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 […]
Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed (Vol. 3) Illustrated by Minkyu Jung, Joey Vazquez, Juan Vlasco, Ian Herring 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 gotten her life […]
That Thing about Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Bollywood takes over in this contemporary, magical middle grade novel about an Indian American girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into glamorous song-and-dance routines during everyday life. You know how in Bollywood when people […]
Misfit in Love (Saints and Misfits #2) by S.K. Ali Simon & Schuster/Salaam Reads In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever. Janna Yusuf is so excited for […]
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar Page Street Books When Humaira "Hani" Khan comes out to her friends as bisexual, they immediately doubt her. Apparently, she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Cornered into proving her sexuality, she tells them she’s dating someone—Ishita "Ishu" Dey, the straight A student […]
Diana and the Underworld Odyssey (Wonder Woman Adventures) by Aisha Saeed Penguin Random House/Random House Books for Young Readers The world’s #1 female Super Hero, Wonder Woman, is back in another breathtaking adventure! This time, Diana will travel to the Underworld to take on Hades–but will she make it out alive? After Diana thwarts a […]
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be […]
An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi HarperCollins From bestselling and National Book Award–nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy—even when you’re trapped in the amber of sorrow. It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared […]
I Went for Hajj by Na'ima B. Robert Illustrated by Paula Pang Islamic Foundation/Kube Publishing Put on two bright white sheets. Stand before the cube shaped Kaaba. Hear the adhan as it fills the air. See, hear, smell and feel the wondrous Hajj pilgrimage with a young boy, who's returned from Makkah a Hajji. A […]
Samira Surfs By Rukhsanna Guidroz Illustrated by Fahmida Azim Penguin Random House/Kokila A middle grade novel-in-verse about Samira, an eleven-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who finds peace and empowerment in a local surf club for girls.Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in her village […]
The Thing I'm Most Afraid Of by Kristin Levine Penguin Random House/G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers A new middle-grade tale from critically acclaimed, award-winning author Kristin Levine about facing your fears, set in Vienna during the Bosnian genocide. Most twelve-year-olds would be excited to fly to Austria to see their dad for the […]