Saadia Faruqi – författare

Set against the backdrop of Karachi,Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s tender and honest middle grade novel tells the storyof two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kindhearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.Mimi is not thrilled to be spending hersummer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, shewishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in herbeautiful new journal.The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll beaccepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, howcould her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with herAbba in a rich family’s kitchen?Although the girls seem totally incompatibleat first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plentyin common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most. This relatable and empathetic story abouttwo friends coming to understand each other will resonate with readers wholoved Other Words for Home and Front Desk.

Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s tender and honest middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kind hearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.

Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.

The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen?

Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most. 

This relatable and empathetic story about two friends coming to understand each other will resonate with readers who loved Other Words for Home and Front Desk. 

At a time when we are all asking questionsabout identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by theauthor of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who loveHena Khan and Varian Johnson—or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S.history and how it still affects us today.  Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey,Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in theregional robotics competition, which he just knows he can win.Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought.Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ananniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge.With “Never Forget” banners everywhere and a hostile group oftownspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s angerfrom two decades ago hasn’t gone away. Can he hold onto his joy—and hisfriendships—in the face of heartache and prejudice?

At a time when we are all asking questions about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the author of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who love Hena Khan and Varian Johnson—or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S. history and how it still affects us today.  

Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey, Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in the regional robotics competition, which he just knows he can win.

Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought. Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge.

With “Never Forget” banners everywhere and a hostile group of townspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s anger from two decades ago hasn’t gone away. Can he hold onto his joy—and his friendships—in the face of heartache and prejudice?

In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant surgeon heals patients in the first millennium.A female king rules the Indian subcontinent.A poet pours his joy and grief into the world’s best-selling verses.An iconic leader fights for civil rights.And many, many more. Throughout history—from the golden age of the empires of Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and India, up to modern day—Muslims have shaped our world in essential ways, with achievements in music, medicine, politics, human rights, literature, sports, technology, and more. Give this book to readers who are excited to learn about the great figures and thinkers in history!The authors introduce their book with a personal letter to the reader, setting out their motivations and hopes for the stories they are telling. The backmatter includes a glossary and bibliography for readers’ further research and learning.This essential collection of Muslim history for kids shines a light on thirty incredible people, including:STEM Pioneers: Meet the brilliant surgeon Al-Zahrawi, whose inventions are still used today, and Fazlur Rahman Khan, the genius behind modern skyscrapers.Groundbreaking Women: Learn about Razia Sultan, a female king of India, and Noor Inayat Khan, a spy princess who fought the Nazis in World War II.Visionary Artists & Thinkers: Explore the world’s best-selling verses from the poet Rumi and travel the globe with the legendary explorer Ibn Battuta.Modern Role Models: Be inspired by civil rights leader Malcolm X, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and barrier-breaking Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.Engaging Educational Content: Perfect for ages 8-12, this collection features stunning portraits, a personal author letter, a glossary of terms, and a bibliography for curious minds.

In this engaging and moving middle grade novel, Saadia Faruqi writes about a contemporary Pakistani American girl whose passion for journalism starts a conversation about her grandmother’s experience of the Partition of India and Pakistan—and the bond that the two form as she helps Dadi tell her story. When her grandmother comes off the airplane in Houston from Pakistan, Mahnoor knows that having Dadi move in is going to disrupt everything about her life. She doesn’t have time to be Dadi’s unofficial babysitter—her journalism teacher has announced that their big assignment will be to film a documentary, which feels more like storytelling than what Maha would call “journalism.”As Dadi starts to settle into life in Houston and Maha scrambles for a subject for her documentary, the two of them start talking. About Dadi’s childhood in northern India—and about the Partition that forced her to leave her home and relocate to the newly created Pakistan.As details of Dadi’s life are revealed, Dadi’s personal story feels a lot more like the breaking news that Maha loves so much. And before she knows it, she has the subject of her documentary.

A Schneider Family Book Award HonoreeFrom beloved middle grade author Saadia Faruqi comes a poignant exploration of the impact of mental illness on families—and the love and hope that it takes to begin telling a different tale. Mo is used to his father’s fits of rage. When Abbu's moods shake the house, Mo is safe inside his head, with his cherished folktales: The best way to respond is not to engage. Apparently, his mama knows that too—which is why she took a job on the other side of the world, leaving Mo alone with Abbu.With Mama gone, the two move to Texas to live with Mo’s aunt and cousin, Rayyan. The two boys could not be more different. Rayyan is achievement-driven and factual; Mo is a “bad kid." Still, there is a lot to like about living in Texas. Sundays at the mosque are better than he’d expected. And Rayyan and his aunt become a real family to Mo.But even in a warm home and school where he begins to see a future for himself, Mo knows that the monster within his father can break out and destroy their fragile peace at any moment…

A timely, accessible, and beautifully written story exploring themes of food, friendship, family and what it means to belong, featuring sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Saras mom.Sixth graders Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara isat a new school that is completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression.The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, which Elizabeth takes because her mom has stopped cooking, and which Sara, who hates to cook, is forced to attend because her mother is the teacher. The girls form a shaky alliance that gradually deepens, and they make plans tocreatethe most amazing, mouth-watering cross-cultural dish together and win a spot on a local food show.They make good cooking partners... but can they learn to trust each other enough to become true friends?

Saadia Faruqi's breakout graphic novel Saving Sunshine got tons of love including an Eisner nomination, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan award, and it appeared on multiple best books lists. Now she's back with another story that does what she does best—mixes family dynamics, culture, and friendship with compelling and accessible storytelling for a middle-grade audience! Riz Choudhry lives for two things: movies and anything spooky. His dad? Not so much. While Riz dreams of filmmaking and jump scares, his father dreams of Riz going to med school and law school—and neither one includes ghosts. But the film club is Riz’s safe haven, a place where other supernatural-obsessed first-gen kids swap scary stories from their cultures. So, when the group decides to film a documentary about the creepy old mansion in town, Riz is all in. But there’s a problem. His dad wants Riz to quit the club. AND the building is about to be demolished. Now Riz and his friends must use the power of filmmaking to save the mansion…before it vanishes forever. Packed with shivers, laughter, and heart, Don’t Be Scared celebrates friendship, heritage, and daring to fight for what matters—even if it means disagreeing with your family.

Ali Tahir is a dinosaur expert! Or is he?Ali and his classmates are excited for their field trip to the natural history museum. Ali brags to his friends that he’s a dinosaur pro! But when Ali gets his facts wrong, he’s really embarrassed. Some dino pro he is! Then, Ali learns that mistakes can also be opportunities… Ali the Great, by Yasmin author Saadia Faruqi, is a charming chapter book series about Ali Tahir and his multi-generational Pakistani-origin family. Ali’s big ideas will resonate with young readers who believe that every problem has a creative solution - you just have to find it!

Ali Tahir loses something important at the market... his brother!Who’s hungry? Ali, his grandfather, and little brother Fateh head to the South Asian market to stock up on snacks. So much to see! But what Ali can’t see is Fateh.… Where did he go? Will Ali’s quick thinking save the day? Ali the Great, by Yasmin author Saadia Faruqi, is a charming chapter book series about Ali Tahir and his multi-generational Pakistani-origin family. Ali’s big ideas will resonate with young readers who believe that every problem has a creative solution - you just have to find it!

Ms Alex brings out the makerspace trolley, and the class is excited to build robots! But competitive Ali wants to make it a contest, and his fuse runs short when things fall apart. After his meltdown, can Ali save the day, and his friendships, with a teamwork solution?Ali the Great, by Yasmin author Saadia Faruqi, is a charming chapter book series about Ali Tahir and his multi-generational Pakistani-origin family. Ali’s big ideas will resonate with young readers who believe that every problem has a creative solution - you just have to find it!

Ali is sure that he will have the best show-and-tell in the class - his magic tricks! But Ali gets flustered when one after another, his tricks all fail. How can he overcome his embarrassment? Sometimes, a magician just needs a little help!Ali the Great, by Yasmin author Saadia Faruqi, is a charming chapter book series about Ali Tahir and his multi-generational Pakistani-origin family. Ali’s big ideas will resonate with young readers who believe that every problem has a creative solution - you just have to find it!