Day: February 28, 2020

Posted in backlog reviews, Reviews

Backlog Review: Amina’s Voice

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

One of my favorite Hena Khan books, Amina’s Voice is one of those books I re-read at least every couple of months, it’s so positive and sweet.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Pakistani-American Muslim girl Amina isn’t sure about all the changes middle school is bringing. Amina doesn’t like the spotlight, she’s got stage fright from a past experience on stage and despite wanting to sign up for a school concert she can’t get past it.

It doesn’t matter what her best friend Soojin says about her voice is better than most everyone in the school. Soojin is one of the only ones who know she can sing and Amina wants to keep it that way.

Amina and Soojin have a bond over shared experiences they are used to be the only ones with names no one can pronounce and who have different cultural backgrounds from the students around them.

But with Soojin’s family’s citizenship ceremony coming up. Soojin is talking about changing her name to something more ‘American’ and Amina isn’t sure how to feel about that, she likes Soojin as Soojin. Plus if Soojin is changing, does that mean she should be too?

Plus Soojin starts to let a ‘cool girl’ Emily hang out with them at lunch. Emily and her friend Julie had been mean to Amina and Soojin in the past so Amina isn’t sure why Soojin is now willing to look past those old wrongs.

If all that isn’t enough her uncle is coming to visit from Pakistan, the visit is very important to her father so he wants Amina and her brother to be on their best behavior, and he’s staying for three months! But when her uncle arrives it is clear he doesn’t share some of her parents’ beliefs, especially about music. This makes Amina wonder if her love for music is wrong.

When Amina accidentally reveals one of Emily’s secrets it drives a rift between her and Soojin and Emily that Amina doesn’t know how to fix.

When her local mosque is vandalized it puts everything in perspective, but will Amina be able to solve the rifts in her personal life and use her voice to bring together her community?

This OwnVoices novel is by multiple award-winning author Hena Khan author of It’s Ramadan, Curious George, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns and More to the Story. 

Posted in Pondathon, Recommendations

Pondathon: It’s Time to Party

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

For this challenge for the Pondathon, we had to talk about a diverse book, even though this one doesn’t come out till September I’m excited about it because I loved the first novel by author Kelly Yang, Front Desk 

Three Keys (A Front Desk Novel)

Amazon: Three Keys Pre-Order

Mia Tang is excited to have the best year ever.

After a whole lot of drama, she and her parents are the proud owners of the Calivista Motel. Mia even gets to run the front desk with her best friend Lupe. Her writing is also finally getting somewhere.

But sixth grade gives her a dose of reality when:

  1. Mia’s new teacher doesn’t like her writing all that much and her whole class finds out about her living situation. 
  2. The motel is struggling and Mia has to answer to many worried investors.
  3. And with a new immigration law looming, it threatens everyone and everything in Mia’s life.

But if anyone has the key to getting through this it’s Mia and her friends, Mia may not have the best year ever but she’s still ready to face life’s challenges and come out a winner. 

So go ahead and pre-order Three Keys, because anything by Kelly Yang is sure to be a winner!