March 1, 2023
Four tweens stuck in an airport come together for a rescue mission. When 12-year-old Feek Stiles loses his 4-year-old sister, Ruqi, at the airport, he meets Hanna Chen and Sami Iqbal, who try to help him locate her. But Nora Najjar finds her first. The kids are waiting with their families to fly home after attending the Muslims of North America conference when flights are grounded due to inclement weather. Eleven-year-old Hanna, armed with flyers and Meow Mix, is determined to find Snickerdoodle, a cat who has been missing for a week in the airport, and she recruits Feek, Sami, and Nora to help. The story unfolds in chapters that alternate among the viewpoints of aspiring poet Feek from Philadelphia; Doha animal lover Hanna; Sami, who is from Orlando and does karate; and Nora, a Michigan congresswoman's daughter who posts on social media about sweet treats. Each one has something they are struggling with, including parents with busy work schedules, a sports competition, their sense of Muslim identity, and more. They end up going on an adventure throughout the airport that involves unexpected twists and turns, in the process learning more about themselves and one another and finding their voices. Saeed, Al-Marashi, Thompkins-Bigelow, and Ali write four relatable, well-developed characters from different backgrounds who represent the diversity of Muslim communities, seamlessly connecting their individual and collective stories into a single whole. A positive, engaging story centering Muslim kids. (Fiction. 9-13)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
March 15, 2023
Grades 3-6 Four kids, one fast-paced night, and an opportune mystery: this middle-grade novel hits the ground running from the very first page. A storm grounds flights at Zora Neale Hurston Airport, leaving hundreds of Muslims departing an Islamic conference stranded. Among them are four incredible kids: Feek, longing to be a spoken-word artist (like his famous dad) but relegated to babysitting his sister; Hanna (sister of readers' treasured Adam from Love from A to Z, 2019), searching for Snickerdoodle, a cat that went missing at the airport; Sami, the reserved kid who is never picked first; and Nora, always expected to be poised as the daughter of a congresswoman. In a single night and despite occasional tension, the quad rallies around a common goal: finding Snickerdoodle. In alternating points of view, the four authors--who collaborated on Once upon an Eid (2020)--have crafted a book that, while it brims with unapologetic Muslim rep, is about not religion but friendship and adventure. Sometimes their parents don't get them, but trust and communication abound. Hand to readers seeking a quick escape.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
April 10, 2023
In this multi-POV collaboration, four kids leaving the Muslims of North America conference are stranded with their families at Zora Neale Hurston Airport after a thunderstorm grounds their flights. When 12-year-old aspiring lyricist Feek Stiles, from Philly, loses track of four-year-old sister Ruqi, he’s thrown into the company of perpetually anxious Sami Iqbal, from Orlando, who’s afraid of missing his upcoming karate competition; 13-year-old Nora Najjar, a social media enthusiast struggling to share the attention of her busy Michigan “Congressmom”; and 11-year-old animal lover Hanna Chen, from Doha, who’s devoted herself to finding Snickerdoodle, a cat lost in the airport. Once Ruqi is found, Hanna presses the others into joining her cause, precipitating a revealing adventure that pushes each character—all of them navigating personal challenges—to confront whatever it is they’re facing, now that there’s nowhere to go. Humorous dialogue balances intensely emotional moments throughout alternating chapters by Saeed, Al-Marashi, Thompkins Bigelow, and Ali. Spirited characters with distinctly wrought backgrounds prove both idealistic and realistic while emphasizing the importance of community and the idea that there is more than one way to honor Muslim identity. Ages 8–12. Authors’ agents: (for Saeed) Faye Bender, Book Group; (for Ali) Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties; (for Thompkins Bigelow) Essie White, Storm Literary.
July 1, 2023
Gr 4-7-In a book written in alternating chapters by four well-known, Muslim authors, four tweens with seemingly little in common are stranded at an airport. Bad weather has grounded all flights following a Muslim convention. Feek, an aspiring poet, wants to gain the approval of his famous father through his writing but is instead babysitting his little sister Ruqi. Hanna, animal protector extraordinaire, is trying to find a cat named Snickerdoodle, who was lost in the airport the week before, while also avoiding her dad's talk about finding her a new mom. Sami, forever anxious, is worried the grounded flights will keep him from his important karate tournament. Nora, daughter of a congresswoman, just wants to make videos for social media and work out her friend issues. When Hanna recruits the others to find Snickerdoodle, all four embark on an adventure through the airport (with Ruqi in tow), and uncover potentially sinister happenings with animals. The story contains just the right number of twists and turns to keep middle grade readers engaged. The authors have seamlessly overlapped each family's trials, keeping the characters likable and believable. Muslim readers will be happy to be represented, and will connect with one or more of the kids, whether they feel like they fit in or not, and non-Muslim readers will see the universality of friendship and families. VERDICT This will appeal to a wide audience, with important topics addressed smartly, including the positives and negatives of social media, and fitting in with peers while staying connected to one's family.-Michele Shaw
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2023
The (fictional) Zora Neale Hurston Airport is bustling with travelers, many of whom are Muslim American families heading home after the annual MONA (Muslims of North America) conference. Twelve-year-old Feek takes his rambunctious younger sister, Ruqi, to a play area and loses track of her when she abruptly runs off. Hanna, Nora, and Sami, who all attended the conference and are around Feek's age, meet for the first time and help Feek look for his sister (she is found). When a storm grounds all flights indefinitely, the group comes together again, this time to help Hanna on her quest to find Snickerdoodle, a missing cat. That detective work takes many hilarious turns as the kids sneak into a first-class lounge, a closed store, and restricted hallways. Chapters alternate points of view, cycling through Hanna's, Sami's, Feek's, and Nora's perspectives, slowly revealing that each is dealing with a larger issue, such as communicating honestly with their parents. This is more than a cute kitty caper with humorous airport antics: it's a thought-provoking adventure about growing up and the need for individuality, independence, and autonomy. Julie Hakim Azzam
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2024
Coauthored with Huda al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali. The (fictional) Zora Neale Hurston Airport is bustling with travelers, many of whom are Muslim American families heading home after the annual MONA (Muslims of North America) conference. Twelve-year-old Feek takes his rambunctious younger sister, Ruqi, to a play area and loses track of her when she abruptly runs off. Hanna, Nora, and Sami, who all attended the conference and are around Feek's age, meet for the first time and help Feek look for his sister (she is found). When a storm grounds all flights indefinitely, the group comes together again, this time to help Hanna on her quest to find Snickerdoodle, a missing cat. That detective work takes many hilarious turns as the kids sneak into a first-class lounge, a closed store, and restricted hallways. Chapters alternate points of view, cycling through Hanna's, Sami's, Feek's, and Nora's perspectives, slowly revealing that each is dealing with a larger issue, such as communicating honestly with their parents. This is more than a cute kitty caper with humorous airport antics: it's a thought-provoking adventure about growing up and the need for individuality, independence, and autonomy.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)