(1) YA Thirteen-year-old Pakistani American Mohammad and his father move from Queens to Houston to stay with his aunt and cousin while his research scientist mother works in a refugee camp in Greece. Mo’s father’s paranoid schizophrenia, which causes dramatic mood swings, makes it difficult to hold down a job and live independently, and Mo adopts a tough bad-boy act to protect himself from the pain of abandonment and anger at his parents. His aunt provides much needed warmth, love, and support, and his cousin Rayyan, coping with his own father’s tragic death, serves as a friend at his new school. Mo tries to channel his feelings through engrossing himself in South Asian folktales (interspersed throughout the story), boxing, and art. As he discovers truths about his family, he slowly opens himself up to being more accepting of others. Mo’s brave front in trying to deal with volatile situations makes him a sympathetic protagonist. Secondary characters provide nuanced perspectives on how people cope with trials in their lives. A raw portrayal of the pain, confusion, and hurt of a memorable young teenager.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) 4-6 Seventh grader Mahnoor Raheem is less than thrilled when her Pakistani grandmother, Dadi, comes to live with them in Texas. Not only does Maha have to give up her bedroom, but her father also expects her to "babysit" his mother while he and Maha's mom work long hours at the hospital. Although her home life is disrupted, Maha is excited about her media studies elective; she sees the class as a steppingstone to pursuing her dream of becoming a journalist. A class project -- making "a documentary on a topic that's newsworthy" -- gives Maha the opportunity to learn more about Dadi's life and an appreciation for what history can teach us about the present. By spending time with her grandmother prepping meals, participating in her first Ramadan fast, and playing board games, she learns a great deal about the 1947 Partition of British India into India and Pakistan. Faruqi introduces readers to the Partition, the largest mass migration in history, through relatable characters experiencing recognizable middle-school dynamics. The conversational style of the historical retelling offsets some of the heavier issues of rampant violence, refugee resettlement, and trauma. Readers are rewarded with a deeply immersive and moving story as Maha experiences a shift in understanding of her hyphenated identities and connects her family's history to other immigrant experiences.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Thirteen-year-old Deena Rahman's world revolves around spending time with her friends, creating art, and appeasing her Pakistani American family. Deena also helps her mother run a clothing boutique selling Pakistani outfits, hoping to alleviate tension in their home over finances. Deena often overhears her parents fighting about money and feels guilty for their having to spend it on things she needs, such as dental work. She also hesitates to tell them about things she and her brother, Musa, would benefit from, such as art classes for her and talent scouts to further Musa's chances at a soccer scholarship. She tries to ignore the daily nausea and gnawing in her stomach, but soon the physical manifestations of stress demand attention. Both Deena and her parents must confront her anxiety issues and the importance of support. With helpful friends and an artist mentor, she learns to deprioritize others' expectations and advocate for herself, including pushing back against her parents' reluctance to allow her to see a school psychologist. A sensitive look at the effects of anxiety and the pressures of today (including social media) on young people's mental health.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) YA When an overnight ICE raid in 2019 Brooklyn leads to her mother's arrest, seventeen-year-old Rania and her eight-year-old brother, Kamal, are left behind. Soon after, they are moved to a shelter, where they meet affable teen Carlos. The trio escapes and takes to the road through New England, initially in search of Rania and Kamal's estranged uncle. Rania and Carlos slowly forge a strong bond, as Carlos shares the story of his perilous journey from Mexico to escape gang threat and Rania relives fragmented memories of fleeing Pakistan after her political journalist father was murdered. At a temporary sanctuary synagogue, they are forced to make difficult choices in their search for a safe haven. The tightly wound plot creates an underlying tension as the young characters' situations constantly unravel. The story reflects the lives of many undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers forced to flee their homes in search of safety, zeroing in on the threat of retribution for dissenting politics. Budhos aptly conveys how the draconian U.S. immigration policies instituted in 2018 cruelly separated children from their families, and incorporates references to iconic art and poetry to reflect on the loss of home, on love, and on family.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) YA In this stark and searing sort-of love story, two Pakistani American teens living in a California desert town struggle to choose connection over isolation when family crises strike. Salahudin--artsy, aimless, and anxious--feels the weight of the pressures posed by his sick mother, his alcoholic father, and the crumbling motel they own, which barely pays the bills. His ambitious and science-minded estranged childhood friend, Noor, needs a hefty scholarship to escape the domineering uncle with whom she lives, but gets rejections instead. Through chapters that alternate between their first-person perspectives, Sal and Noor tell intertwining stories of their urgent attempts to steer their own lives without support from family or their majority-white community. Sal's mother--whose potent flashbacks of her immigration when she was young are interspersed throughout--is a reliable model of faith and optimism for both teens; her sudden death at first draws Sal and Noor closer, but grief and guilt soon lead Sal to a cascade of risky, tension-raising decisions that threaten their futures. While some descriptive language, especially dreamy Sal's, borders on melodramatic, the tight focus on each teen's emotional experience reveals a rich layering of determination, trauma, anger, and integrity underneath their raw reactions. This is a brutal depiction of the toll taken on some young marginalized and working-class people trying to conquer the odds; watching Sal's and Noor's devastating loneliness finally give way to glimmers of hope is both satisfying and affecting.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 In a Little Women-inspired novel, thirteen-year-old Jameela lives with her Muslim family in Atlanta. This Eid holiday their beloved father is away; a (good-looking) nephew of a family friend visits; and Jameela butts heads with her school newspaper's editor, who never approves her hard-hitting pitches. Then her sister is diagnosed with cancer, and Jameela must reevaluate her priorities. This modern-day Pakistani American family-story retains the charm, familial warmth, and appeal of Alcott's classic.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) YA When the world learns that omnipotent aliens will decide humanity's fate in eight days, chaos erupts, and three teens strive to make their (potentially) final days count. Rishi's debut novel skillfully addresses complex contemporary issues on both the global (environmental damage, war, greed) and personal (identity, mental health) scales. It also tackles prejudice and the ways existential fatalism can inordinately affect marginalized people. The story line is dark but ends on a hopeful note.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anoosha Syed. Pakistani American boy Bilal and friends help his father make daal, a thick lentil stew common in South Asia. They cook then play for hours, because "daal takes time." As they prepare, patiently wait, and enjoy the dish, Bilal's friends demonstrate open-mindedness to cultural differences. Colorful digital illustrations accentuate humorous antics in the kitchen and at play. Author's note and recipe included.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(3) 1-3 Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. In these chapter books, pint-sized fourth grader Zayd Saleem chases his dream of playing basketball: making the team (Forward), winning a game (Point), and coping after an injury (Back). In upbeat, humorous, and engaging first-person narration, Zayd confronts challenges on the court and with his friends and Pakistani American family. Well-developed secondary characters, rich cultural content, and occasional black-and-white drawings round out the series. Review covers these Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream titles: Bounce Back, On Point, and Power Forward.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 1-3 Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. In these chapter books, pint-sized fourth grader Zayd Saleem chases his dream of playing basketball: making the team (Forward), winning a game (Point), and coping after an injury (Back). In upbeat, humorous, and engaging first-person narration, Zayd confronts challenges on the court and with his friends and Pakistani American family. Well-developed secondary characters, rich cultural content, and occasional black-and-white drawings round out the series. Review covers these Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream titles: Bounce Back, On Point, and Power Forward.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 1-3 Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. In these chapter books, pint-sized fourth grader Zayd Saleem chases his dream of playing basketball: making the team (Forward), winning a game (Point), and coping after an injury (Back). In upbeat, humorous, and engaging first-person narration, Zayd confronts challenges on the court and with his friends and Pakistani American family. Well-developed secondary characters, rich cultural content, and occasional black-and-white drawings round out the series. Review covers these Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream titles: Bounce Back, On Point, and Power Forward.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Shabnam, a secularized Pakistani American girl excited to go off to college, lost her friendship with Farah when Farah started wearing the hijab. The two reconnect over the summer, but Shabnam's romance with non-Muslim boy Jamie concerns Farah. Shabnam's father's love for Urdu poetry and Sufism adds further interest to this affecting coming-of-age story that realistically portrays the diversity of the U.S. Muslim community.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) 4-6 Since she started middle school, shy Amina struggles with self-consciousness about her Muslim Pakistani American identity. Meanwhile, her conservative uncle objects to her singing and piano playing, and the local Islamic Center is vandalized. A relatable portrayal of a tween who wants to fit in and who's devoted to her faith even amid her confusion about her family's varied approaches to it.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(3) 4-6 Ten-year-old Bilal struggles to fit in after he immigrates from Pakistan to Virginia. Bilal also longs for his father--trapped in Pakistan by a legal dilemma--to join them. Writing in the first person, Lorenzi empathetically conveys Bilal's confusions over language, the dissimilarities between cricket and baseball, and the misogyny of his teammates toward their only girl teammate.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Calico: Storm Cliff Stables series. Illustrated by Paula Franco. Storm Cliff Stables' "Four Horseketeers" Ainsley, Cassidy, Khadija, and Ryleigh partake in camp pranks and tantalizing secrets. Horsing around aside, the slight series tackles preteen friendship quandaries and the occasional timely topic. While the girls' angst can feel overly fraught, camp owner/mentor Aunt Jane's reliable guidance grounds them. Bland illustrations emphasize the cast's racial and ethnic diversity. Review covers the following Calico: Storm Cliff Stables titles: Battle of the Bunks, A Feast of Fun, A Filming Fiasco, and Hopes in Hiding.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) YA High-school senior Naila's college plans are derailed when her conservative Pakistani American parents catch her attending prom and whisk her away to Pakistan for a "visit." To her increasing horror, Naila realizes that her parents intend to force her into marriage with a Pakistani man. Saeed's suspenseful, emotional novel is elevated by Naila's intelligent voice and her unwillingness to become a victim.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) YA When an arsonist sets fire to her apartment, tenth grader Saba Khan's community rushes to support her family, and her social stock sky-rockets. But when a valuable piece of art turns up in a fundraiser for Saba's family, the community splinters. Who should get the money? This darkly ambiguous, provocative novel highlights the destructive power of secrets and the politics of generosity.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(4) YA When carefree Zahra meets Kali and Syd in group counseling, she's surprised to learn that they all have the same deceitful boyfriend. Brokenhearted--and angry--they form Love, Inc., a consulting service for relationships, breakups, even revenge. Though too much is crammed into the story, it does raise some thoughtful questions. Sympathetic characters and an accessible writing style enhance the book.

Reviewer: Kayla Cottingham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. When Rubina is invited to a birthday party, her sister Sana wants to go. Their Pakistani mother doesn't understand American party customs and insists that Sana tag along. When Sana receives an invitation of her own, the tables are turned: the girls' baby sister demands to go too. The expressive illustrations bring this simple sibling rivalry/immigrant story to life.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) YA Nina, a Pakistani-Muslim eleventh grader living in New York State, struggles with her identity. Worse though, she's hirsute, self-deprecatingly calling herself "skunk girl" because of a line of dark hair down her back. When a boy Nina likes reciprocates her feelings, Nina must reconcile her parents' beliefs with her own complicated desires. Caught between two cultures, Nina's a believable character making tough choices.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute