Was Muhammad Ali a Chicken? by Dan Gutman Illlustrated by Allison Steinfeld W. W. Norton/Norton Young Readers From the best-selling author behind My Weird School: a quirky new biography series that casts fresh light on high-interest historic figures. Did you know that Muhammad Ali was so terrified of flying on planes he would bring a parachute? […]
The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray Cora hasn’t spoken to her best friend, Quinn, in a year. Despite living next door to each other, they exist in separate worlds of grief. Cora is still grappling with the death of her beloved sister in a school shooting, and Quinn is carrying the […]
Unsettled By Reem Faruqi HarperCollins When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah’s accent, floral-print kurtas, and tea-colored skin make her feel excluded, until she meets Stahr at swimming tryouts. And in the water Nurah doesn’t want […]
Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission By Zanib Mian Illustrated By Nasaya Mafaridik Penguin Random House/Penguin Young Readers Omar has to solve the mystery of his missing teacher in the third installment of this imaginative, highly-illustrated #OwnVoices middle-grade series. Omar is going on his biggest adventure yet–a trip to Pakistan! But his excitement about the trip […]
The Colour of God by Ayesha S. Chaudhry Simon & Schuster/Oneworld The Colour of God is the heartfelt story of a South Asian Muslim child raised in Canada, born to parents who embraced a puritanical version of Islam to shield them from racism. The author examines the joys and sorrows of growing up in a […]
Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Outlawed (Magnificent Ms. Marvel #3) by Saladin Ahmed Illustrated by Minkyu Jung and Joey Vazquez Marvel There's a new hero in Jersey City! Introducing Fadi Fadlalah, a.k.a. Amulet! What secrets is this gentle giant hiding? Is he friend or foe? Why is he showing up now, just when Kamala has […]
Roots and Wings: How Shahzia Sikander Became an Artist by Shahzia Sikander and Amy Novesky, Illustrated by Hanna Barczyk The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander recounts how growing up as a tomboy in a multicultural home in Pakistan inspired her to become an artist Growing up in a multigenerational, multicultural home […]
Peace Train By Cat Stevens Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds HarperCollins Hop aboard the Peace Train in this picture book adaptation of Cat Stevens’s legendary anthem of unity and harmony in time for the song’s 50th anniversary! With illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. “Now I've been happy lately Thinking about the good things to […]
Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi Penguin Random House/G.P. Putnam’s Sons Fourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped–only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she’s humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who […]
Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash Workman/Algonquin On September 11, 2001, the lives of two boys on opposite sides of the world are changed in an instant. Baheer, a studious Afghan teen, sees his family’s life turned upside down when they lose their livelihood as war rocks the country. A world away, Joe, […]
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books To cure her post-senior year slump, made worse by the loss of her aunt Sonia, Noreen decides to follow her mom on a gap year trip to New Delhi, hoping India can lessen her grief and bring her voice back. In the world’s most polluted […]
Better, Not Bitter Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice by Yusef Salaam Hachette/Grand Central Publishing This inspirational memoir serves as a call to action from prison reform activist Yusef Salaam, of the Exonerated Five, that will inspire us all to turn our stories into tools for change in the pursuit of racial […]