Amina is a Pakistani-American girl whose story is one of a window that every student will be able to relate to. Her Muslim culture is interwoven through the story that makes it such a beautiful theme to follow, as well as relate to whether you are of her same culture or not. The diversity in the story provide several windows, but also several mirrors for students in middle grades. I absolutely will have this book in my classroom and make a point to share with those who have preconceived notions about Muslim children in the United States

While this book is primarily a "window" book for me since I'm not familiar with Pakistani culture, in some ways it was also a "mirror" book because I saw pieces of myself and my experiences in not only Soojin, Amina's Korean American friend (there are a lot of commonalities in how East Asian Americans navigate white-dominated spaces), but also Amina herself because she is a second generation child of immigrant parents.

Both Amina and Soojin experience a variety of racist microaggressions from their white peers, from food-related taunts to language-related stigmas. Prominent among these is the butchering of their names, something that I'm intimately familiar with. Soojin, who moved to the U.S. as a toddler and is about to become a citizen, plans to change her name to something that white Americans can easily pronounce. I had a period where I considered changing my name, so I empathized with her situation, though hindsight makes me glad I didn't go through with such a change. Amina feels off about this decision because she thinks Soojin's name is fine as it is, so she does what she can to communicate this validation to Soojin. This was very heartening to read, knowing how strong the pressure to assimilate into the white mainstream can be and how vulnerable kids like Soojin are to these pressures.

In general, the friendship between Amina and Soojin was a highlight of the story. Two Asian Americans sticking by each other is realistic and an important kind of solidarity to represent. On top of that, the story explores how friendships change over time as new people enter your friend circles. In this case, the "interloper" is a white girl named Emily, who Amina doesn't fully trust because of her history of perpetrating of some of the microaggressions I mentioned before. The distrust is mixed with feelings of jealousy and abandonment, and those feelings are addressed in a constructive way as the story progresses.

Another positive aspect of the story is Amina's relationships with her various family members. Her older brother has his own character arc and development as he joins the basketball team at his high school and deals with both parental pressure and peer pressure. Amina may not fully understand her brother, but she is supportive of him and stands up for him to their parents when they are being hard on him over his grades (which is something I will never get tired of seeing portrayed in fiction because seriously, grades aren't everything).

Amina's relationship with her parents is also a loving and supportive one. They may be somewhat strict, but they are not unfair or uncaring. To the contrary, her parents encourage her, guide her through her problems, and keep her connected to her culture, heritage, and religion.

Her relationship with her uncle who's visiting from Pakistan is a bit more complicated but dynamic. Her uncle is more traditional and conservative than her parents, so she has doubts about him liking her since she is Americanized in many ways. He becomes her tutor for reciting and learning Arabic from the Quran, and although she feels inadequate and self-conscious at first, she eventually begins to treat him more like a genuine mentor, developing a bond with him that also brings her closer to her faith.

One of my favorite things about this book was the depictions of everyday life at Sunday school and the Islamic Center. It's such a lovely space that's community-oriented and celebrates Islamic history and cultures with its displays and decorations. Everyone knows everyone else, and there are annual traditions and festivals that bring people together. You can tell that Amina feels very at home there. As I was reading about it, I couldn't help but think of the Taiwanese Community Center that my family frequents on the weekends because of the similarities in layout and the feeling of comfort and familiarity it evokes for me. Since the story builds up this atmosphere of home around the mosque and the Center, the subsequent vandalism left a deep impact on me. The trauma of loss weighed on me as if it were real, as if I were Amina witnessing the events. Thankfully, the aftermath of this dark event lifts you back up with hopeful messages.

The title of this book, Amina's Voice, has both literal and figurative meanings. The more literal interpretation is linked to Amina's love of music and singing. She is talented but has stage fright and struggles to sing or otherwise perform in front of an audience. The more figurative meaning is about her coming to terms with herself and her identity and being comfortable with who she is. These two themes and struggles are intertwined and resolved over the course of the story in an empowering way. The ending was perfect (in my opinion).

Recommendation: Highly recommended! A heartfelt story about friendship, family, and community.

An excellent story filled with the sorts of issues middle grade readers are most focused on - changing friendships, parental restrictions, having the courage to try new things and those first shaky steps to finding one's path. AND it also happens to have a Muslim-American character with her culture, faith and experiences worked into the story in a wonderfully natural way as just part of the story. 

The first of a new imprint, Salaam, from S&S and very promisin

Amina has a beautiful voice but she freezes up in front of people.  When her uncle comes to visit from Pakistan she worries that he will not approve of the American lifestyle or her music.  She is also concerned about friendship issues and an upcoming competition.  When their local mosque is vandalized Amina finds out who her true friends are and also finds her voice.

Nit picky stuff - the girl on the cover seems older than the character, the resolution seemed too quick and neat and I didn't feel that there was enough evidence leading up to her sudden change.

Amina, a young Pakistani-American girl struggles to live up to her family's Muslim beliefs and practices, while navigating life at school with its social pressures and friendships that seem to shift unexpectedly. When the Islamic Center the family attends is damaged in what is deemed a hate crime, various community groups come together in support. Amina, both literally and figuratively, finds her voice.

This novel provides a much needed look at the life of a young Muslim girl, the horrors of hate crimes, and the value of family and community.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan is released in March 14, 2017. It is a compassionate tale of a Muslim girl trying to find her voice as a person as she learns about good and bad. Her struggles transcend culture, race, and religion. Kids will want to stay with her so much longer. She will probably linger in your mind because she grows on you as you read more.
 
This is a sweet story of a girl who you will easily identify with despite embracing different beliefs and belonging to another culture. The family’s dynamics are well done and will make you laugh and want to cry. The author has a unique way of looking at the world and will enchant you by her comparisons.
 
I recommend starting with chapter 2 because that’s where Khan’s magical talent really starts to shine. I really love Amina’s best friend, Soojin, a Korean immigrant. Amina identifies with her in unique ways. They both leave their shoes at the entrance of their house. They both like to sing. They both connect despite their obvious differences. And the parents a hilarious.
 
The only thing that bothered me is how painfully traditional this Pakistanis family is. I am sure Pakistanis kids will recognize themselves here. The themes too are recurrent ones. A girl trying to fit in a different culture, parents who are liberal, but welcome a very traditional Muslim in their homes, Bollywood, the betrayal of a friend, the father being a Pakistanis doctor.

However, because the novel was written by a Muslim, it has a unique angle to it. Amina’s uncle reconnects her to the music of the Quran, her holy book, despite being a strict Muslim. He even recognizes that the US is good for them before he returns to Pakistan. That was unexpected. The way the mom handles the diverse interpretations of the Qur’an is moving too. We have the feeling that this community can live with all their differences.
 
Many novels dealing with Islam and written by non-Muslims show teens rebelling against what they’re told and being a total wreck. It’s like they do not understand that Muslims can be loving and respectful. Amina, the main character, is unique in this way. She doesn’t go around throwing away her hijab and badmouthing her uncle. She listens and learns like most teens.

I could truly connect with her as a person and someone well-integrated in her community and well-adjusted to the world. The story is a huge step away from the traditional literature that shows Muslims as resilient to change, intolerant of other cultures, and judgmental. Amina is none of that. She is the regular Muslim you will meet at school, in the street, or in the mosque.  
The way Amina cries when her brother is accused of smoking. The way she reacts when her uncle announces that making music is not Islamic and talking about other behind their backs is haram (forbidden). She doesn’t react violently, but listens and questions. She is ready to learn and she is tolerant. That made her so much more believable or so much relatable and authentic.
Loved that book!

Amina is a Pakistani-American who has just started middle school with her best friend, a Korean-American, Soojin.  Soojin is applying for American citizenship and has decided to change her name to sound more American.  Soojin’s sudden refutation of identity causes a rift between the friends, which is further widened as Emily, a student who used to make fun of their cultural differences, tries to befriend the girls.  As if Amina does not face enough stress and new feelings of jealously already, her strong-willed uncle from Pakistan decides to visit, her teacher pressures her to sing in the school concert—Amina never sings in public—and her Sunday school teacher and parents force her to enter a Quran competition for the local Islamic Center.  Just as things cannot get any worse, Amina accidentally shares Emily’s secret crush, causing a trivial fight with her friends, and the local Islamic Center and mosque is vandalized.  Similar to the hate crime in It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel, Amina’s community, family, and friends are forced to reconcile their differences and pull together to physically and emotionally rebuild their home.

A middle grade read for fourth to seventh graders, Amina’s Voice addresses modern day issues about what it is like to grow up Muslim in America.  Amina faces criticism from all sides, including her Pakistani relatives.  As she continuously fights cultural barriers, she learns that she must also be more accepting and brave.  Amina has her own flaws, which she must overcome.  Similar to It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel, Amina’s Voice pulls readers into the story.  How can you not cheer them along and want to embrace this supportive and tolerant community?  The well-rounded characters face major personal growth, and although the plot slows for just a moment, collections can benefit from this multicultural read.  I hope to see this new Muslim imprint publish many more timely, intuitive, and relatable novels for school-aged children and tweens.    

I would like to thank NetGalley and Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amina Khokar, a Pakistani American Muslim girl living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has just started sixth grade in middle school and already she is wishing she were back in elementary school. Everything feels different. To begin with, her best friend, Korean-born Soojin Park is about to become a citizen and is thinking about changing her Korean name for something more American. And no sooner has school begun, but Soojin begins to hang out with Emily. Emily had been friends with Julie, and the two of them used to make fun of Soojin and Amina in elementary school. While Soojin seems to accept Emily, Amina is have a lot of difficulty with her hanging around with them. It doesn't take long for a misunderstanding between Soojin and Amina to make them stop speaking.

To add to Amina's stress, she is told that her great uncle is coming for a three month visit from Pakistan, and Thaya Jaan is a very strict Muslim. What will he think of their American ways, and the music Amina loves to play on the piano? It doesn't take long to find out when Amina overhears a conversation between her father and uncle, who tells him that music is forbidden on Islam, and she should be focusing on memorizing Quran.

Meanwhile, older brother Mustafa has been acting up, his grades went way down in middle school and all he seems interested in is texting his friends or watching TV.Now in high school, Mustafa wants to try out for the basketball team, much to his parents chagrin. Mama and Baba have definite ideas about what their children's accomplishments should be and basketball isn't one of them.

But the Quran recitation competition to be held at their Islamic Center is exactly what Mama and Baba have in mind for Amina and Mustafa, and should please Thaya Jaan, who is quite knowledgeable of the Quran and willing to help his niece and nephew practice their Urdu pronunciation.

There's only one problem - Amina can speak in public, she simply freezes up. Which is a shame, considering that she plays the piano so well, has perfect pitch, a beautiful singing voice and more than anything wants to perform in public. 

Amina already has a lot on her plate but when vandals destroys her beloved Islamic Center, she learns to true meaning of family, friendship, and community. When the Park's Presbyterian church offers to hold the Quran competition and the Islamic Center's annual carnival, will Amina be able to find her voice and recite the surah (chapter) she had chosen from the Quran for the competition?

Amina's Voice is one of the first novels to come out of the new Simon & Schuster imprint Salaam Reads. I found it to be timely, interesting and a charming coming of age story. Khan has seamlessly incorporated aspects of Amina's life as a young Pakistani American Muslim girl living in a mostly white community. Her family is loving, supportive, and warm, though her brother a little rebellious, after all, he is a teen. Even the strict uncle is not an unmovable, judgmental force that one meets so often in novels where religion plays a major part in everyday life. He is actually quite warm and loving as well. All this makes the novel a very believable and very relatable story that readers who are not Muslim can also relate to, especially those who go to Sunday School in church where there were lots of family activities to bring people together (I still love a good potluck supper).

Khan has given Amina a really genuine voice, always reflective of her age, her circumstances, and her emotions. She is, however, a nicely flawed middle grader. Her problems don't just revolve around her religion, but also her friends and especially her difficulty in accepting Emily, and her jealousy when she sees Soojin and Emily growing closer and dealing with her feelings of being left out.

I can't recommend Amina's Voice highly enough and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the Salaam Reads imprint.

Amina's Voice will be available on March 14, 2017

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Amina's Voice is a wonderful addition to any middle grade library, and I would even give it to a mature 5th grader. It talks about all the issues kids deal with when they are in middle school; friendship, family, self confidence and in addition Amina is Muslim living in Wisconsin.
Amina has been friends with Soojin, a Korean girl, who has shared with her the times of bullying because of their cultural heritage. She loves to sing and enjoys activities within her Muslim community.
Now there is a third girl, Emily, who would like to be friends with them. She has been part of the group who has teased them in earlier years. Soojin is also going through the official process of becoming a citizen. She is thinking of changing her name to something that sounds more American. Amina is confused; Is Soojin still her best friend or will Emily come between them? Her uncle is visiting from Pakistan and he has different ideas about their religion which makes Amina uncomfortable especially since he does not have the same ideas about music and singing in particular.
A great read for any kid.

“Amina’s Voice” presents a very enjoyable story of an 11-year-old Pakistani-American Muslim girl in Milwaukee, and is a welcome addition to my middle grade collection. While my opinion of the book isn’t based on it being set in my home state of Wisconsin, it doesn’t hurt either, as it makes the topic even more relatable to my students from a very small rural community who have little exposure to Muslim culture.  Khan does an excellent job of weaving Amina’s friendship and family struggles within the story about faith and heritage, and treats the potentially-disturbing events involving a hate crime with middle-grade-appropriate sensitivity. While the story wraps up a bit more neatly than real life similar events do, it is a reassuring note for students that one act of hate does not necessitate a loss of hope. Hena Khan is also the author of a new-to-me favorite picture book, “Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors” which I introduced to all K-5 students in my library recently, followed by great discussions spurred by students.

This book started off as a typical man dole school fish out of water and I'm losing my best friend sort of story, but with Korean and Islamic best friends. 

From there it grew to be so much more. We got inside Amina's head and saw how she wanted to honor Her Islamic faith but be true to her live if music. At one point her uncle, visiting from Pakistan, says that music is haram, forbidden, and Amina over hears and stops singing and playing the piano though she loves it. That made me cry. 

<spoiler>the other time I cried was when the mosque was vandalized 
</spoiler>

Good book for middle schoolers and up. Good because it shows people's differences as well as similarities. 




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

Thank you for this book.  Unfortunately, since it is not in kindle format, I am unable to read it.