Engaging story of the friendship of two girl's who come from different walks of life who meet in an extraordinary way.

Oops, I forgot to share my thoughts on this book. Organization is not one of my strengths. But in book reviews, it is always good to share about a book even if it is already out. This is a book I think kids should read.

Mimi is spending her summer in Karachi where her Mom grew up. She is very unhappy about this and complains and acts out to express herself. In contrast, there is Sakina, the cook’s daughter. She appreciates all the little things her family does for her. Mimi’s family is very wealthy. Sakina’s is not. Together they learn to appreciate things, how to express yourself successfully and become good friends.

It helps when it is obvious an author has gone through the challenge they are writing about. It can not be easy living between two cultures and not really knowing were you fit. Then you get thrown into one and it is really sink or swim.

One thing I like about Saadia’s writing is her descriptions are so vivid that you can hear the sounds, smell the food and really want to eat it. You become part of the story, not just a ghostly observer. You feel it when someone is sad or happy or scared.

I definitely recommend this book for middle graders who want to learn to appreciate what they have, are curious about Karachi or just want a good book.

In this middle grade novel, two girls from different countries, cultures, and lives are brought together on a summer trip. 

Mimi has grown up in America living with her Pakistani mother. She knows very little of her mother’s home country or culture until her mother brings her back to Pakistan for a summer visit. 

There, Mimi meets Sakina. Sakina works with her father for Mimi’s grandparents. Since both Mimi and Sakina are the same age, they’re pushed together by well meaning parents. Though they have little in common, they become fast friends determined to help one another. 

A cute, light read for middle grades. Highly recommend for grades 4-7, though it may feel a bit young to the upper grades.

Mimi lives in Houston, TX, but when her mom tells her that they will be going to Karachi, Pakistan to visit her grandparents, Mimi has low expectations for what the summer will bring. What she would really rather do is figure out what happened to her father who left when she was only five. While in Karachi, she is surprised to find that her grandparents are rich. In her grandparents' household staff/servants, she meets Sakina who works as an assistant to the chef (her father). Sakina wants nothing more than to go to school, but that would mean losing her income for her family. Both girls are quite the opposite where they both experience culture shock with each interaction, but despite their differences, they find ways that connect them in friendship.
This was a lovely coming-of-age novel told from alternating perspectives of both girls. Mimi could sometimes be kind of a brat (especially to her mom), but she is also eager to be friends with Sakina without regard to the societal norm that "you cannot be friends with a servant" instilled by her grandmother, Nani. The alternating perspectives really adds to the juxtaposition of American and Pakistani norms and cultures, which was a good use of the first-person narrative. Sakina is timid and dedicated and so it was wonderful seeing her be able to interact with Mimi in the capacity of friendship and being able to be a kid. Overall, a wonderful, quick read that looks at the nuances of culture, family, and identity.

A great middle school book. This book will do what many great books do, open students' eyes to the world beyond what is right in front of us. Definitely getting this book for my middle school classroom.

I enjoyed this book very much and have recommended it to many other students and adults. It offers many opportunities for discussion.

A Thousand Questions is the story of two girls living very different lives.  Mimi is an American girl traveling with her mother to Karachi, Pakistan, where the mother was born.  Sakani is the daughter of a cook, working in Mimi's grandparents' household.  The two girls, though, are connected by a shared feeling of disconnection from their family and a distancing from what they really want: Mimi to get to know her father, and Sakani to go to school.

Saadia Faruqi's OwnVoices story frankly explores cultural difference and also universal similarities through its simple story and likeable characters.  Although the book is not groundbreaking in its plot, it is a fun and easy read, and I found the Pakistani cultural elements sprinkled throughout the work unique and refreshing.

I've already started using this in classroom book talks; I loved it. Great characters and Karachi is now on my To-Visit list!

A Thousand Questions is a sweet, heart-warming middle grade novel about two very different girls during a pivotal summer in Karachi, Pakistan. Mimi is a half-Pakistani, half-white girl from the US who travels to Karachi with her mother to visit her grandparents; Sakina's father is the cook at Mimi's grandparent's home, where Sakina helps prepare the meals each day. The two start off on a bad note, but as they learn about each other's experiences, they form a tentative friendship.

Mimi and Sakina had distinct voices and personalities, and the dual perspectives worked very well. Sakina's and Mimi's stories provide a juxtaposition--of race, class, education, family. Mimi finds herself filled with questions about her cultural identity and poverty that feel very new and scary. Meanwhile, Sakina is dealing with very real fears about the future: she's dreaming of getting an education and is constantly worried about her father's diabetes.

A Thousand Questions is a beautiful, sweet coming of age story. Mimi and Sakina are such memorable characters and I loved seeing them learn and grow through their friendship. I'll definitely be recommending this to readers at my library. Saadia Faruqi is definitely an auto-read author for me now!

Dear Dad, I am your daughter, and I have some questions for you...1000 to be exact.

I loved this story of a mom Maryam Ji and her daughter Mimi. It opened my eyes seeing Karachi, Pakistan in their eyes and in their story. Maryam and Mimi are visiting Maryam parents in Pakistan from Dallas, Texas. Mimi has never been to her mother's home and is excited and a little apprehensive to the different culture and language. She brings her journal that is actually many letters to her father who is a reporter that travels the world. He left his family when Mimi was quite young however, she remembers small things about her dad and her journal is her way to connect to the father she doesn't know. Upon their arrival, she is amazed by the wealth of her grandparents. They have servants and one of the servants is young girl Sakina who has her own dreams and ambitions.

I loved how their friendship grew and deepened. Mimi wanting to meet her father and Sakina wanting to go to school. These two desires of the girls in the backdrop of political ambitions, family dynamics opened my eyes to how much we have in common but also the differences that make us all unique.

The author used her own background for her story which made it more special. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Harper Collins Children Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest revie

I really enjoyed this one! The alternating narratives give readers two very different looks at Pakistan and Pakistani culture. Both girls are given equal weight in their own individual stories while still learning about the broader world through their initially tentative and growing friendship. And I particularly appreciate that there is an attempt here at genuine realism; Mimi's family aren't the uber-kind, wonderful sort of employers. Nani is, frankly, mean, and while she certainly has redeeming moments, there is truth in her behavior that is often not seen in children's literature.

An excellent novel and a necessary addition to children's libraries.

What a delightful book! I really enjoyed watching the girls' friendship develop. It was important that the stark contrast between the girls was shown at the very beginning and then their differences were more closed at the end. I liked this because it shows kids reading this book that others may have different lives than we do but we are all the same inside. Love this message for kids!
I also enjoyed reading about the social justice theme with the election and how it affects kids and all about the landscape and cultural life of Karachi. 
Looking forward to purchasing this ownvoices book for my elementary school libraries!

A Thousand Questions is a beautiful #ownvoices story! I cannot wait to share this story with my kids. This story is an excellent and moving tale of friendship, family and curiosity. Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I also read and enjoyed Saadia Faruqi's book written with Laura Shovan this year, A Place at The Table. Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this latest one. Saadia is from Karachi, Pakistan originally and while she writes here about two young girls, she also says in her author's note that this is a love letter to Karachi, too. This backdrop of the story gives a loving glimpse of this ancient city, now modern in some ways, still carrying its history, too. 
            It's a middle-grade novel first starting with disgusted eleven-year-old Mimi, not happy at all about spending her summer with grandparents she barely knows. She begins by starting a new journal writing to her father about the time there, the father who left her and her mother when she was five. The cook's daughter, same age, is hoping for entry into a private school, not wishing at all to remain her father's assistant for the rest of her life. Her family is very poor, however, and she keeps this goal a secret, wondering if she will ever get the chance for better.
            At first, the girls are wary of each other. How in this world can a rich American girl ever have anything in common with a poor Pakistani? But they do find each other in ways you might not imagine, but will love the intertwining story, mixed in with both families' troubles and the change that happens when secrets are revealed. Learning how friendships work and how families can love no matter the circumstance means a great story for kids to read and connect with personally. I enjoyed it very much!

The set up here is one we don't often see in middle grade fiction - a child visiting her mother's homeland for the first time, experiencing a vastly different culture, feeling like an outsider while also feeling like she should understand it better. We get culture clash paired with degrees of class since Mimi and her mother are, by American standards, low income while her grandparents are, by any standards, wealthy. Then we meet Sakina who lives in poverty. So Mimi learns to recognize her own privilege while Sakina also gets a bit of a lesson about assumptions of another culture. We get a simple presentation of the responsibility of the "haves" to the rest of the world. We're also confronted with openly corrupt politics and the complexities of relationships with parents. Most interesting is the ending. Unlike most books for this age group this plot doesn't tie up all of the loose ends. It's more of a snapshot, the events that happen while Mimi and her mother are in Pakistan. A few plot points get resolved but most do not. We're left to draw our own conclusions, making this a great choice for book clubs.

When Mimi's mom decides to take her to Pakistan for the summer she is not happy.  She is totally shocked when she gets there and finds out that her grandparents, whom she has never met, are rich with servants.  What other things has her mom been hiding.  To cope, Mimi starts writing letters to her father whom she hasn't seen in years.  He is a journalist and she is shocked to learn he is also in Pakistan.  Together with Sakina, the cook's daughter Mimi explores a different culture and makes some important discoveries about herself and others.

This was an interesting glimpse into Pakistan life and culture as well as two girls learning about the haves and have nots.

Beautiful middle grade novel about two girls, who live very different lives, yet find friendship through common goals. Each chapter is told by one of the girls and then switches to the other. I loved learning about the city of Karachi and how differently one might have lived if they grew up in Pakistan vs America. I will definitely be recommending and sharing this book with others.

A Thousand Questions is a story with two voices.  One is a girl named Mimi who travels with her mom to Pakistan for the summer to visit grandparents she has never met.  The other is the Mimi's grandparents' cook's daughter Sakina who secretly hopes to go to school.  Mimi starts the summer not happy with going to Pakistan, but slowly comes to enjoy it there and starts an unlikely friendship with Sakina.  Sakina starts by using Mimi to learn English well enough to pass the test to be accepted into school, but soon finds that they have much in common and become good friends.  The story was beautifully written and is a perfect story of friendship and empathy.

This 320 page middle grade novel with alternating point of view chapters engulfs you like a warm genuine hug. It does not have a clear climax, it is predictable, and some characters and cultural touch points could have used more detail, but honestly, I couldn’t put it down. As a half American kid who spent my summers in Karachi, so much of the author’s love of her homeland flows so effortlessly from the pages and took me back to my childhood and how the transformation of comparing the two countries moves to seeing the best in both causes growth within your heart and makes leaving so devastatingly hard. Readers of all backgrounds will seamlessly fall in to the story and enjoy the growth of the main characters, while learning a bit about a culture and the similarities of people.

SYNOPSIS:

The back drop is the sweltering heat of a Karachi summer in the middle of elections. Mimi, Maryam, is visiting Pakistan for the first time in her life. It is her mother’s home land, but her grandparents, and her mom aren’t close. They didn’t approve of Mimi’s dad and mom getting married, and even though they have been divorced for years and he has left, Mimi’s mom hasn’t been home in 12 years.

Sakina narrates the other chapters. She is the daughter of Mimi’s grandparent’s cook. She dreams of going to school, but needs help with her English to pass the admissions test. And even if she passes her family needs her income to survive, and her father’s failing health means that she has to take over his job too.

When Mimi arrives at her grandparents home, it is awkward at best. She doesn’t really know her grandparents, she has never had servants before, and her mother is rarely around. That leaves her to get to know Sakina. Sakina finds this odd as the owners of the home rarely “chat” with her and here this American girl wants to get to know her and is fine with helping in the kitchen. The two strike a tentative friendship as Mimi agrees to help Sakina with her english, and Sakina with the permission of Mimi’s grandmother and with the use of the driver, agrees to show her some of the city.

As Mimi takes in the traditional tourists sites she gives Sakina her first taste of ice cream and soda and other “luxuries” she has never experienced. Sakina introduces her to bun kabobs and other local foods. The budding friendship isn’t smooth, mostly because Mimi constantly compares Pakistan to America and Sakina doesn’t understand why Mimi doesn’t have a father. When the girls find out that Mimi’s dad, a journalist, is in Karachi covering the elections, the girls work together to try and find him.

Throughout all of this, Mimi keeps a journal and the entries are letters to her father.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that the girls have to navigate their friendship without and often despite interference from adults. I also like that while societal wise one girl is seen as economically privileged and one is not, the book gives enough for even elementary aged children to see that in America Mimi and her mom are financial struggling, but in Pakistan they are not and how that disparity is arbitrary. They also see that family and safety and security are also a part of life’s quality and not country specific. Things that one girl takes for granted are envied by the other, and it goes both ways.

Even for a middle grades book, there were some plot holes. If Mimi had been late night googling and plotting on a secret map all the places her dad had been writing articles from, she should have had a heads up about Pakistan. She knows so little about Islam and has like one shelwar kamees, so it seems a bit of a stretch that she speaks urdu pretty proficiently. I feel like some stumbling with the language or some back story on that would have been great.

Religion is handled as a cultural touch point, neither girl prays, but both find solace in visiting a masjid. Various characters are in sleeveless tops, the athan is heard in the back ground. I wish there would have been a bit more finding of Islam as Mimi found her culture too, but alas it isn’t there.

The majority of the book takes place within the grandparent’s home with the elections being a big part of why they can’t go out, yet the mom goes out a lot, which really rubbed me the wrong way. She took her daughter shopping once to meet an old friend and that is it. Who travels across the world to spend zero time with her kid. I didn’t like the mom at all, and wish there was some background or even some growth on her part. A lot of the minor characters seemed to fizzle as well in terms of having some depth.

There are some cultural and country facts at the end of the book, but within the text I was surprised that more wasn’t shared. I like that it mentioned Karachi was the original capital, but it should have also in the same sentence mentioned that Islamabad is the current, I think readers would assume that Karachi is still the capital of Pakistan.

The book is an OWN voice through and through and the value of that is felt in every sentence. It isn’t all positive and rosy, but it is genuine. The author loves what she is writing about and it shines through leaving the reader with a favorable sense of Pakistan: the country, the culture and the people.

FLAGS:

The book is clean, possibly some tense moments when Sakina’s family is robbed. There is also discussion of marrying someone your parents don’t approve of, divorce, and Mimi’s mom possibly having a boyfriend. Mimi’s mom is an artist and paints pictures of people. There is lying and scheming.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think the book would be a fine choice for an elementary book club, I think any one older will find the book a tad bit predictable. I plan to have my children read it so we can discuss points of view, experiences, universal traits and social economic classes. There are a lot of wonderful lessons wrapped up in a heartfelt story that I can see 4th and 5th grade children benefiting from over and over again.

A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi is a great look at the class system in Pakistan, a look at culture clashes and friendship in the mist of all the divides existing in the world.. Sakina has little and must work hard. Mimi an American must discover another side of her world. An enlightening read.