Amina’s Voice (hardcover)
by Hena Khan
Amina’s Voice is about a Pakistani-American girl named Amina. She lives with her traditional parents and older brother, who is more Americanized. Her best friend is Korean, on her way to becoming an American citizen, and they are befriended by a former bully, but Amina is unsure about this new friendship, and makes several mistakes she has to apologize for later. She has an ultra-traditional uncle who comes to stay with them in Minnesota, and Amina questions whether her love of music is against her family’s Muslim beliefs. When their mosque is vandalized, Amina learns about community and her own bravery.
What I liked about this book was that it teaches a lot about a culture most of us don’t know a whole lot about. I understand the general teachings of Islam, I have a student whose family is from Pakistan, and I like to think I am a tolerant person who pushes education about diverse populations. However, my immediate family has always lived in America and we aren’t discriminated against due to our religious beliefs. This book educated me and helped me to understand where others are coming from. I will definitely book talk this one, and hope that my students will respond as positively as I did.
What I didn’t like about this book was that it was simple and didn’t have a complex storyline, so it didn’t engage me and challenge me as much as I like to be challenged, but it is a book that will go over very well with students in my class, so that is definitely a positive thing!
Book 35 of 40
(Book 1 of 2018)
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