Amina's Voice

A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community in this sweet and moving middle grade novel Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she's in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the "cool" girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more "American." Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized. Amina's Voice brings to life the joys and challenges of a young Pakistani American and highlights the many ways in which one girl's voice can help bring a diverse community together to love and support each other.

From beloved author Hena Khan comes the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Amina's Voice, in which Amina finds the courage to share her love of Pakistan with her American community through speech and song. It's the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of her trip. The food, the shops, the time she's spent with Thaya Jaan and her cousin Zohra-all of it holds a special place in Amina's heart. But the school year is starting again, and while she's sad to leave, Amina's excited to share how wonderful Pakistan is with her friends back home. Once Amina returns to Greendale, though, it seems like Soojin, Emily, and Rabiya don't want to hear about her trip. And when she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates only focus on the worst parts of the story. How can Amina share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen? In this companion novel to Amina's Voice, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves-this time across continents.