Many middle grade novels that I have encountered in my efforts to build a culturally diverse library for my students have been set in the U.S. Not so with this beautiful work by Saadia Faruqi. It is set in Karachi, which I have to say I knew little about and I so love being able to learn about a place through the eyes of an author who clearly loves a city, She does paint a clear portrait of the culture of the city and the class divisions. I particularly liked that there was an election going on as almost background noise for the story. She incorporated just the right about of Urdu and Arabic to lend an authenticity (thank you for the glossary!), and alternating chapters between the Pakistani child and American child (2 main characters) always works well.
The story focuses around the friendship that builds between these two seemingly different girls. They are both struggling to balance the expectations that are put on them and to find their own place. For Sakina, to be able to see her world as Mimi might and to be able to teach Mimi about it and to be open to learning from Mimi allows her to accept possibilities she might have let pass her by. For Mimi, who could be so easily written off as the spoiled rich girl with so many questions and so full of challenge, to have this opportunity to see another world and through it gain an understanding of where she comes from allows her to deepen her relationship with her family. There is so much I can imagine happening for these girls; so much possibility for anyone who opens their eyes and hearts.
It is a wonderful middle grade read that I will definitely add to my library shelves.

Absolutely loved this young adult, own voice, fiction novel, narrated by two young girls, so different yet so alike. It’s so important that we have books like this where kids relate to the story, they can see themselves as characters in the book. Incorporating the Urdu language throughout the book is beautiful and educational for those of us not from Pakistan. The description of the sounds, smells and climate of Karachi made me feel like I was there with Mimi and Sakina. The words used to describe a boring day, “like this afternoon—are as slow as refrigerated chocolate syrup running down a tall glass of milk” (Chapter 25) was so perfect and anyone could imagine what that looks like.

The relationships that developed and evolved throughout the book were heart warming to read about. This book had a good mix of emotions that we saw between the characters, love, hate, fear, worry, sadness and happiness and each chapter left you wanting more.
I hope there is a sequel!

Recommended for 6th-12th grade readers.

I really liked that this book was written from two different perspectives. I think being able to compare those two perspectives really helped add to the understanding of both characters. And why should anyone care? I think it was very insightful to show Sakina's side of her life. I think many young children in the United States wouldn't understand a life like Sakina's and it will be very educational for them. The book tells two stories from two young girls. Sakina lives and works as a servant in Mimi's grandmother's house. Mimi is a young girl that grew up in the United States but goes to visit her grandparents in Pakistan. The girls become friends and slowly get to know each other's stories. I really loved that the story was told in two perspectives, but I thought that the book was a little repetitive in some spots.

A truly charming middle-grade story about two girls from different worlds, A Thousand Questions is a book I wished I had read when I was younger. Maryam—nicknamed Mimi— travels to Karachi, Pakistan with her mother for the first time to visit the grandparents she has never known. There, she meets a servant girl named Sakina, who is the other point of view in this book. Both girls have their individual struggles and challenges, and while they are so different, they find themselves becoming friends.

“Aren’t we all from planet Earth? Then why are places so important?”

At first, Mimi is unhappy to be in Pakistan. She doesn’t know anything about it and she would rather be spending her summer vacation doing anything other than visiting this strange land. She also spends a lot of time thinking about her father, who left them when she was very little, and who she is desperate to know.

Sakina and her father work at Mimi’s grandparents’ house as servants, but Sakina wants more than to be a cook like her father. She wants to learn English and go to school, but her dreams seem out of her grasp.

The novel explores topics such as poverty, economic inequality, class and social status, familial relationships, and many others. It is suitable for children, as these subjects, though heavy in nature, are handled very well, and the story has a hopeful and uplifting tone. Adults would also enjoy this book. Though the characters are very young, the struggles they face and the topics explored in the story are universal.

The dual-perspective narrative style is done very well. It never gets confusing, and it was very meaningful as the reader can see how the two girls are different. I liked especially how it was always apparent who was speaking. From dialogue to the way the characters see the world, Faruqi masterfully creates two very distinct voices. I loved how we saw how the dynamic of how Mimi and Sakina’s family were different, and how they both had their struggles in that area. My heart broke for both of them at times, for the loneliness Mimi felt at not having her father around, and the weight of all the responsibility Sakina had to bear.

I thought the ending was very well done; though everything was not wrapped up tightly, it was realistic and full of hope. The only negatives I have are that some parts dragged on and seemed uneventful, in the middle of the book before Sakina started taking Mimi sightseeing.

This book was wonderfully heartwarming and beautifully written. I would recommend this to anyone, and I look forward to buying a physical copy when it is published.

A Thousand Questions has become one of my favorite middle grade reads. Mimi and her mom spend the summer in Pakistan where Mimi gets to meet her grandparents in person for the first time. Mimi meets Sakina, the cooks daughter and they form an unlikely friendship. I love how the differences between Sakina and Mimi's lives are portrayed. This book is an excellent jumping off point for the discussion of privilege and works as a real eye opener without being too 'in your face'. The characters are easy to relate to and they each have their own set of problems, even the mom and grandmother. Overall I would recommend this book kids in grades 4-9.

This novel gives the reader an interesting perspective of two worlds, but from the eyes of young girls. Mimi, a Pakistani girl living in America with her mother, is visiting the grandparents she has never met, when she is "introduced" to Sakina. Sakina, meanwhile, is the daughter of the cook, and is seen by Mimi's grandparents as just a servant. Yet, a friendship forms between the two girls, with Sakina introducing Mimi to her world, and Mimi showing Sakina that not everyone is bad.
The telling of this novel is through each girl's perspective in different chapters. Here we see how each of them interpret the world around them. The most powerful part of the novel is when Mimi comes to the realization that she is comfortable in Pakistan because she blends in, she is with people who look like her and understand her., she doesn't feel different like she does at home. With complex characters, each one introduced to the reader is there to add to the story, and push it along. We see how the events in each of the girl's lives begin to interweave with one another, and how everyone involved in their lives becomes better off that these two girls meet.

Eye-opening look at a culture and country few Americans know much about. The friendship that emerges between the main characters is sweet and has a natural arc that feels both grounded and refreshing.

A Thousand Questions is equal parts charming and fascinating. A wonderful exploration of friendship and belonging.

What an engaging, lovely, educational story about Mimi and Sakina; two girls who would never have been friends except in these circumstances.

Mimi travels to her mother's homeland, Pakistan, for the first time in her life to learn her grandparents are very wealthy. She befriends her grandparents' servant girl, Sakina. The two learn about each others' lives and see that the grass in not always greener on the other side. Mimi has a stable life, but without a father in her life. Sakina's poverty makes life unstable, but her father is her world. What do the two learn from each other as they spend the summer together?

A book of "own voices", diversity, class differences, and just a sweet book - I recommend this for grades 5 and up.

Faruqi has written a super sweet and thoughtful book for young readers about friendship, recognizing and appreciating the differences in others, and stepping outside your comfort zone. I loved the two perspectives, both Mimi and Sakina had their own developed storylines, and I loved the setting. Karachi sounds like a fascinating city.

What a great book this was! I love how the relationship between Sakina and Mimi develops through the story. They come from different backgrounds but in the end find out that they are more alike than they are different. I think this book will resonate with its audience and quickly become a favorite for many. I really enjoyed the story and cannot wait to get my own hardcopy.

Mimi lives with her mom In Houston. They unexpectedly travel to Pakistan to spend the summer with her mom’s parents. This will be Mimi’s first time meeting them in person. Her mom and grandparents do not have a great relationship. Mimi’s dad left when she was five. She has secretly been following his career and travels without her mom’s knowledge. Mimi really wants to meet him and learns that he is also in Karachi. She writes to him in a journal and plots to meet him. Mimi’s grandparents are well to do in a country where many people are struggling to survive. When Mimi notices the cook’s daughter Sakina comes to work with her dad and is about her age, she reaches out in friendship. The girls do not immediately connect. Told in two voices, Mimi and Sakina are great windows into Karachi, Pakistan- its poverty, culture, and people. This will be a great book for my students and will be featured prominently in my display of diverse, own voices books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love the author's Yasmin chapter books, as well as her middle grade debut with Laura Shovan called A PLACE AT THE TABLE, but this is a fantastic way to kick off her solo MG debut. It's so rich in detail and gives us a glimpse of the life of a Pakistani-American girl named Mimi, and her trip with her mother to Pakistan to spend part of the summer with relatives she doesn't know. Mimi befriends Sakina, a local girl who works in her grandparent's house, and through both of their eyes we see the challenges they face that include race, economic status, and familial connections.

The characters in this book really stand out; I cannot recall an MG story set in Karachi, and I learned a lot about the country and culture through the girls' very different perspectives and the way they explained things to each other. I saw the disparity between the rich and poor families, and felt that added to my overall knowledge of country, especially since the local elections were taking place and we were able to see into the local political situation and the politician's platforms. This is a story that I feel you almost need to read more than once to take in all the detail. I think many young readers will benefit from seeing that Mimi doesn't fit in in Pakistan, and it will challenge the phrase "go back where you came from" which is ignorant but too common in today's society.

I highly recommend this book for middle grade classrooms and libraries.

At first when I started reading this I was a little confused as it jumped back and forth between characters. But as the characters came together it melded and was nice to see both girl's different view points.
Mimi is determined to be friends with Sakina - the only other girl her age around - and Sakina realizes that Mimi can help improve her English, so she can pass the English exam to get into school.

I thought this book told a beautiful story, and I really liked how it invites young readers to consider their own assumptions and brings out many different questions. There are many different things addressed here and I thought the alternating viewpoints were helpful in seeing each girl's side. Just a few questions that it made me think about, that might also be good for a classroom discussion with this book: Which is more important, family or money? Who are the important people in our lives? Why are some people treated differently than others? How far should we go to follow our dreams, even when they seem impossible?

A lovely book by Saadia Faruqi! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Sakina and Mimi’s stories are both heartbreaking and touching at the same time. This book is perfect for fans of Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed!! Book from
Net galley.

This book is so wonderful. I think it's a great tale of someone exploring a new culture, their roots, and their family in a new way. Middle grade readers will love hearing tales from a place unfamiliar to them, but also connecting with the characters as they grow and learn to form relationships with family they just met.

This is a phenomenal middle grade book that will be loved by any reader who has felt disconnected from their family’s culture. It will also serve as a way to show that diaspora should not be obligated to be experts and ambassadors of their culture by mainstream society. Overall, this excellent title will engage a wide variety of readers with its presentation of MG universal themes of friendship, identity, and finding your place in the world. Highly recommended.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the privilege of reading this eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Mimi and her mother haven't visited Mimi's grandparents in Karachi for years. But, between jobs, Mom decides this is the summer to visit. Landing in Pakistan and even her initial experiences is a challenge for Mimi. It is so different from Houston! Once at her grandparent's house, Mimi meets Sakina, a house servant who is her own age.

Learning about a new land and a new culture is always a struggle and even Sakina has difficulties dealing with Mimi and they way she dresses and behaves.. And grandmother, Nani, has an even harder time, as she sees her granddaughter not following the rules of behavior and the cultural norms when it comes to living in Karachi and dealing with servants.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for providing an e-ARC for review. This book was awesome! This is my first book by Saadia Faruqi, and I can't wait to read another book by this author! This endearing tale of family and friendship which serves as a teaching novel for readers to understand several topics such as poverty, wealth disparity, economic social classes, divorce just to name a few. Saadia Faruqi develops Mimi and Sakina completely, detailing individual strengths and flaws while giving the reader dual perspectives which pulls you in immediately. A great read for middle-grade readers!

Maryam (Mimi) Scotts is not looking forward to spending several weeks in Pakistan with her wealthy grandparents, as she'll be away from her hometown and her best friend, Zoe. She doesn't expect Pakistan to have any of her familiar surroundings (including stores and restaurants, she's surprised to see that Karachi has malls.) But when she discovers that her father, who she hasn't seen since she was five, is living and working nearby, and she enlists her new friend Sakina to find him, she realizes that she might want to stay after all.
Sakina Ejaz and her father do the cooking for Mimi's grandparents and their large, fancy gatherings, but her own family lives in a tiny house where they can only afford the simplest of ingredients, and haven't even tried to get her father medication for his diabetes. Sakina dreams of going to school to study English, but nobody in her neighborhood has gone, and she doesn't want her family to lose the money she makes.
At first, Sakina thinks Mimi is spoiled and rich, but soon is happy to finally have a friend. Mimi doesn't treat Sakina like she's less than a person (the way her grandmother does. I really hated her in those scenes.) Meanwhile, tensions in the city are increasing as Pakistan is gearing up for a national election. Which means not only the usual news coverage and public rallies, but neighborhood gangs assaulting and robbing people because they don't vote for the candidate they want. Sakina's part of town is especially vulnerable, and none of the elected officials have ever done anything beneficial for poor people.
A story that explores economic inequality, language barrier and navigating an unfamiliar world. I may be much older than the main characters, but I still think this is important for adults to read.