I really enjoyed this beginning chapter book about a little Pakistani American girl named Yasmin. Readers see her at home, at school, and in the community, experiencing the same ups and downs many kids do (getting lost at the park, problem-solving to complete a school project, spending quality time with her grandparents). The illustrations are adorable, as well. I hope to add this to my collection for my voracious chapter book readers.

I recently started seeing a lot of buzz about this book and I’m so happy I got an ARC from NetGalley! Yasmin perseveres though mostly typical second grade struggles, and I love that there were some discussion prompts at the end. I know my students love the challenge of reading chapter books, so with this being organized in that way as well as a series of stories, I think it will attract a lot of fans. Also, the illustrations are kid-friendly and beautiful! I’m a huge fan of Yasmin!

E ARC from Netgalley.com



Second grader Yasmin has lots of adventures in her ordinary life. She explores her neighborhood with her mother, getting just a tiny bit lost, has some difficulty deciding what her artistic talent is for a school art show, struggles with a class project centered around building things, and gets in a little trouble while her grandmother and grandfather are babysitting her and she raids her mother's closet. Despite her sometimes misguided enthusiasm, Yasmin manages to succeed in her endeavors with the help of her supportive family.

Strengths: This nicely illustrated beginning chapter book is sort of like a Junie B. Jones for the new Millenium. There are nice touches of Yasmin's family's Pakistani culture that frame her typical second grade adventures. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of her struggles with painting and building.
Weaknesses: None of the other characters have eyes quite as large at Yasmin's. Also, like Junie B., Yasmin misbehaves a bit. I don't imagine her mother was pleased to have one of her items of clothes hot glued back together after Yasmin ripped it!
What I really think: This is a must purchase for elementary libraries. It's a bit young for my readers (getting separated from mom is a middle school dream, not a nightmare!), but an excellent addition to a diverse collection of beginning chapter books. If Yasmin ever hits middle school, I'd be glad to buy the book!

Meet Yasmin was a book of short stories about Yasmin discovering her world and herself. My daughter picked up the book on her way to school and read the whole thing before we arrived. It was an engaging, quick read for young, transitional readers.
I loved the window, mirror aspect of the book giving Pakistani American children a book about them and giving those of us not from that culture a glimpse into it. The end pages where the culture and language were furthered defined and explained was excellent. The end pages also offered some wonderful accompanying activities and as a teacher and parent, I loved. I think children will engage with this as well.
Yasmin is a second-grader that many of us know (full of energy and ideas and always on the move). Her adventures in each little story are relatable and enjoyable to read. I hope to see more Yasmin and more from Saadia. She has a wonderful voice that has been missing in this stage of reading material.

This book is one that had my students attention right from the cover! Vibrant illustrations are perfect for Yasmin! She is a lively and energetic young girl who loves to try new things! Perfect book for those beginning chapter books and anyone who loves a diverse story!

An absolute delight! I am thrilled this book is in the world, and that there will be more Yasmin books to come! Imaginative, adventurous, and relatable, Yasmin is a heroine young readers will root for!

I've been excited about MEET YASMIN, Saadia Faruqi's kidlit debut, ever since I heard about it—and it did not disappoint! Yasmin will easily join beloved early reader characters; her spunk, problem-solving, and relatable adventures are perfect for preschoolers and early elementary school kids. (And probably one of the most important things to me in an early reader—I enjoyed reading it aloud as much as my 5 year old old enjoyed listening!) I was also completely blown away by how delightful Hatem Ali's illustrations were. He really captured Yasmin, her family, and her friends perfectly. Highly recommended—I can't wait to purchase it!

Oh my gosh, this is such a delightful book, and Yasmin is such a fun and engaging second grader, she absolutely deserves that exclamation point in the title. Yasmin's family is Pakistani (as is the author), so the text is sprinkled with a few words in Urdu that kids will find easy to learn and fun to use. She is perfectly relatable, prone to worry and inspiration at a moment's notice, and her family is warm and supportive and everything you could hope for.

Hatem Aly's illustrations are an absolute delight, and he brings such life and energy to Yasmin and her family and classmates, you'll feel like you're right there with them as she goes through mini-adventures as an explorer, painter, builder and fashionista.

Teachers will love the age-appropriate study guide, with a glossary, recipe, facts about Pakistan, and more.

A wonderful, spirited book with a heroine I hope we meet many times again. Perfect for boys and girls in early elementary school.

This is a delightful book! I love Yasmin and I absolutely cannot wait to introduce her to my young students!

I love this book! I need a whole bunch of them! I hope that it is the beginning of a series. I do not have any books in my classroom library with a main character from Pakistan, especially one as cute and sassy as Yasmin! I love the end of the book when the reader is educated about Pakistan. Just loved this book!

This book is simple and relatable, while also educating children about a new culture. Yasmin is a strong, spunky character that a lot of kids will see themselves in.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the read.

This book was okay to me but not remarkable. As a matter of fact, 10 minutes after finishing it I can hardly remember what it’s about. I remember it has to do with a little girl learning to paint.

#netgalley

This was such a great book! Yasmin is a curious, adorable Pakistani American second-grader. Her interests take her from being an explorer, to a painter, and lastly, to being a fashionista.

Meet Yasmin! is a great book that encourages children to engage with the world around them and be imaginative. It also features a Pakistani American family whose customs and cultures are naturally integrated into the book - and are a seamless part of Yasmin and her daily life. All of this is aided by some wonderful illustrations!

The end of the book also features a glossary of Urdu words, a fact sheet about Pakistan, and a recipe for Lassi!

This is a really cute book about Yasmin, a young Pakistani American girl in 2nd grade. The book is made up of four stories where Yasmin has a problem to solve. It shows the creativity and problem solving that a young person can do. It also shows how important it is to try and to be confident in yourself. Yasmin's Pakistani family and heritage are seamlessly integrated into the story, such as discussing the clothing that her mother wears. There are not a lot of illustrations in this book, but those that are present certainly add to the story, especially showing Yasmin's successful problem solving. This is an early chapter book that would be great in a primary class library or family library. I love the multi-cultural aspect in the story as well as in the back pages where we find a glossary and fact sheet that teach a little Urdu and Pakistani culture. There is also a simple recipe and craft. A great little book that would be a great selection for a public or school library as well.

Yasmin is a little girl who has the mind set that she can do and be whatever she desires! This book will be great for all children as it shows them that if they put their mind to it then they can achieve anything in life! Yasmin aspired to be all kinds of things from an explore to a fashion designer! Yasmin did not let obstacles and challenges deter her from pursuing and carrying out her dream! Such an awesome and inspiring book especially for little girls and I love that Yasmin is a diverse character and representative of all children!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Yasmin is an absolutely delightful character who is a breath of fresh air on the early chapter book scene. She's spunky, animated and full of big ideas that are all her own. Her personality is huge, as is her imagination, and she resolves her challenges with independence and creativity. She's a girl that every young person should get to know, and I particularly love the ways in which children will be able to relate to her, while also learning something new about Pakistani culture. I love the extra features at the back of the book that expand the reader's knowledge of Pakistan and the Urdu language, and help readers think about the topics covered in the book.

The illustrations by Hatem Aly are excellent, and really bring Yasmin's big personality to life.

This is a must-read, and would be an excellent addition to elementary libraries. I've already pre-ordered it for my library, and I can't wait for my patrons to meet Yasmin, too.

This amazing children's book introduces readers to the delightful Yasmin, along with her Muslim family from Pakistan, as we see her navigate a host of interesting situations with charisma and creativity, illustrating how multifaceted such an #ownvoices character can be!

This is a really cute book about a little 2nd grade girl, Yasmin, who is Pakistani American. She has different adventures that make her have to think things through to reach a solution. In one she has to learn to read a map. In another, she has to figure out what to do when she rips some of her mother's clothes. And my favorite is when she realizes that when given a project that involved building structures, that she could build the bridges that connected all the other buildings that others had built.

Good way to allow kids to see themselves, in a positive light.

Loving family, and fun spunky young girl.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-339" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-25-at-11.02.14-PM.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone wp-image-315 size-full" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-20-at-10.23.46-PM-e1522043904976.png" alt="Yamsin" />

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This was a super cute and fun read. Each of the stories engages the curiosity and creativity of young children through short illustrated anecdotes that present a problem or challenge and lead to a solution through Yasmin exercising her imagination and brainstorming. Yasmin's Pakistani family and heritage are seamlessly integrated into the story, and the final pages include a glossary and facts sheet that teach a little Urdu and Pakistani culture. In short, it's a great read that is both a window and mirror book.

What a cute book. Four independent stories that come together to perfectly introduce the reader to Yasmin. She's adventurous, smart, and creative. She's not afraid to try new things, even if she gets a little frustrated when she fails the first time (we all do). I am always on the lookout for good books with diverse voices and kick butt girls (she's six), and this one definitely fits the bill. There are even questions at the end to get your little one engaged in the story and to work on those early critical thinking skills. Definitely recommend.