This a great read that sheds light in the history of Pakistan. It is perfect for middle grade students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Mimi doesn't expect to be spending a summer in Pakistan. She doesn't even know her mom's parents, and she's shocked to find that they're rich -- like, have servants kind of rich! It's a little uncomfortable, to be honest. Especially when she meets Sakina. She's the cook's daughter and she's Mimi's age, but her life couldn't be more different! She dreams of going to school (she'll be accepted if she can improve her English scores!) but she knows her family won't make it without the money she earns working with her Abba in the rich family's kitchen.

As the girls warily become friends, they learn a lot about what they *do* have in common. And they're pretty sure that if they work together, they might both get the thing they want the most!

This book was a satisfying read. It has a lot of the elements students want - suspense (will Mimi find her father? Will Sakina be able to attend school?) but also tension as the girls navigate the possibility of friendship. There's a lot to think about as the characters confront privilege and class status. A healthy dose of "families are the same everywhere, even when they're different" is fun/fascinating . . . Mimi and Sakina both feel the pressure and the confines of parental love. And of course, for most students the visit to Pakistan is both fresh and enlightening. Vibrant descriptions of markets and navigating the city contrast with Sakina's double life in the wealthy household and her own very modest home in the poor part of town.

This has been great for fans of realistic fiction, friendship stories, and anyone interested in books set in faraway places. Very popular in our library!

I loved the format of the book, with chapters alternating between the two girls, Mimi and Sakina. It was interesting to see how the two girls, very different from one another became friends, and how each grew to change their perspectives of America and Pakistan.

This will be a good book to give to middle school students who like stories about friendship and family drama. Hand to readers who liked Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and Other Words for Home.

This was a really heartfelt and heartbreaking read that was ultimately hopeful and tentative in its happiness. I loved reading about the friendship between Mimi and Sakina, how they helped each other, how they overcame their differences and challenges each other in more ways that one. I also liked seeing different family dynamics being portrayed.

Story of two girls from two different countries who offer each other something they both need. One girl needs help learning English and the other needs help dealing with the with her family. They form a friendship through support and understanding.

Lovely!
Dual perspective and it landed so well. The world building was done especially well, I really felt like I traveled (such a gift). Pakistan is depicted through so many senses and with love and sincere knowledge of a place and so it shines.

My only critique would be it was a little too neat down a few avenues. There would be a really well done tension and then a jump to a resolution for it without a bridge in between those emotions/parts (ie with the MCs dad). It is MG and this book took on a ton of issues though (family, health, SES, poverty, corruption, identity, sexism and more....!) I think that some of those skips and hops to moving on were totally fair and this is only if I’m being super picky. My critique also means I enjoyed how tensions were set up and wanted to stay in it more and as realistically as possible, so ultimately that’s a compliment to the book too.

Overall it really was lovely with fun voice (both girls) and is a definite treat for any classroom library.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. More like this please !

Love, love, love! Thank you Netgalley for sharing such a lovely story of Sakina and Mimi and the challenges both face while forging an unlikely friendship.

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.