Welcome to Litsy!

While I know representation is important for the person being represented I think it‘s just as important for others to read. This middle grade is a case in point. I feel cheated that books like this didn‘t exist when I was growing up and I‘m so glad they do now.

My students this year are ravenous book worms. I am so excited to take two huge boxes of book donations from @Lovesbooks87 to them tomorrow! They will be so very excited. Thank you, Jessica!!!!

Amina loves to sing and play music, but she does not love to perform in front of an audience. As Amina navigates friendships, family, school, and her mosque, she finds her strength and her voice.

#oregonbattleofthebooks2021

Very cute middle grades novel about Amina, a 6th grade daughter of Pakastini immigrants. Told through her perspective, she deals with a variety of issues ranging from shifting dynamics in her friend group to a hate crime. 100% and would recommend to upper elementary and middle school students with confidence.

I have been in such a reading slump this year but I've finished 2 books for the #summerfun hoping to get a lot of reading done this week.

I managed to finish #booked2019 this year! Yay! Here are the books I completed during the final quarter:

#FemaleDetective: Murdered, My Sweet
#RemindsYouOfYourHappyPlace: The Overstory
#IndigenousAuthor: Future Home of the Living God
#MuslimAuthorOrMC: Amina‘s Voice
#ComicOrGraphicNovel: We3
#PublicDomain: The Turn of the Screw
#PoliticalIntrigue: The Testaments

Total books read: 6
DNF: 1
Ebooks: 5
Physical books: 2
Borrowed: 5
#booked2019: 4
#lmpbc: 1

Average rating: 3.1 stars
Favorite: Amina‘s Voice (4.5 stars)
Least Favorite: Future Home of the Living God (1.5 stars)

#NovemberStats #NovemberWrapUp

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This was so good! There were a couple plot points I wish had been given more time, but other than that I loved this book. Amina is such a sweet character and her relationships and struggles were all so real. If you enjoy middle grade books, definitely give this one a shot.

#booked2019 #MuslimAuthorOrMC #catsoflitsy #Phoenix #Ember

This book is so relevant and well-told. #religiousfreedom #elementaryfiction

This is another good one I just kind of stumbled upon at the library. Hena Khan does an excellent job weaving the challenges of middle school and changing friendships with issues of racism and finding one‘s place within the community.

Excellent choice for our 4th grade literature circles! It‘s themes of belonging, immigration, and how they connect with American identity are relatable and accessible. #middlegradereads

4.5 ⭐
Perfect day to sit outside and enjoy the sun, while reading this gorgeous story of a young Pakistani Muslim who learns to find her voice in a world where we are all a little different.

Couldn‘t put this one down 📖 great example of diverse voices in literature. #middlegradereads

Quick trip to the library this morning. In in the mood for a little #middlegrade I think.

Middle grade realistic fiction featuring Amina, a Pakistani-American girl navigating friendships, faith, and family as everything around her seems to be changing. She is a talented singer, but petrified of performing in public.

I would highly recommend this book to younger readers.

A wonderful book. A great example of diverse voices in children's literature. Young Amina grapples with friendship across cultures, familial pressures, and understanding society in this novel.

Finishing this gem today. Finally back in the reading game this week. This school year has been so overwhelming, it was good to have some time for self-care the last few days. I also finished Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and absolutely loved it! Hoping to offer these as choices for my students‘ summer reading this year.

All stocked up for Spring Break #libraryhaul #raisingreaders

I finished this today while running errands. And I took a walk at Hawk Ridge. Snow is starting to melt.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio. It‘s about a young girl in middle school who is dealing with friends, family and even understanding her faith. Worth listening to/Reading.

I LOVED this book and could not put it down! Amina and her relationships with her family and friends are relatable to young readers, especially readers who may be first or second generation immigrants. While the conclusion felt a bit rushed and too tidy, I enjoyed every moment of this book and would highly recommend it to anyone. #diversebooks #diverseauthors #ownvoice #muslimbooks

This book is so sweet and cute and I just loved it! It‘s about Amina a Pakistani Muslim living in America with immigrant parents and an older brother. The story is all about learning to be who you are and overcoming fears. The ups and downs that come with family relationships and adapting friendships read so genuine and heartfelt. It‘s the perfect middle grade and was a fun, short read because it‘s not even 200 pages.

Midnight snacking with toddlers: American edition 😴 but I got to finish this sweet middle grade book about a girl just starting middle school. Friendships are changing, family dynamics are shifting, her shyness is challenged, and the community works to overcome an act of hate. It's a not too scary presentation of a hate crime and a lovely portrayal of a Pakistani-American family. I'd like to pass Amina some Ms. Marvel 💗 #mommyreads #middlegrade

Putting a call out for diverse middle-grade recommendations for a 4th grade elementary class!

Yesterday, M's 4th grade teacher asked me for some diverse book recommendations to read to the class.

What would you add to my list?

Also, any recommendations of Puerto Rican authors and/or main characters would be helpful, as none are on my list yet, and something she specifically asked about. #weneeddiversebooks #diversity #middlegrade

I am so excited to have all these amazing authors at the store today. This is what I want all my events to be like!

Need something sweet yet powerful, timely yet uplifting? Read this beautiful middle grade novel by Pakistani-American writer Hena Khan. #SouthAsianWriters #anditsaugust

Not only did I get my #bibliophilebookexchange package today from @EllieDottie ... I also got a surprise package from her as well supporting my classroom from my Amazon Wish List (http://a.co/7mwodeS) ❤️📚❤️ Feeling so very loved. Thanks girl!!!

Just finished this book in 2 days..would recommend as a solid, clean upper elementary school read. A great multicultural piece and authentic Muslim-American narrative that normalizes #ourvoices in mainstream lit. It fulfills 2 things we need in today's sad world: 1) for readers to see themselves in lit; and 2) for readers to see "others" thru their own words in lit. This in itself makes it a worthwhile read, especially for youth and educators.

Sweet book that packs a lot of tween angst. Hits some big issues in a well balanced, not too didactic way.

#jubilantjuly day 4: #redswhitesandblues - Came across this quote in the book I'm reading just now. Perfect timing!

@RealLifeReading

Current homework. (Week 5)

Happy Eid al-Fitr to all who are/will be celebrating!
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#ramadanreadathon: Book You Recommend as an Eid Gift.
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#aminasvoice #itaintsoawfulfalafel #thelineswecross #whenmichaelmetmina #ownvoices #macaronlove #eid #eidalfitr #ramadan #booksandfood

I just randomly picked this book up at the library because the name Hena Khan sounded familiar. She's also the author of "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns" and "Night of the Moon," books I had been reading to my kids all Ramadan! It was very interesting to read about Amina and how she navigates her Pakistani and Muslim and American identities, stumbling and learning along the way. She sounds like my son when she complains about Sunday School! ♡

I finished listening to the audiobook for Amina's Voice today and it was so incredibly good! It was such a heart-warming but also heartbreaking story at the same time. I loved the characters, the setting, the family relationships, and the friendships. I can't recommend this book enough!

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
•BEAUTIFUL 😍
•#ownvoices Muslim rep ☪
•friendship 👭
•amazing family dynamics 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
•SO GOOD
•SO IMPORTANT
•READ IT📚

I really wanted to like this, and mostly I did. The writing was good, the characters were excellent, but the story felt too unfinished. It ended abruptly without tying up a few loose ends and felt a bit hollow. I wish, because of the title, this was more of a journey of Amina overcoming stage fright. Instead it was just a bunch of stuff that happened the first few months of middle school without anything connecting it together. #middlegrademay

Oh my God, Amina, same.

Always nice to see your twelve-year-old self show up in a book (possibly the reason I also loved Alanna?)

Amina Khokar is a young Pakistani American girl in middle school. There are old friends, new rivalries, and plenty of secrets. As her best friend's family prepares for their citizenship ceremony, Amina struggles with how to fit in & what it means to be American. Things come to a head when the local mosque is vandalized. As the community comes together, Amina learns to trust her own voice. I enjoyed this book which is a great one for MG readers.

This is a fantastic #ownvoices novel for fans of contemporary friendship stories. #middlegrademay #howiereads

Lovely middle grade book about a Pakistani Muslim girl who has to navigate changing friendships, growing up, and finding her voice. (Wimsey likes it too.) #middlegrade #diversebooks #catsoflitsy

A stunner of a Middle Grade book, as well as a great window into a religion and society I don't know much about. Amina juggles family, school, friendships and music, as well as her duties at the mosque. I'm heartened to think about all the kids who will see themselves in this book.

I've had some of these out a wee bit too long. I've just arranged them in the order I ought to return them (not necessarily the order I plan to read them.) It's a complex calculation of due date, lending library, popularity, newness, and how naughty I feel by having certain ones out so long. #mugsoflitsy

Lovely story of family, middle school friendship, and community. Check this one out!

A beautiful MG story of heart and hope. Amina's voice is a beautiful one, and she deserves to be heard. A great first publication for Salaam Reads!

A question that many immigrants/children of immigrants undoubtedly ask.

Part of my March book list with my March #readingstats. I didn't finish a single book after March 26th. Yay, minislumps.

At first glance this middle-school read is not extraordinary. It portrays the typical storyline of best friends whose interests seem to diverge as they enter middle school. What makes it different is the fact that its titular protagonist also has to deal with a visiting Pakistani uncle who adheres to a stricter interpretation of the Quran than her family does. ⬇️

Current read: I might finish it in one sitting.

Asking your local library for diverse books WORKS! I live in a small predominantly white town in the north east of the United States. And my library just bought AMINA'S VOICE by Hena Khan. Request more diverse books, ask librarians to order diverse books, get those circulation numbers up!!

#books #libraries #diversebooks #weneeddiversebooks

Story of a Pakistani-American young girl struggling with consolidating her love for her culture with trying to blend in at school, when tragedy strikes her community and she experiences a threat that affects her relationship with her community and shakes her world. It's a sweet story, and highly recommend it for middle graders as a story dealing with Islamophobia. Comes out March 14th. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC. #diversebooks

A great MG about the transition to middle school. Friendship drama! Older brothers who are into hair gel & basketball but still basically good! Visiting relatives!

I knew going in that the story included vandalism & arson at their ICC. I expected more of a mystery, but I like the way it was actually used (as a pivotal, community-solidifying event) better.

Takes place in Milwaukee, so not QUITE a 100-mile book for Read Harder, but getting closer.