice

Image
By

Amina's Voice
By Hena Khan
Salaam Reads, 2017. Fiction.

Amina Khokar is a talented singer, probably the best one in her class, but she has had horrible stage fright ever since the "John Hancock incident." She does not want to perform a solo in her choir class performance and she does not want to compete in a Quaran recitation competition hosted by her Mosque - if she can't speak in front of people in English, how can she be expected to speak in Arabic? None of this is made any easier by the fact that her best friend Soojin wants to change her name to Susan, or that she wants to become friends with Emily who used to make fun of them, or that her uncle is visiting from Pakistan and might just realize Amina is not perfect.

Amina is a truly identifiable character. Her anxieties about performing in public, losing her friends, and disappointing her family are handled deftly by Khan in a way that will speak to a lot of kids. There are strong themes of individual values and what happens when those values clash with others' - especially those you love. This story of acceptance (of self and others) is a great choice for middle grade readers.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

By loo
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

By Anonymous
J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.
Post a Comment
Read more