As I continue to read YA and middle grade books on immigration for my doctorate program this summer, here’s another story that fits the bill.
Title: Amina’s Voice
Author: Hena Khan
Genre: contemporary realistic fiction
Age group: middle grade
Synopsis: Sixth grader Amina is coping with adjusting to middle school. It doesn’t help that her best friend Soojin has suddenly become friendly with Emily, a girl who used to tease both Amina and Soojin about their ethnicities. Complicating the situation is the arrival of her father’s elder brother from Pakistan who has very traditional ways and may not be impressed with how “Americanized” Amina and her family have become. Meanwhile, Amina struggles to overcome her stage fright so that she can sing in front of others as well as compete in the Quran competition at the local Islamic Center. As she struggles to juggle all the changes in her life, the Islamic Center is attacked, and Amina questions whether or not her family is even welcome in the community anymore.
This novel is very engaging and told in a style that will appeal to most middle school students. Amina is portrayed as a very relatable character as she tries to adjust to all the changes that middle school can bring—something all middle school students can relate to. At the same time, we see her family wrangle with how to maintain their Muslim and Pakistani cultures while also enjoying being part of the broader American community. Since Amina’s best friend Soojin is a Korean Christian, there is also a good depiction of positive interfaith relationships, especially after the Islamic Center is vandalized and Soojin’s church offers to host the carnival that the Islamic Center had planned prior to the attack. Students will find this to be an engaging read, and there’s much “food for thought” that teachers can use to discuss topics such as fitting in, remaining true to yourself and your culture, and working with people of other faiths.
