Amina's Voice, by Hena Khan

I just finished re-reading Amal Unbound, reviewed in this very blog last summer, and jumped right into Amina's Voice.  Both are OBOB books for next year and both are similar, realistic fiction stories about girls from different cultures trying to navigate life as both an American teenager and part of something outside of the American mainstream culture. Now, one could easily argue that there is no 1 "American culture", and I would agree. But in the case of Amina, she is from a Pakistan-born Muslim family living in Milwaukie, Wisconsin, which, according to the story, is very supportive of the Muslim community there. The cultural differences for Amina and her family are manageable but persistent throughout the book, but come to a head near the end when a tragic event strikes the community.

Before that happens, Amina is a new 6th grade girl trying hard to navigate middle school for the first time, along with changing friendships, boys, feelings, emotions...all the things teens deal with..as if I need to tell YOU, right? The book is easy to read, well-written but simple, not terribly long, but pretty good! A good OBOB choice, especially for those of you who don't like the fantasy and sci-fi genres as much...both Amina's Voice and Amal Unbound are good reads! I'll give Amina 4 paws...better than average, yet not amazing. For most Briggs readers, this story is a window, not a mirror, into another culture - one we are sharing with those around us right now, even if we don't always recognize it. Windows, like this book, are ways for us to "put ourselves into other people's shoes", to experience a life other than our own. It builds empathy, something we can always use more of! One reason I love realistic fiction so much...

Let me know what you think of Amina once you've read her story!